Blueberry Oatmeal Breakfast Bars are a healthy bowl of oatmeal in bar form! Keep these refined-sugar-free and gluten-free breakfast bars on hand for a healthy, on-the-go breakfast or snack option.
Lately I’ve been getting a glimpse into what life will be like with two big, burly boys eating us out of house and home in the not too distant future. As hungry as I constantly am, Lincoln, my teeny tiny 3 year old, has been giving me a run for my money – little man can put. it. DOWN. Heaven help me (and my wallet!)
Like many toddlers, the L-man asks for snacks round the clock, and if don’t stay ahead of the hunger he reaches hangry status fairly quickly. Forget the struggle – the hanger is real! That said, no matter what we’ve got on the agenda, I always make sure Lincoln starts his day with a filling breakfast. Since he’s not into eggs, scrambled or otherwise, I’ll usually fix him a couple pieces of peanut butter toast with sausage links, a bowl of cereal accompanied by a peanut butter spoon (peanut butter scooped on a spoon, y’all,) or his favorite, Blueberry Banana-Nut Oatmeal. Old fashioned oats simmered with almond milk and a banana, finished with a drizzle of maple syrup, chia seeds, sliced almonds, and lots of fresh blueberries – NOT MIXED IN because can you even imagine. #thingstoddlerscaredeeplyabout
Anyway, as much as I’d love to fix Lincoln a bowl of fresh oatmeal every single morning, many mornings it’s just not in the cards which is why I’m OBSESSED with these Blueberry Oatmeal Breakfast Bars – aka a bowl of oatmeal in bar form!
Here’s what you need to know about this recipe: Lincoln thinks it’s cake and I haven’t told him otherwise. If there’s one thing I’ve learned about feeding toddlers healthy food, it’s that they can’t be convinced something tastes good if it doesn’t. Isn’t that true for everyone though? That said, he’s needed zero convincing to chow down on these gluten-free bars made without refined sugar. They are such a win, and filled with healthy and nourishing ingredients.
Old fashioned oats mixed with milk, mashed bananas, coconut oil, honey, blueberries, and a few other pantry staples bake into soft and chewy bars that are perfect to grab and go on hectic mornings, or snag as a healthy and energizing snack. The flavor is a cross between blueberry oatmeal and banana bread, and the hint of cinnamon and vanilla truly makes the bars taste like cake. I have loved keeping these bars on hand not only for super easy breakfasts for all of us, but also for when we’re entering hangry-ville and I need something healthy and filling FAST!
Eat the bars warm, keep them in the refrigerator all week, or wrap in plastic wrap and stash in the freezer. In a world full of sugar and bad-fat-laden breakfast and snack foods, I could not feel better about feeding these homemade Blueberry Oatmeal Breakfast Bars to my boys. Join us!
Start by whisking the wet ingredients together in a large bowl. That’s 1 cup milk, any kind – I used unsweetened almond milk – 1/2 cup mashed banana, 1/4 cup each honey and melted coconut oil, 1 egg, and 1 teaspoon vanilla.
Next add 1 cup certified gluten-free old fashioned oats to a food processor then process until it turns into flour (you could also try doing this in a blender.) If you want to use oat flour you may already have on hand, measure out a scant cup. By the way, I love GF Harvest oats which are processed using a product purity protocol!
Add the oat flour plus 1-1/2 cups whole oats, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt to the bowl then stir to combine.
Last step is to fold in a heaping 1 cup fresh blueberries then pour the batter into an 8×8″ baking pan that’s been sprayed with nonstick spray. Bake for 35-40 minutes at 350 degrees, or until the sides are golden brown and the center has set.
Slice into bars then enjoy warm, stash in the refrigerator for the week, or wrap the bars in saran wrap and stick in the freezer for later. Whenever you eat them, ENJOY!
Salmon Provencal
Crock Pot Cheesy Beef and Bean Enchilada Dip (No Processed Cheese!)Blueberry Oatmeal Breakfast Bars
Description
Blueberry Oatmeal Breakfast Bars are a healthy bowl of oatmeal in bar form! Keep these refined-sugar-free and gluten-free breakfast bars on hand for a healthy, on-the-go breakfast or snack option.
Ingredients
- 2-1/2 cups certified gluten-free old fashioned oats, divided
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk, any kind
- 1/2 cup mashed banana (about 2 small or 1 large banana)
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- heaping 1 cup blueberries
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees then spray an 8x8" baking pan with nonstick spray and set aside.
- Add 1 cup old fashioned oats to a food processor or blender then process until oats have turned into flour. Set aside. (Alternatively you could use a scant cup oat flour.)
- Add milk, mashed banana, honey, coconut oil, egg, and vanilla to a large bowl then whisk to combine. Add remaining 1-1/2 cups oats, oat flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt then stir to combine. Fold in blueberries then pour batter into prepared baking pan.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the edges are golden brown and the center has set. Cool before slicing into bars then store in the refrigerator, or individually wrap bars in saran wrap and freeze.
