Blueberry Oatmeal Breakfast Bars
These blueberry oatmeal breakfast bars are soft, chewy, and packed with wholesome ingredients like oats, fresh blueberries, and honey. Perfect for a grab-and-go breakfast or a healthy snack!
Ingredients
- 2½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup brown sugar packed
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup cold butter cubed
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
Instructions
- Start by preheating your oven to 350°F. Line a 9×13 inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving some overhang on the sides.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the oats, flour, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt.
- Add the cold butter cubes to the dry mixture. Using your fingertips, work the butter into the dry ingredients by pinching and rubbing until you get a crumbly texture that looks like wet sand with some pea-sized butter pieces still visible. This usually takes about 3-4 minutes, and cold butter is key here for creating that perfect crumbly texture.
- In a small bowl, beat the eggs and vanilla together until well combined. Pour this into your crumb mixture and stir with a fork until everything starts clumping together. The mixture should hold together when squeezed but still be fairly crumbly.
- Press about two-thirds of this mixture firmly into your prepared pan – I like to use the bottom of a measuring cup to really pack it down, which helps prevent a crumbly base later.
- In a separate bowl, gently toss the blueberries with the granulated sugar, cornstarch, and lemon juice until the berries are evenly coated. If you’re using frozen berries, use them straight from the freezer.
- Spread the berry mixture evenly over your pressed base, then sprinkle the remaining oat mixture over the top. Don’t press down on this top layer – you want it loose and crumbly for a nice texture.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes, until the top is golden brown and you can see the berry filling bubbling at the edges. The bubbling is important – it means the cornstarch has activated and will help your filling set properly.
- You need to let these cool completely before cutting, which takes about 2 hours. If you try to cut them while warm, the filling will be too loose and messy. You’ll know they’re ready when the pan feels room temperature on the bottom.
- Once cooled, use the parchment paper to lift the entire thing out of the pan, then cut into squares with a sharp knife.