Blueberry Oat Bars

The perfect sweet treat

When I used to work at Starbucks, my favorite treat was the Blueberry Oat Bars! They are so good! Lucky for me, they are also super easy to make.

I don’t usually like an overly sweet dessert bar. I want to be able to taste the ingredients….especially if it contains blueberries. That’s the one thing I like about these bars! They are buttery and a little sweet, but you still get the flavors of the blueberry which can sometimes be a little tart.

If you need to whip up a quick dessert, these Blueberry Oat Bars are a great choice. They only take a few minutes to prep and they can be in the oven while you’re cooking dinner.

Stock your pantry

I’m all about stocking ingredients in my fridge, freezer or pantry that I can use for a quick meal or dessert at any time. It really helps when you’re in a pinch.

A few staples to always keep on hand to make a dessert like this is unsalted butter, flour, sugar, oats, and frozen berries. You can always find a way to make a fruit crisp, cobbler, or dessert bar with those ingredients. Remember, they freeze fruit at their peak ripeness, so sometimes they are fresher than ones you’ll find in the produce section.

Another great tip is to remember you can always swap in any particular flour or sugar that you like. Just make sure to look up the recommended ratio. I know coconut flour is growing in popularity lately, but baking with it can sometimes be tricky. Check out this great article HERE about its benefits and how to use it in recipes.

Balance is key

Some desserts are better using the original ingredients, but often times I’ll do recipe makeovers to make them a little healthier.

The thing I always remember is that the purpose of dessert isn’t really to be healthy in the first place. Allow yourself to have treats from time to time.

I feel like blueberries are underrated sometimes. Even though they are so good in muffins, scones, bars, or tarts etc. They are such a health and wellness powerhouse! A great fruit to add to a healthy diet, full of antioxidants and not super expensive to keep on hand.

Recipe tips:

-You can make this recipe with fresh or frozen blueberries. I usually use frozen. Just remember, your bake time will be longer with the frozen ones.

-When adding the melted butter to your dry ingredients, make sure to mix it in really well. The consistency for the cookie bottom and crumble should resemble sand but still look a little dry.

-Make sure to press cookie bottom into the bottom of your 8×8 baking dish firmly. This ensures they hold up well after baking. It prevents them from just falling apart.

-Cooking times may vary. Always start lower and add more time if needed. The crumble topping can easily burn if your aren’t careful.

-Let the bars rest for at least 45 minutes before cutting. They need this time to set.

-Serving them a little warm is really good with a Natural Vanilla Ice Cream. They are also great just served with coffee or milk, once they’ve cooled a bit.

-It’s pretty hard to mess these bars up. They are easy to make, but come out looking fancy and delicious. They are a crowd pleaser for sure!

Blueberry Oat bars

I hope you enjoy making these Blueberry Oat Bars for your family, friends, or co-workers! Let me know how they turned out and if you swapped any ingredients. I’m always open to new ideas!

If you are looking for another sweet treat, check out my Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe HERE. Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram (@_hollynicolas_) for upcoming recipes.