Notes
- You can warm the bars up for 15 seconds before serving after refrigerating if you like!
- I love GF Harvest gluten-free oats, which follow purity protocol standards for gluten-free oats, versus being mechanically sorted.
This recipe is courtesy of Iowa Girl Eats, http://iowagirleats.com.
These look great, can’t wait to try them this weekend! Between getting ready for work and trying to feed a toddler I generally end up eating in the car so these look perfect. Thanks!
These look perfect for my 2 year old! Question, do you think it would work to bake the batter in muffin tins?
Sure! I’d start checking them for doneness after 20 minutes or so!
Um. Yum! Definitely trying these out. And I already have everything but the blueberries on-hand :)
Love when that happens! ;)
These look great! We have an egg allergy also – do you think egg replacer would work? Or applesauce? Would it be better to bake them in a muffin tin then? (We do that with another bread recipe when we skip the egg and it works great! )
I would try a flax egg – I’m sure it would work!
I totally get you on the boys eating a ton, my almost 2 year old can eat more than me at times!! It’s crazy. I can’t wait to try these!
These look so good, I can’t wait to try them! I have a 4 year old who doesn’t like banana, do you think applesauce would work instead of the banana? Thank you so much for the recipe!
I think that could work! Let us know if you give it a try!
I have a son that is allergic to bananas. I’m going to try almond butter instead of bananas.
I am so glad you asked! Not a banana fan but these look so good! Going to try it our!
This definitely looks like something my 2 year old would like.
These look so good! I love make ahead breakfasts =)
What can I substitute for coconut oil?
You could use vegetable oil.
Yum! Do you think these would work with raspberries?
Definitely!
OhmygoshYES. How can tiny people eat SO MUCH, ALL the time?! I swear they would eat all day long if I let them. That said, we’ve entered a slightly picky stage, and most days I stress about what to feed them for actual meals. They loved oatmeal two weeks ago, but not now. They’ve loved bananas forever, but not today. So I will try these, because they involve things they love sometimes, but I’ll happily eat them if they aren’t interested. ;)
Just popped these in the oven! My Ben loves to help me in the kitchen, a little more messy but fun.
Wondered if your food processor is a Cuisinart. If so, there was a recall on the blade if it has rivets. Mine did, and they are sending a new blade. You can check out cuisinart.com/recall if so to make sure your processor isn’t affected.
Thanks for the awesome recipe !! :)
Thanks for the heads up – I’ll check on that!
I’m seriously making these TODAY! They look sooooo good, AND I have all the ingredients. That never happens! <3
I always have frozen blueberries on hand. Would those work in this recipe?
Sure!
What kind of coconut oil do you use?
I usually buy whatever’s on sale. Right now I have a jar of HyVee organic coconut oil.
If you have no allergies and are short on time, would regular flour work out ok instead of making the oat flour? THanks!! Can’t wait to try these.
I was wondering the same thing. :)
I obviously haven’t tried it, but I bet it would work!
Inevitably, the only time I realize I’m low on pantry staples is when I find a recipe that can’t wait to be made. I ended up making these today with 3/4 cup all purpose flour and 1/4 cup ground flax instead of the oat flour, and they turned out fantastic. I’m sure all flour would be fine too.
These oatmeal bars are perfect Kristin! I have two boys as well and my 5-year old eats more than I do with my 3-year oldfollowing close behind. The hangries are r
REAL. I just discovered baked oatmeal and have been making a big batch twice a week to feed us and it has been such a sanity saver (its also kept me from buying all the pop tarts and eating every last one by myself). I cannot wait to try these. Have a great weekend!
YES! I’ve been looking for breakfast ideas I can make on the weekends for a grab n’ go breakfast option during the week for our family! I even have ripe bananas I was eyeing yesterday trying to decide what I was going to make with them! Problem solved! Your recipes never fail us! Can’t wait to make these this weekend!
I need more gluten free snacks for hubby (sounds like I will want these too!) and if they have blueberries in them it’s even better. I’ll be making them soon!
My girls aren’t blueberry fans. Would they taste fine without?
Sure! Or you could use raspberries or blackberries instead.
These look so good! I know it’s probably difficult, but any way you could post calorie and fat content of your recipes? Is there an app or something for you to do that?
Hi Lynn! Right now I don’t have a plugin that calculates nutritional information for recipes but can look into that for the future!
Kristin, I started making these within five minutes of seeing your recipe! I have a high school swimmer and he starts practice at 5 a.m. It’s tough getting something into him before he leaves. These are healthy complex carbs that will keep him going! I doubled the recipe (wait until your boys are 17!) and subbed chopped dried cherries and a cup of sliced almonds for the blueberries. They turned out fantastic! Thank you for the breakfast solution!
