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Home » Recipes » Breakfast Recipes » Vegan Blueberry Oat Bars

Last updated on July 7, 2019. Originally posted on July 7, 2019 By Maryea / 54 Comments

Vegan Blueberry Oat Bars

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If you are looking for a bar recipe that uses fresh fruit and can pass as dessert, a snack, or breakfast, this is your recipe. These Vegan Blueberry Oat Bars are filled with fresh blueberries, hearty oats, and are so delicious!

BLUEBERRY OAT BARS recipe stacked on a plate

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These healthy Vegan Blueberry Oat Bars are both vegan and gluten-free if you use certified gluten-free oats.  The best part is that they are a snap to whip up.  Easy, healthy recipes that make everyone in my family happy are my favorite kind.

The ingredients are simple and let the blueberries shine.  These bars are lightly sweet, but definitely not the kind of sweet that leaves you feeling icky afterwards.  Does anyone else feel that way after eating something too sweet?

Vegan BLUEBERRY OAT BARS recipe on a plate

I use agave nectar as a sweetener here.  I like it because it has a more neutral flavor than some other liquid sweeteners like maple syrup or honey.  You can use either of those here, but the flavor profile will change slightly.

There’s a lot of controversy about whether agave nectar is a healthy sweetener.  I’ve done my research and feel that, like other sweeteners, it’s acceptable in moderation.  I don’t think any sweetener is good for you, especially if you use too much.  I do think there is a lot of misinformation out there about agave nectar; you really have to be a scrupulous, discerning reader before you come to your own conclusion about this sweetener.  You can’t believe every sensationalized article you come across before verifying the details.

Vegan BLUEBERRY OAT BARS recipe

Sorry about that little tangent, but I know at least one person will question my use of agave nectar, so I figured I’d answer the questions before they come in.  Enough of that, though, how about we get to the recipe?!

Check out my new video showing the process!

How to Make Vegan Blueberry Oat Bars

 

 

 

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BLUEBERRY OAT BARS recipe stacked on a plate

Vegan Blueberry Oat Bars


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4.1 from 7 reviews

  • Author: Healthy Happy Mama
  • Total Time: 50 minutes
  • Yield: 9 - 12 bars 1x
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Description

These healthy blueberry oat bars are vegan and gluten-free and perfect for breakfast, snack, or dessert! They are lightly sweet, bursting with blueberry flavor, and super easy to prepare.  They taste like heaven when eaten warm, straight out of the oven.  When enjoyed immediately, they are best eaten with a fork. The next day, they are firm like a bar and can be eaten with your hands.


Ingredients

Scale

For the filling

  • 1 pint blueberries
  • 1/4 cup agave nectar
  • 1/8 cup lemon juice
  • 1/8 cup water
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons arrowroot plus 2 tablespoons cold water (corn starch may be substituted)

For the crust/topping

  • 3 cups rolled oats (not instant), divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/3 cup unsweetened apple sauce
  • 1/3 cup agave nectar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.  Oil a 8×8 inch baking dish and set aside.
  2. In a small sauce pan, bring the blueberries, agave nectar, lemon juice, and water to a boil over medium high heat.  When it boils, stir in the vanilla and arrowroot mixture.  Remove from heat and allow to cool.  The mixture will thicken as it cools.  If you are using corn starch instead of arrowroot, you will need to stir the mixture a little longer as it cooks and thickens before you remove it from the heat.
  3. Process 1 1/2 cup of the oats in your blender or food processor until they are a fine powder.  Combine the processed oats, the remaining 1 1/2 cups of rolled oats, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and mix well.
  4. Add the applesauce, agave nectar, and vanilla and mix until everything is well combined.  Add the coconut oil and use your hands to incorporate it into the mixture evenly.  The oats mixture will be thick and resemble cookie dough.
  5. Press about half of the mixture into the bottom of your baking dish.  Press it down firmly so that it reaches the edges of the pan and forms an even bottom crust.  Pour the blueberry mixture on top of the crust layer. Finally, sprinkle the rest of the oat mixture on top of the blueberry mixture in crumbles.  Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven.  Allow to cool before cutting into squares.  Store in the refrigerator.  Enjoy!

Notes

Recipe adapted from here.

Links to products are affiliate links.

