Blueberry Oatmeal Breakfast Bars (Vegan)

These delicious blueberry oatmeal bars come with a crunchy oat crumble topping and take minutes to put together. Vegan and low in sugar they are perfect for breakfast or as a healthy snack anytime.

These blueberry oatmeal bars are an all-season recipe, perfect to make with either fresh or frozen blueberries.

When it comes to baking with fruit blueberries are usually my first choice.  They are easy to handle, not too juicy, perfect to incorporate into simple breakfast, snack or dessert recipes.  You can add them into a French toast casserole, make nutritious blueberry muffins or a super speedy fresh blueberry cake.

Blueberry are also super nutritious, packed with antioxidants, minerals and vitamins, which makes them an ideal ingredient to include in your diet. Starting with breakfast!

Blueberry oatmeal bars ingredients

• In addition to oats and blueberries (use either fresh or frozen) these bars also contain almond flour (ground almonds) and some ground flaxseed for added goodness as well as to help keep the oaty mixture together.
• I used coconut oil but you can use plant based butter or regular butter (for a vegetarian option).  These oatmeal bars with blueberries are sweetened primarily with maple syrup (use honey or agave syrup if you prefer).
• I combined the blueberries with a little brown sugar, lemon zest as well as cornstarch (corn flour) to absorb excess moisture. 

What oats to use

I recommend using either steel-cut oats or rolled oats as they are wholegrain and healthier than instant oats.  They also have more texture.

Step-by-step recipe instructions

1.Preheat the oven to 350 F/ 180 C/ gas mark 4.  Lightly grease a 22 cm/8.5 inch pan and line with parchment paper. Set aside.

Place the oats, almond flour, flaxseed, coconut oil, maple syrup and a pinch of salt in a food processor.

2. Pulse a few times until all the ingredients have been incorporated and the mixture is sticky. Try not to overmix the ingredients.

3. Press ¾ of the oats mixture into the base of your pan.

4. In a mixing bowl combine the blueberries, lemon zest, sugar and cornstarch and stir thoroughly.

5. Spread the mixture over the oat base.

6. Crumble the remaining oat mixture over the top, tuck into the blueberries a little by pressing gently and bake in the centre of the oven for 35 minutes.

Remove from the oven and set aside to cool completely before cutting.

Serving suggestions

These blueberry oatmeal bars are delicious on their own, but you can also enjoy them with a dollop of yogurt. You can serve them with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream as a healthier dessert.

Can I mix the ingredients by hand

Yes you can, but I recommend using a food processor if possible. It’s quicker to do and guarantees that every little oat flake will be coated in the oil and maple syrup.  If, however, you prefer to mix the ingredients using a spoon be sure to do this as thoroughly as you can until there are no dry ingredients visible.

Top tips and FAQs

• Do not overprocess the ingredients. They should be mixed thoroughly but still have lots of texture.
• Make ahead: You can prepare the oat mixture, press into the pan and refrigerate (overnight). Keep the rest of the mixture in the fridge until you are ready to assemble the recipe. I do not recommend preparing the blueberry mixture ahead.
• I used a moderate amount of sugar but you can use more if you prefer (just taste the oat mixture and add more maple syrup if needed).
• Cool completely before serving (they will cut better).
• These blueberry oat bars are best served on the day they are made. Leftovers can be refrigerated (but the topping will lose its crunch) for up to 3 days.
• Freeze (unbaked) for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen until golden/lightly browned (they will need a few minutes longer in the oven when cooking from frozen).

Related recipes

• Simple Peach Blueberry Crumble
• Healthy Chocolate Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies
• Simple Quinoa Blueberry Muffins

Check out also these other healthy 'sweet recipes'!

Keep in touch!

If you make these blueberry oatmeal bars I'd love to know how they turned out for you. Let me know in the comments below, thanks!

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