Loaded with wholesome ingredients like whole grain oats, blueberries, and chia seeds, these healthy blueberry oatmeal snack bars make a great breakfast or afternoon treat. They’re vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, and refined sugar free!
I have so many emotions about theeeeese!
But first. Can we agree that you really can only have so many muffins.
Or chocolate peanut butter baked oatmeal cups. I think I’ve made them every week for the past forty million weeks. I love ’em to death but I can’t lie; I was in need of a change. A sprucing up of my snack routine, if you will.
Way back when I whipped up these Apple Oatmeal Bars, which screamed Autumn and caramel apples and crispy leaves and weather just cold enough to wear my cute new brown jacket. Now it’s so hot outside that we’re all nearly melting. Apple thangs have been swapped out for berry thangs. The berries this season have been reeeeeal good. Sweet, plump, juicy, bloob and strawb perfection. I’ve been adding them to toast with almond butter and cinnamon like it’s my job.
I mean it kind of is my job.
LOADED toast. It’s a thing. My current fave is Food For Life Baking Ezekiel cinnamon raisin bread toasted up, slathered with Crazy Richard’s almond butter (seriously the creamiest and drippiest) and topped with blueberries, strawberries, banana, cinnamon, and cacao nibs for crunch. It’s one heavy piece of toast.
Now if you’re not in the mood for said toast, these vegan and gluten-free blueberry oatmeal bars make a fabulous healthy breakfast or snack. They’re just sweet enough to pass as dessert with the kiddos but healthy enough to double as breakfast. They’d be pretty unreal topped with melty vanilla bean ice cream. Not like I’ve tried it or anything.
If you want to make these for the Fourth of July, feel free to use some strawberries in place of a portion of the bloobs and sprinkle with coconut. I can’t even with this patriotism.
Red, white, and blueberry!
- 1½ cups blueberries (I used frozen)
- 1½ tbsp chia seeds
- 1 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 1 cup oat flor
- 1½ cups old-fashioned oats
- 2 tbsp coconut sugar (or brown sugar)
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- ¼ cup coconut oil, melted
- Preheat oven to 325F. Grease an 8x8in baking dish with coconut oil or cooking spray.
- Heat a small saucepan over medium heat. Add blueberries, chia seeds and maple syrup. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring often. Use a potato masher to smash blueberries for the "jam" layer. Set aside.
- Combine oats, oat flour, sugar, cinnamon salt, and baking soda in a large bowl.
- Add applesauce, maple syrup and coconut oil, stirring to combine.
- Set aside a heaping half cup of the oat mixture and then spoon the rest evenly into the prepared pan. Top with blueberry chia jam, spreading evenly with a spoon or spatula.
- Drop the rest of the oat mixture on top.
- Bake for 30 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack before cutting into 12 bars.
- Store in the refrigerator.
Oh damn son these look amazing- you can just see the plumpness of the berries…not that I’m jealous or anything given berry season in Mumbai is long gone. As for topping these with vanilla ice cream- girl, you are speaking my language ;)!
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Allll the ice cream, gurl!
These are happening TODAY
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Such a good idea for a snack, love it!
I can’t wait until july when my Mom buys over 50 pounds of blueberries to make blueberry pies and there are always so many left! I would love to make these with the extras! YUM 🙂
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Omg your mom sounds like the BOMB
I’m fantasizing about eating that entire dish of “snack” bars for dinner. SO healthy, so tasty! I need to bejewel some oats with bluebs as soon as humanly possible!
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Yasss! Bejewel away, my love! I’m already thinking about making another batch with cherries. Or strawbs. DROOL!
i need a scoop of vanilla ice cream with these 🙂 #balancedeating
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These look beyond delicious!!! xx
I agree. Time for a change. It is hot out there. Time for the berries.
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AMEN! Cherry time, baby 🙂
These look so good! I love baked oatmeal with fruit and this could double as granola bars.
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Tried them! Love them!
these are the answer to my prayers! i’ve been wanting to make some sort of blueberry bars 🙂 too bad i’m leaving now D:
Looks delicious!
Question: Do you happen to know of a non-fat substitute for coconut oil?
Thank you very much 🙂
Hi Stacy, I think they’d be pretty dry without the fat source. Applesauce may work but I haven’t tried it!
I want to take these to a 4th of July get-together. Could I just double recipe for a 9×13 pan? Could I also use half almond/half oat flour? Thank you!
These are in the oven now…the crust & topping was way ‘wetter’ than yours looks. It wasn’t dry enough to press into the pan or crumble on top…more like batter. I think the problem may be that I used gluten free oats from Trader Joe’s and they are a little less ‘hardy’ than old fashioned oats. I think they’ll taste good, but the don’t look as pretty as yours 🙂
I’m just looking at my batter and trying to figure out how I’m going to “sprinkle” 1/2 cup of the oat mixture. It’s very wet and the consistency of a cake batter….. How did yours turn out????
Hmmm it should be sticky but able to be dropped in clumps. Hope it worked out ok!
Did you then add some fresh blueberries on top? That’s what it looks like in the photos.
can you make oat flour by grinding up raw oatmeal?
Ok, I raved about them on social media and have to rave here, I love these!! I made them today; had them in the fridge; wasn’t going to eat them since I was too full from dinner but needed to cut them up to give one to the hubs for his work lunch… a tiny sliver fell off of his, I nibbled, and I saw fireworks. Next thing you know, I’m eating my own bar and thinking of a second.
The flavors are so so great!! It was the first time I made my own oat flour (half rolled/half steal cut blended), and they seriously turned out perfect. I could go on but will end with, these will be in rotation in this house. 🙂 Thank you. Thank you.
Awww I loved reading this, Emily! Crying that you saw fireworks….amazing 🙂 You’ll have to try the cookies I’m posting Monday that are made with oat flour as well.
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This is a great recipe! We omit the brown sugar and only use half of the maple syrup in the oat part-they are still a delicious treat and our toddler loves them. Thank you!
So happy you made swaps that are delish for you! Keep baking 🙂
Wondering where I went wrong…… I’m trying to figure out how I’ll sprinkle a half cup of the oat mixture as mine is very wet (consistency of a cake batter). Please advise! Cheers!
I have to agree with everyone else that the batter was really wet. I couldn’t sprinkle the topping , just drop it in blobs. It tastes very good but I am really missing the crispy oat cluster topping that I see in the picture. Can you double check the ratios of the wet ingredients and make sure there are no typos?
Hey Lisa, so sorry about this! I just made them again and I agree–a bit too wet. I added another half cup of oats and am adjusting the recipe accordingly. Thanks for your comment!
Just made these for breakfast this morning with some eggs on. The side. So yummy and so easy!! It was like eating a slightly healthier morning pastry. Will definitely be making again!!
I added some small walnut pieces on top and will have to wait until tomorrow to have them since I want them to cool. They look fabulous!
Mmmmm walnuts are always an excellent decision 🙂
I don’t have much experience baking with chia seeds…do you use whole chia seeds or ground chia seeds? Looks delicious. Cannot wait to try it! Thanks.
How can I subsitute the applesauce? Thanks!