  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Category: Snacks
  • Method: baking
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 of 12 bars
  • Calories: 185
  • Sugar: 15.9g
  • Sodium: 56.2mg
  • Fat: 6.3g
  • Carbohydrates: 31.8g
  • Protein: 2.7g

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @happyhealthymama on Instagram and hashtag it #happyhealthymama

This recipe was first published in 2014. Photos were updated and a video added in 2019.

 

If you have fresh strawberries on hand instead of blueberries, definitely give this recipe for Strawberry Oat Bars a try! (Also vegan and gluten free!)

Strawberry Oatmeal Bars Recipe

 

 

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Filed Under: Breakfast Recipes

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jennifer says

    January 5, 2020 at 1:41 am

    Is there an alternative to coconut oil? I want to make it for students but there is a strict no but policy.

    Reply
    • Maryea says

      January 5, 2020 at 10:18 am

      If dairy is not a problem, you can use butter.

      Reply
  2. Erica Mendelson says

    November 19, 2019 at 1:21 pm

    If you want a more crumbly topping, could you pulse all of the oats?

    Reply
    • Maryea says

      November 22, 2019 at 9:33 am

      I don’t see why not!

      Reply
  3. Michelle says

    August 7, 2019 at 1:20 pm

    I made a double batch for church fellowship and everyone loved them. Needless to say, the dish came home empty!

    Reply
    • Maryea says

      August 14, 2019 at 10:03 am

      So happy to hear this!

      Reply
  4. fnaf says

    July 25, 2019 at 11:00 pm

    Vegan vegan bar you make very delicious and attractive. Very good food for health.

    Reply
  5. Kathy says

    May 23, 2019 at 8:59 am

    Do you think it would work to make these up the night before and not bake until the morning?

    Reply
  6. Kelly says

    July 21, 2018 at 2:40 pm

    Hi … I already have oat flour, so wondering how much I use to equal 1.5 cups of Oats you put in food processor?

    Reply
    • Maryea says

      July 24, 2018 at 1:09 pm

      1.5 cups of oat flour.

      Reply
  7. Haley says

    March 20, 2018 at 6:28 am

    How many calories are each serving of the blueberry bars 🙂

    Reply
  8. Kaylen B says

    December 1, 2017 at 2:32 pm

    Hi! Would frozen blueberries work in this recipe?

    Reply
  9. Darlene says

    October 11, 2017 at 3:54 pm

    I really love this recipe! Delicious, just the right amount of sweet (I used agave nectar) and easy and fast to make. Thank you for sharing 🙂

    Reply
    • Maryea says

      October 11, 2017 at 6:00 pm

      You’re welcome! Thanks for your feedback. 🙂

      Reply
  10. Carolyn says

    July 1, 2017 at 8:11 am

    Any recommendations on what could be subbed for applesauce? I don’t have any on hand, no bananas at the moment either.

    Reply
    • Maryea says

      July 2, 2017 at 10:37 pm

      Sorry I didn’t see this comment right away. You can add more oil if you don’t have applesauce. I would try 1/3 cup oil and up the agave nectar to 1/2 cup.

      Reply
    • Alysa says

      September 13, 2019 at 9:26 pm

      Thanks, these look amazing. I didn’t have applesauce and replaced with 2 flax eggs and all seems to be going well so far. I also added a little brown sugar since I was losing the applesauce sweetness, though with the berries/agave not sure I needed to, except I needed to because yum 🙂

      Reply
  11. Ann says

    June 19, 2017 at 4:15 pm

    Tried it, loved it and made it a 2nd time as dessert for vegan friends. Got lot’s of compliments so thank you very much for this very nice and easy recipe.
    Instead of agave I used maple syrup.

    Reply
    • Maryea says

      June 20, 2017 at 9:07 am

      Thanks for the feedback, Ann! I’m glad you liked these. 🙂

      Reply
  12. J ganske says

    February 15, 2016 at 4:06 pm

    I just made these. Still in oven. I tasted all the mix before putting it in the pan to bake, about 15 min ago. I am getting a migraine from tasting. I’m not sure what ingredient brought it in. They look great in the oven & still glad I made them.

    Reply
  13. Heather says

    November 16, 2015 at 10:57 pm

    Could maple syrup or honey be used in place of the agave nectar? I’m concerned about the long-term effects that the high-fructose content of agave can have on the body, causing insulin resistance, etc.

