Soft and chewy Blueberry Oatmeal Bars made with six basic ingredients for a wholesome sweet treat. Customize them using other kinds of fruit or chocolate chips!
These wholesome Blueberry Oatmeal Bars are made with six straightforward ingredients: oats, almond butter, applesauce, pure maple syrup, blueberries, and ground cinnamon!
Soft and chewy, they make a lovely little snack for those who enjoy snack bars. In fact, they remind me of a less sweet version of blueberry Nutri-Grain bars.
Inspired by my Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Applesauce Bars, I simply swapped chocolate chips for blueberries for an even lighter treat.
I have made these blueberry oat bars in various renditions countless times because I am just so fond of them! A great source of complex carbs, healthy fats and fiber with less added sugar, they are ideal for the health nut like me who enjoy sweet treats that are made with mindful ingredients.
The best part? You can customize them to your heart’s content.
So if you enjoy sweeter treats, you can easily add more sweetener, and if you want to experiment with other kinds of fruit, there is plenty of opportunity here. Use this easy recipe as your blank canvas!
Let’s discuss the simple ingredients, as each one has a unique role!
Ingredients for Blueberry Oatmeal Bars:
Oats: The base of the bars is whole grain oats. They are a great whole grain replacement for all purpose flour and bring that lovely oatty flavor and texture.
I like using quick oats (or instant oats) for a softer bar, but rolled oats or old-fashioned oats work too if you’re okay with some additional chewing.
For gluten-free blueberry oatmeal breakfast bars, use certified gluten-free oats. I use gluten-free sprouted oats.
Unsweetened Almond Butter: Bringing healthy fats and richness to the bars, almond butter is the glue that holds it all together.
You can use peanut butter or sunflower seed butter, but just know that you will be able to taste it.
Unsweetened Applesauce: Bringing moisture and some natural sweetness, we need some applesauce! I have found applesauce to be a magical ingredient in baked goods because it makes them moist without the need for extra fat, and sweeter without the need for excess sugar.
Pure Maple Syrup: The sweetener here! We only need 3 tablespoons for the whole batch of bars.
Fresh Blueberries: The all star ingredient that makes these bars pop! Fresh blueberries bring juicy joy to each bite. Leave me a comment below letting me know if you think the bars taste similar to blueberry Nutri-Grain bars too!
Ground Cinnamon: A generous amount of ground cinnamon brings warm flavor and also adds a natural sweetness.
Sea Salt: Salt enhances flavors, including sweetness. Be sure to include it.
Looking for ways you can adapt this blueberry oatmeal bar recipe to your fancy? Here are some ideas.
Recipe Customizations:
- Replace the almond butter with peanut butter or sunflower seed butter.
- Add ½ cup of chocolate chips or replace the blueberries with chocolate chips.
- Use strawberries, raspberries, chopped apple, or chopped peach in place of blueberries. Many kinds of fresh fruit work here!
- Add ½ cup of chopped walnuts or pecans for a little nutty crunch.
- For sweeter bars, add 1 to 3 tablespoons of coconut sugar, brown sugar or white sugar.
- Add 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract if you’d like.
- Zest up one lemon and add lemon zest to the oatmeal blueberry mixture.
Now that we’ve covered the basics, let’s whip up a batch of these healthy oatmeal blueberry bars!
How to Make Blueberry Oatmeal Bars:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a 8-inch baking pan with parchment paper or spray the pan with parchment paper.
Transfer all of the ingredients except for the blueberries to a food processor. Process until everything is well combined.
There is no need to separate the wet ingredients and the dry ingredients! It all goes in at the same time. Note: if you don’t own a food processor, mix everything together in a large bowl by hand.
Fold in the fresh blueberries using a rubber spatula.
Transfer the blueberry oat mixture to the prepared baking dish and spread it into an even layer. Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until the bars appear to be set up and are lightly golden brown around the edges.
Allow bars to cool for at least 20 minutes before slicing and serving. They will slice cleaner if they are cooled to room temperature.
I like eating the bars warm, so I pop one in the microwave for 20 seconds whenever the craving strikes.
Storage Tips:
- Room Temperature: To store bars at room temperature, wrap the baking dish in plastic wrap. Leave them on the counter for up to 3 days unless you live in a very humid area.
- Refrigerator: Store bars in an airtight container or a zip lock bag for up to 1 week.
- Freezer: Transfer any leftover bars to a freezer-safe container or a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
Keep this simple snack option on constant rotation! I make these blueberry oatmeal bars (or some variation upon it) at least once a month, and often weekly.
For me, it is the perfect healthy treat for after dinner. I also like eating the bars with some form of protein as a post workout meal to replenish glycogen. They’re a huge hit in my household!
If you’re looking for more healthy snack recipes, also try out these reader favorites.
More Snack Recipes:
- 6-Ingredient Apple Oatmeal Bars
- Peach Baked Oatmeal Muffins
- 5-Ingredient Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Blueberry Banana Baked Oatmeal Cups
- Oatmeal Cranberry Orange Cookies
Blueberry applesauce oat bars on repeat!
Blueberry Oatmeal Bars
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups (200g) quick oats
- 1 cup (237ml) unsweetened applesauce *
- 3 Tbsp (45ml) pure maple syrup **
- 5 Tbsp (80g) unsweetened almond butter
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¾ tsp sea salt
- 6 ounces fresh blueberries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a 8-inch baking pan with parchment paper or spray the pan with parchment paper.
- Transfer all of the ingredients except for the blueberries to a food processor. Process until everything is well combined. No need to separate the wet ingredients and the dry ingredients! It all goes in at the same time. Note: if you don’t own a food processor, mix everything together in a large bowl by hand.
- Gently stir in the fresh blueberries using a rubber spatula or a wooden spoon.
- Transfer the blueberry oatmeal mixture to the prepared baking dish and spread it into an even layer. Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until the bars appear to be set up and feel firm when gently poked in the middle.
- Allow bars to cool for at least 20 minutes before slicing and serving. They will slice cleaner if they are cooled to room temperature.
Notes
Nutrition
This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission off items you purchase at no additional cost to you.
I made these yesterday….super yummy!