These healthy blueberry oat bars are super easy to make, and they work great with both fresh and frozen blueberries. The combination of the buttery oat base with the jammy blueberry filling is divine, and you’d never know that they’re vegan, gluten free, protein packed and contain only natural sugars. Keep reading to learn how to make them!
Blueberry Oat Bars
A dessert which is healthy and that you can enjoy for breakfast? Sign me up! The combination of the melt-in-the-mouth oat-y base with the juicy blueberries is simply delicious! The great thing about these bars is you can use both fresh or frozen blueberries! The bars are ridiculously easy to prepare and make! They’re a healthier option to a blueberry pie and are filled with high protein oats, natural sugar and ‘good for you’ ingredients.
Looking for more gluten-free recipes, check out my Gluten-free Vegan Brownies, Gluten-free Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies and Gluten-free Vegan Lemon Cupcakes. More can be found here.
Why you’ll LOVE these healthy blueberry oat bars:
- Melt-in-the-mouth base: It’s buttery, oat-y and perfectly crisp. It resembles a mixture between a flapjack and shortbread and is packed with sweetness from the maple syrup and a nuttiness from the almonds.
- The jammy filling : Each exquisite bite of these bars bursts with blueberries. It’s thick, chewy, jammy and the right balance between firm and gooey. It holds well when cut into bars and is simply delicious!
- Most amazing crumble: You can’t have a blueberry bar without a buttery crumble. The crumb on-top add’s a delicious crunch and alternative texture to the base and filling.
- Super easy to make: This is a quick, simple and fun recipe for all to get involved in making. No stand mixer or any fancy tools needed!
- Natural sugars: To make the bars slightly more healthier, the recipe calls for coconut sugar. This sugar isn’t just a more natural option, but it gives a subtle coconut flavour to the bars which pairs perfect with the berries.
- Gluten-free: This recipe is completely gluten-free, free from wheat! It uses the combination of almond flour and ground oats ( gluten-free ) in replacement for ‘regular’ wheat based flour, not that you’d be able to tell!
- 100% vegan : This recipe doesn’t contain any animal derived ingredients! Always check your ingredients before use.
How to make Healthy Blueberry Oat Bars
These bars are quick and easy to make, using simple ‘easy to find’ ingredients. They are great for a healthy snack, breakfast paired with dairy-free yogurt or as a delicious fruity dessert. Find the full written recipe and method in the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Blueberry filling
In a saucepan add in the blueberries, sugar, lemon and cornflour/cornstarch. Allow this to cook and bubble until thickened. Set aside.
- Base
Mix together the oats, almond flour, baking powder, maple syrup and coconut oil. Press 3/4 into the base of the lined 8×8 tin. Pour over the blueberry filling. Spread out into an even layer.
- Crumble
Sprinkle the remaining crumble over the top in an even layer.
- Bake
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown in colour.
- Cool and serve
Remove from the oven, allow to cool fully in the tin before removing and cutting with a sharp knife in-to squares.
Blueberry Oat Bars – Tips and tricks
- Make sure the bars are cool before cutting. To avoid any messes, make sure the bar (especially the blueberry filling) is fully cool before cutting into squares. If you cut the bars warm, you risk the filling oozing out from the base and it becoming a mess. You can always pop them in the fridge for 20 minutes to chill before cutting. The short chilling time firms up the oatey crust, and makes the bars sturdy so you can cut them into gorgeous neat slices.
- For best results, weigh out your ingredients using a set of kitchen scales: If you use cups, it’s very easy to over or under measure ingredients. This can result in a very dry or overly sticky bars. I always highly recommend digital scales.
- Use un-waxed lemons. If you can get organic this is even better. As this recipe calls for the zest of lemons, I always recommend using organic unwaxed lemons. It will give you the best zesty flavour and you’ll also avoid any pesticides that “regular” lemons are treated with.
- Use a sharp knife to cut the bars. Make sure the knife you use to cut the bars is sharp. I wouldn’t recommend a serrated knife as this can catch on the blueberries and drag them causing for messy slices. A flat, sharp knife will do the trick!
- Store in the fridge. To keep the bars fresh and great for snacking, store them in an air-tight / sealed container. Allow them to come to room temperature before enjoying. This will help soften the coconut oil and berries making for a deliciously chewy and soft bar!
If you make, and love this recipe, please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below. Thank you & happy baking! Make sure to tag me in your photos on Instagram , TikTok and Facebook! Pin this recipe for later, you can use the button on the recipe card, above or below this post, or on any of the photos. Happy baking all!
Print
Healthy Blueberry Oat Bars
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 10 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Healthy Blueberry Oat Bars. Great for breakfast or dessert. Vegan, gluten-free, easy to make and natural sugar.
Ingredients
Ingredients for the base
- 100g of almond flour (ground almonds)
- 280g of whole oats (gluten-free)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 150g of maple syrup / agave syrup
- 140g of coconut oil
Ingredients for the blueberry filling
- 380g of blueberries (fresh or frozen)
- 60g of coconut sugar (alternatively, you can use caster)
- 1/2 lemon juice
- 1/2 lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons of cornflour/ cornstarch
Instructions
Method (base)
- Line a 8 x 8 inch baking dish / tin with grease-proof paper. Allow the paper to hang over the edges of the tin, this makes it easier for removing the bars when baked.
- In a large bowl, combine the almond flour, oats, baking powder, maple / agave syrup and melted coconut. Mix well to combine.
- Add 3/4 of the base mixture to the tin (save the other 1/4 for the crumble on top). Use your fingers to press down until you have a tightly packed, even layer. Set aside. The texture of the mixture should be squidgy. If it feels too dry, add in a splash more coconut oil / syrup.
Method (blueberry filling)
- Add the blueberries, lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar and cornstarch into a medium sized saucepan. Place the pan over medium heat, continuously stirring to prevent the blueberries from sticking and burning. Be careful lot to vigorously whisk or mash as you want the berries to retain their form.
- Cook the berry mixture for approximately 3-5 minutes, or until thickened.
- Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees c fan.
- Pour the filling on top of the base layer. Use a spoon or spatula to make sure it’s even. You want this blueberry layer to be as flat as possible.
- Sprinkle the remaining crumble on-top of the blueberries in an even layer, making sure the majority of the filling is covered.
- Place in the middle of the oven and bake for 30 minutes. You’ll know they’re ready when the filling is bubbling and the crust is golden brown in colour.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool fully in the tin before lifting the slab out of the tin and cutting into squares with a sharp knife.
- Serve and enjoy.
Notes
To store: Store in a sealed / air tight container in the fridge. Allow to come to room temperature before serving. Enjoy within 3-4 days of making.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 30-35 minutes
- Category: bars
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
These are so tasty! A lovely texture and fruity taste. And better to know they are healthier for you.
Author
Hello,
Aw so happy you enjoyed!! xx
Author
Thank you so so much xxx
Can another flour other than Almond be used. My grandson is allergic to almonds too.
Such a nice recipe! Even the people who don’t have dietary restrictions love these!
Author
Aw so happy you enjoyed! Thank you x
It’s delicious, Holly! Thank you so much! What happens if I substitute oil such as canola for the coconut oil?
These are delicious and so easy to make. Do you know if they freeze well?
These blueberry bars were delicious, they are definitely going into the rotation! Is it possible to freeze them? Can’t wait to make your other deserts!