    Reply
    • Maryea says

      November 17, 2015 at 7:30 am

      Yes, you can use a different liquid sweetener. Keep in mind, however, that agave is the most neutral of the liquid sweeteners you mention, so the honey or maple syrup will change the flavor slightly.

      Reply
  14. Linda says

    June 22, 2015 at 8:06 pm

    I just put a pan of these in the oven. Upon licking my fingers, I decided they are delicious! I may cut back on the agave next time as I haven’t had much sweetener in the last year or so. But they are fit for company just as they are! Thanks for the recipe.

    Reply
    • Maryea says

      June 23, 2015 at 6:31 am

      You’re welcome!

      Reply
  15. Sandie says

    August 22, 2014 at 9:35 pm

    When I started learning about health foods way back before I started having kids…35 yrs ago I replaced sugar with honey when baking. I wondered if it was actually better once it was heated and for some reason that thought always stayed with me. I didn’t bake sweet things for the kids much thinking raw fruit was better anyway but I started to bake again to sell muffins and cookies and looked into alternative sweeteners and found information about how honey is toxic when heated. There is lots of information about this online…http://truththeory.com/2012/07/29/honey-a-must-read-for-those-who-eat-it-regularly/
    Several studies to test this theory have shown that when honey is heated it produces a chemical called hydroxymethyl furfuraldehyde (HMF), increases the level of peroxides, as well as altering the all-important ‘medicinal’ molecular structure of honey irrevocably, making it indigestible and toxic. Some sources say that HMF may also be toxic to humans so if you need something natural sweetener that needs to be heated in your recipes, try coconut palm sugar or jaggery.http://www.curejoy.com/content/honey-heated-body-temperature/

    Reply
  16. Janice says

    August 10, 2014 at 6:33 pm

    Took me a while to find this healthy version. Going to give them a try but without the agave. Might want to rethink that ingredient. I use local honey as a substitute in most recipes. It’s much better for u in a million ways. The research on agave is easy to find. Best of luck on staying healthy and thanks for sharing so I could do so eying healthy for my own!

    Reply
    • Maryea says

      August 11, 2014 at 7:02 am

      I have done a lot of research on agave. I think a lot of it is sensationalized. I realize it is high in fructose (giving it its lower glycemic index, which I like) but honey is also high in fructose. Like all sweeteners, I use it in strict moderation. I make sure to use organic agave so I can trust it is minimally processed without chemicals I don’t feel any sweetener is good for you. Some slightly better than others, but none are “good” for you. I also use local, raw honey. I love it, but sometimes I don’t want the strong honey flavor in what I’m making.

      I hope you enjoy these blueberry bars! I’m glad you found me. 🙂

      Reply
    • Sandie says

      August 13, 2014 at 7:37 pm

      Honey should not be consumed unless raw.

      Reply
      • Maryea says

        August 14, 2014 at 6:41 am

        Why? I know it’s got more health benefits in its raw state, but why should it not be consumed unless it’s raw?

  17. Rachel @LittleChefBigAppetite says

    July 29, 2014 at 7:20 pm

    These look marvelous! What a great way to use up the berries in my fridge!

    Reply
    • Maryea says

      July 30, 2014 at 7:39 am

      Thanks, Rachel!

      Reply
  18. Veronique says

    July 23, 2014 at 3:08 pm

    I don’t know if maybe I have gone cross-eyed, but I did not see anywhere how long it needs to be in the oven for. I went with 30 minutes after looking at the recipe you linked.

    Reply
    • Maryea says

      July 23, 2014 at 10:13 pm

      Eeeek! I think maybe I was going cross-eyed when I wrote the recipe. It’s fixed now! Thanks for the heads up. 🙂 Hope you loved these.

      Reply
  19. Athletic Avocado says

    July 22, 2014 at 12:39 pm

    Oh wow these sound awesome! you can never go wrong with blueberries in any form! 🙂

    Reply
    • Maryea says

      July 23, 2014 at 6:56 am

      I agree!

      Reply
  20. Alexis @ Hummusapien says

    July 21, 2014 at 12:26 pm

    Major yummmm! I feel ya on the sweeteners–they’re all sugar in the end, and it’s best in moderation. I like getting agave at TJ’s because it’s super cheap! I just bought a pint of blueberries so this is calling my name!

    Reply
    • Maryea says

      July 23, 2014 at 6:59 am

      I’m glad you aren’t on the agave hate train. 🙂

      Reply
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