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.
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. I always make sure he starts his day with a filling breakfast like peanut butter toast or Blueberry Banana-Nut Oatmeal, but as much as I’d love to start every morning with a bowl of fresh oatmeal, sometimes it’s just not in the cards. This is why I’m OBSESSED with these Blueberry Oatmeal Breakfast Bars which are like 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.
Note: the coconut oil might solidify a bit when adding the cold milk and egg but it will melt right back down in the oven. No worries!
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!
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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. (Coconut oil might solidify a bit but it's fine and the oil will melt right back down in the oven.) 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.
Do these freeze well?
Absolutely!
Totally not cooked at 40 minutes even though the toothpick comes out clean. Maybe it’s my use of liquid coconut oil?
Hi Susan! Some ovens run a little colder than others – place a piece of foil on top and keep baking until done! :)
Haha, this is the second recipe of yours I made today! I had to come and comment though, because I’ve made this recipe a many times now, with all kinds of fruit, and they’ve all been perfect. I done it with blueberries. I’ve done it with strawberries (my personal favorite). I even did it today with pitted sweet cherries. All have been amazing. (Plus I love the pumpkin and apple versions you have on the site too!) This has truly become my go-to breakfast and snack for the kids and myself, and I foresee stashing a lot of oatmeal bars in the freezer once school starts back up again. Thanks so much for a really great recipe!
I am so happy to hear this, Jen!! We love these bars for the same reasons – they are so versatile and basically fool proof. Thank you so much for your feedback and recipe rating!
can’t have bananas, so what can be substituted for it and how much
Thanks, c
Hi Connie! You could replace the shredded apples in this recipe with 1 cup blueberries, and drop the amount of cinnamon down to 1 teaspoon. I hope that helps! https://iowagirleats.com/apple-cinnamon-oatmeal-bars/
Why do these have to be refrigerated? Is it because of the blueberries? or to keep them moist? Loved the recipe fresh from the oven but curious what they will taste like after being refrigerated
Personally I find baked goods with blueberries get super, super soft after sitting out at room temp so for me it’s just a texture thing. You can leave them on the countertop if you like!
These are delicious! But I have looked for the nutritional breakdown and you don’t answer those comments- did I miss this somewhere? We need that info please! – fellow Iowa Girl
I have made this recipe many times and I love it. Today I only had half a cup of blueberries so I added a couple tbsp of semi sweet chocolate chips as well…omg amazing.
Hi, I thought maybe I should leave a comment given that I make this recipe almost every week and currently have a TRIPLE batch in the oven. It is so so good. Somehow it is more than the sum of its simple, wholesome parts. It is craveable and so very warming and fortifying first thing in the morning. I also sent it to my sister to make for my nephew’s first bday cake bc he is allergic to wheat. Now she makes it all the time too and her kids call it “blueberry muffin cake bread” ? THANK YOU!
What happened to the original Baked Blueberry Almond Oatmeal Bar recipe? My pinterest pin for this takes me to this recipe and it’s not the same at all? The original had dried blue berries and whole oats……
Here you go, Sarah!
Baked Blueberry Almond Oatmeal Bars
Makes 8 bars
Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups old fashioned oats, certified gluten-free if you need it
1/2 cup chopped raw almonds
1/2 cup dried blueberries
1/4 cup flax seeds
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1-1/4 cups milk, any kind (I used unsweetened vanilla almond milk)
1 egg, whisked
1 teaspoon vanilla
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir together oats, almonds, blueberries, flax seeds, brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Add milk, egg, and vanilla then stir to combine. Pour mixture into a nonstick-sprayed 8×8 baking dish then bake for 25-30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into the center comes our clean. Cool completely then cut into bars/triangles and store in the refrigerator for 2-3 days, or individually wrap in saran wrap and freeze. Microwave to reheat.
I just put these in the oven. My melted coconut oil solidified when I added the cold milk. Since the oil was a solid, I used the mixer to combine — hopefully it worked well enough! Next time I will have the milk / egg at room temperature!
The oil will melt right back down in the oven so it’s ok if there’s a few solid chunks. I hope you loved these!
Great recipe!!! Thank you! The smell in my kitchen is heavenly.
These are great! Mine look a little more rustic than pictured but they tasted great. I look forward to eating leftovers tomorrow.
These look good. What is the calorie count. Haven’t made yet.
I don’t see any nutritional/calorie info on any recipe??? Thanks!
I can’t wait to try these, they look great. If I love them I’ll post on my Facebook page and add your website for people to check out your other great recipes. Thanks so much
Yes, yes, yes. This is where it’s at y’all. If you want sweets that are healthy here you go. I substituted the oat flour with a nut mix flour and protein mix we will see how it goes but this recipe not modified is amazing!!!
Very good. I used no sodium baking powder an eighth of a teaspoon of salt, and I substitute whole wheat flour where I could have used the oat flour just because I did not feel like getting out the food processor. They are delicious.
Like eating cake for breakfast, but healthy! So quick and easy. My kids love these!
Yes, exactly! Same page, Bridget! SO glad you guys love these bars.
These bars are delicious. These bars and the pumpkin version are favorites of my toddler and teenager. Thanks for a great recipe.
My pleasure, Brittany! Love when a recipe is a hit with kids both young and “old”!