YAY – so glad to hear it! Love the additions too. :)
“Lincoln thinks it’s cake and I haven’t told him otherwise.” This made me laugh and remember when my daughter was 3-ish…refusing all food I offered before telling me, “I’m allergic to everything…………….except chocolate cake.” Can’t wait to make these!
Too funny! My 4 yr old turned down zucchini bread, but gobbled up “snack cake”.
Thank you for this recipe! I have been looking for easy, portable, healthy breakfast ideas for my 1 yr old. He likes an egg and cheese omelet and oatmeal but I wanted to add a little more variety. These are perfect!
I can’t wait to try these. I’m always looking for healthier breakfast ideas.
When using frozen berries, would you recommend defrosting them first? Or add them frozen?
You could add them in frozen.
I love your recipes!! I just started Weight Watchers and was hoping you could include Point values or nutritional info with your recipes.
Thanks!!
Lately, I have been big into the “meal prep” thing, especially when it comes to breakfast. These are going on my Sunday baking schedule for thus week RIGHT NOW!
These look great! Is there any way you could post the nutrition info.? Thank you!!
These look perfect for my teenage daughter to grab before school. What do you think about adding mini chocolate chips? I know it’s not as healthy as fruit but if I can get her to eat something before school it’s worth it!! I love all your recipes, thanks so much!
Oh for sure! This recipe is very flexible – you could add in cc or chopped nuts, etc.
Made these today, and they were so good! Thanks for sharing! I’m excited to have a healthy breakfast that I can grab for the week.
So glad to hear it, Emily! Have a great week!
these bars are amazing! i just made them and they are delicious! I added some lemon zest too and swapped maple syrup for the honey cause I didn’t have enough honey left and it worked great. thanks for this awesome recipe!
Awesome!! Thanks for letting us know about the maple syrup – and I love the combination of lemon and blueberries too. I bet the bars taste extra yummy!
Just made these for the week. I, of course, had to taste just to make sure they would work ;). So good! I actually didn’t read before I started and blended all of the oatmeal, but it worked out fine! Your recipes are always so good!
I know it wasn’t intentional, but good to know about the oatmeal! :)
Made these this afternoon & they are yummy! I substituted maple syrup for the honey (can’t have honey on my current eating plan) & used frozen blueberries which worked just fine. Thanks for the recipe!
You bet, Jen, so glad you were able to make it work for you! :)
I knew I had to make these when I saw them. They are very good and healthy! I made them last night. The only substitute I used was vegetable oil. I would highly recommend them. Delicious. Thank you. :)
I made these over the weekend and my husband and I think they are great! I would love the nutritional breakdown!
Making these tonight!!
Kristin, this recipe is a keeper for us! I made these today instead of birthday cake for my 91-years-young mom today. They passed the Mom test. Great with a glass of milk too. I can think of some good variations to try as well. Thanks!
You rock! Totally making these! It sounds perfect for grab and go-I am usually not hungry for breakfast until later in the morning and having this in my bag will be great.
Oh my word, I’m pretty sure I’m going to need to build a shed just for all the Costco-size snacks I’m going to have to buy when my three boys are teens! The hanger is REAL.
i’ve been trying to prep more healthy breakfasts in advance and this one sounds perfect!!! thanks for sharing :)
I made a batch of these two days ago and they are gone! My husband and I could not control ourselves. I don’t know whether to make another batch right away or never make them again! Truly delicious!
These are so delicious and perfect for my 2-year-old! She is allergic to milk and eggs and refuses to eat oatmeal so breakfast is basically peanut butter toast every. single. day. I made a batch of these (just subbed in a vegan egg replacer) and she is loving them! I never really thought to try oatmeal in bar form for her but it is working! Thanks for a great breakfast alternative!
Was wondering the calories per bar? Sorry if I missed that somewhere
After reading a recent article about microplastic in our oceans, I made a commitment to no longer buy items that are individually wrapped in plastic. So, no more commercial snack bars–I am going to make my own on-the-go goodies! This recipe looks perfect, and I can’t wait to try it. It being winter, the only fresh blueberries available are from Chile, in a plastic box, but luckily I have lots of locally grown blueberries in the freezer. Have you tried the recipe with frozen berries? Any tips? Thanks!
Hi Carol! I haven’t personally tried it with frozen blueberries but a couple readers said they did with success! :)
Do you think a flax egg or egg replacer would work in this recipe? – Tom
I do!
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Can you use frozen blueberries instead of fresh?
I just made these….really terrific! Will freeze them to eat after Pilates. I did a rough calculation on the calories….about 125 a bar. If you can reduce the coconut oil to 3 TBSP, they would be about 100 calories a bar which is my goal for a snack. Will try that next time and see how they come out. Great recipe! Also loved your Oatmeal Blueberry Banana recipe!
These are exactly what I have been looking for. I’ve been on a blueberry kick lately and need sugar free options for snacks. What can I substitute for honey to decrease the amount of sugar in these?