With all the goodness of whole-grain oats and blueberries, these gluten-free Blueberry Oatmeal Breakfast Bars make a quick grab-and-go breakfast. These light blueberry oat bars are also great coffee-time bars or nutritious dairy-free snacks for kids.
Don't mistake these gluten-free breakfast bars for Oatmeal Crumble Bars! Crumble bars, (like these Apple Crumble Cheesecake Bars or Apple Pomegranate Crumble Bars or Cranberry Lemon Oatmeal Bars or Peach Crumble Bars) are made with a base, a sweet filling, and a crumble topping.
These blueberry oatmeal bars are more of a breakfast bar than a sweet dessert bar. They're a soft wholesome bar with all the goodness of whole-grain oats and antioxidant-rich blueberries.
These are also different from baked oatmeal like Mixed Berry Baked Oatmeal Cups with Chia or Warm Cranberry-Apple Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal or my favourite Chocolate Espresso Baked Oatmeal. Baked oatmeal is firmer and chewier and it makes a complete breakfast when served with yogurt and berries or other fruit.
These blueberry bars are quick and easy to make, soft and light, and have healthy blueberries in every bite!
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❤️ Why you'll love this healthy blueberry bar recipe
- Easy to make with quick oats.
- Naturally gluten-free.
- Dairy-free.
- Refined sugar-free.
- No electric mixer is needed.
- Oat flour is easy to make at home.
- Use fresh or frozen blueberries!
- Oats are a good source of fiber and plant-based protein.
- Sweet, but not too sweet, just like a breakfast bar should be!
🛒 Ingredients
You'll find a complete list of ingredients with amounts in the recipe card below. But before we get to the full recipe, here are a few notes about some of the key ingredients.
- quick oats: quick oats work best in this recipe. If you only have old-fashioned or rolled oats on hand, just pulse them a few times in a blender or food processor to make them a little finer. Oats are naturally gluten-free but if they're processed in a facility that also processes wheat, there is a risk of cross-contamination. Use certified gluten-free oats, if necessary.
- oat flour: make your own by whirring in a high-speed blender, or use store-bought oat flour. Oat flour helps to make these bars fluffy and light.
- coconut sugar: or brown sugar, or you can use a 0-calorie natural sweetener. I sometimes use Lacanto Monkfruit granulated sweetener with erythritol, but low-glycemic coconut sugar works beautifully in this recipe, too.
- lemon zest: A teaspoon or so adds a bright flavor, enhancing the flavor of the blackberries.
- cinnamon, baking soda, kosher salt
- eggs: You'll need 3 farm-fresh eggs.
- milk: Keep these bars dairy-free by using plant-based milk like almond milk or cashew milk.
- coconut oil: melted, then cooled slightly
- honey: liquid or "runny honey"
- blueberries: You can use fresh or frozen. Blueberries are packed with essential nutrients and antioxidants.
🔪 Instructions
Here's an overview of what you'll do to make this blueberry oatmeal breakfast bar recipe perfectly. You'll find complete instructions in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Prepare an 8-inch square pan by lining it with parchment paper. I lay a sheet in my pan so that it hangs over two edges, then lightly grease the remaining two sides with a little coconut oil. The parchment paper acts as a sling, making it easy to lift the baked bars out once they're finished baking.
- Mix the wet ingredients in a large bowl, and the dry ingredients in a smaller bowl, then combine the two. Gently fold in the blueberries, stirring as little as possible so you don't end up with purple bars!
- Transfer to your prepared baking pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool in the pan for 10 -15 minutes. If you try to remove them from the pan too soon, you risk having them crumble and break. After 10 to 15 minutes, carefully remove to a cooling rack to cool completely. Remove the parchment paper (just slide it out from underneath the bars.)
- When completely cool, use a sharp or serrated knife to cut into bars. This recipe makes 16 small squares or 8 large bars.
🔁 Possible Variations
If you want sweeter bars, you can top them with a simple lemon glaze. Combine ¼ cup powdered sugar or 0-calorie powdered Monkfruit sweetener with 3 - 4 teaspoons lemon juice and drizzle over the top of the bars.
Change the fruit and make a different variety of gluten-free breakfast bars. For example, try these Blackberry Oatmeal Breakfast Bars with healthy blackberries!
👍🏼 Helpful Tips
Wait until the bars are cool before slicing so they don't crumble. It's tough to wait, but it will be worth it!
❓Reader's Questions
No, you don't need to thaw the blueberries first. If you're using frozen blueberries, it's better not to thaw them, as they tend to release their juices and make your batter purple!
🍽 Serving Suggestions
These blueberry oat bars make a healthy snack for kids, full of antioxidant-rich blueberries. They're delicious with a cup of coffee or tea in the morning.
Wrap them individually and have a quick grab-and-go bite on your way out the door!
⏰ Storage Instructions for blueberry oat bars
Blueberry oatmeal breakfast bars are a great choice for meal prepping. Make this easy recipe on a Sunday when you're prepping meals for the week, and have a healthy breakfast bar ready and waiting for you every morning!
To store: Store these bars in an airtight container. These will keep fresh at room temperature for up to 3 days.
To freeze: For longer storage, you can freeze them. Wrap the bars individually, then pack them into an airtight container. Thaw at room temperature or gently reheat on a baking sheet in the oven, if you'd like.
😄 Blueberries for breakfast!
Try these delicious blueberry breakfast recipes, too!
- Slow Cooker Blueberry French Toast--easy to make with regular or gluten-free brioche bread!
- Peach and Blueberry Overnight Oats--have a little jar of breakfast bliss waiting for you in the fridge!
- Grain-free Blueberry Banana Bread--gluten-free banana bread with sweet blueberries.
- Gluten-free Blueberry Peach Clafoutis - a simple rustic French dish made with a gluten-free flour blend, a custard-like filling, and warm peaches and blueberries!
🗒 More gluten-free breakfast recipes
When you make this recipe, please leave a comment and a rating below. I love hearing from you! Thanks in advance. Subscribe to my newsletter and receive new recipes delivered straight to your inbox.
📖 Recipe
Blueberry Oatmeal Breakfast Bars - Gluten-Free
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup quick oats
- 1 cup oat flour
- 2 tablespoons coconut sugar, or Monkfruit granulated sweetener
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest, finely grated
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 3 large eggs
- ¼ cup coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
- ⅓ cup honey
- ½ cup plant-based milk
- 1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. and line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk to combine quick oats, oat flour, granulated sweetener or coconut sugar, baking powder, lemon zest, cinnamon and salt.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine eggs, coconut oil, honey and milk, whisking to combine thoroughly.
- Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients, stirring to combine.
- Gently stir in the blueberries. Transfer mixture to the prepared baking pan, smoothing to fill the pan right to the corners.
- Bake at 350°F. for 33 - 38 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let the bars cool in the pan for 15 minutes before carefully transferring them to a cooling rack and removing the parchment paper.
- When completely cool, slice into 8 large bars or 16 small bars.
Lee
These are great - filing and tasty.
Elaine
Thanks!
Christine
Quick, easy snd healthy. I wrap these and freeze them for easy snacks.
Elaine
Great idea! Thanks for sharing!