Oatmeal Breakfast Bars (With Wild Blueberries)

Breakfast just got easier – and better – with these soft-baked Oatmeal Breakfast Bars. Made with antioxidant-rich frozen wild blueberries, this make-ahead recipe has become one of my favorite go-tos for busy mornings. These oatmeal bars check all the boxes for breakfast meal prep, great taste, good nutrition, and on-the-go convenience – but they’re also versatile enough to be enjoyed plated with a fork and extra toppings when there’s time to slow down. Plus, they taste better than the store-bought bars on the shelf!

This post was created in partnership with Wild Blueberries of North America.

Key Ingredients To Gather

• Old-fashioned rolled oats: I use old-fashioned oats instead of quick oats or steel-cut oats, as both of those options would result in the wrong texture for these bars. Oats are naturally gluten-free, but if I’m making these bars for someone with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity, I always ensure the oats were made in a factory that does not also process gluten-containing grains to avoid any cross-contamination. 
• All-purpose gluten-free flour blend: My go-to options are Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free 1:1 Flour and King Arthur Measure for Measure. I can also opt for regular all-purpose flour if I don’t need my breakfast bars to be gluten-free. 
• Banana: I use a yellow or spotted brown banana. If needed, I can substitute the banana with ½ cup unsweetened applesauce.
• Maple syrup: If I don’t have maple syrup on hand for whatever reason, I’ve found that honey can be used as a natural sweetener for this recipe, or even ¼ cup brown sugar.  
• Frozen wild blueberries: I find these in the freezer section at the grocery store and look for “wild” on the package. 
• Walnuts: I can always sub the walnuts for pecans or another type of nut. 

Find the ingredient list with exact measurements in the recipe card below.

Ingredient Spotlight: Wild Blueberries

Wild blueberries are one of just three indigenous fruits that are native to North America. They first started growing in Maine more than 10,000 years ago and still grow there today. Unlike other types of produce, wild blueberries have never been hybridized or genetically modified to enhance or alter their naturally occurring benefits and great taste. I love incorporating wild blueberries into my recipes because they’re:

• High in antioxidants.
• A naturally low-sugar fruit.
• A top source of manganese.
• A fiber-rich fruit.
• Good for brain health.

How To Make Wild Blueberry Oatmeal Bars

1. Prep: Preheat oven and grease a 9-inch square baking dish with cooking spray, butter, or line with parchment paper.
2. Mix the dry ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the oats, flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. 
3. Mix the wet ingredients: In a separate mixing bowl, combine the mashed bananas, eggs, melted butter, maple syrup, and vanilla.
4. Combine the dry and wet ingredients: Gently fold the oat mixture and the banana mixture together. Next, gently fold in the add-ins: walnuts and wild blueberries.  
5. Add toppings and bake: Spread the batter evenly in the prepared baking pan and top with more wild blueberries and walnuts. Bake for 22-26 minutes or until golden brown and the center is baked through (a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean). 
6. Cool and cut into squares: Let the bars cool at least 15 minutes before cutting into squares. 
7. Add extra toppings and store: If desired, top servings with yogurt, a drizzle of peanut butter, additional fruit, and a dash of cinnamon. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.

For serving size and the complete directions and ingredient amounts, scroll down to the recipe card below. All of our recipes include the nutrition analysis, listing calories (kcals), protein, carbohydrates/carb, fiber, sugar, sodium, cholesterol, and more per serving.

Make Them Dairy-Free

To make these breakfast bars dairy-free, I simply use coconut oil in place of the butter.

Make These Nut-Free

If I need to make these bars nut-free for any reason, I just ensure to omit the walnuts. 

Delicious Toppings And Best Breakfast Pairings

While these bars are a great on-the-go breakfast option for busy mornings, they tend to be on the lower side of calories for what is sufficient for a typical breakfast – whether homemade or store-bought. So, for mornings where I have a little extra time, I’ll serve these bars with a variety of toppings, such as yogurt, a drizzle of nut butter (e.g., almond butter or peanut butter), additional nuts or fruit, chocolate chips, or a dash of cinnamon. Additionally, I’ll eat one of them paired with a couple of hard-boiled eggs or a carton of yogurt for a well-rounded breakfast that provides many of the nutrients needed to start my day off right, including fiber, protein, potassium, calcium, vitamin A, and vitamin C.

How I Store Leftovers

I store any leftover blueberry breakfast bars in an airtight container in the fridge.

The photos in this blog post were taken by Rachel Cook of Half Acre House.

This is a sponsored post. Although we received compensation for this post, the opinions expressed here are – as always – 100% our own. Thank you for supporting the great companies we work with thereby allowing us to continue creating high-quality recipes and content for you.

For ultimate success, we highly recommend reading the tips in the full blog post above. All photos and content are copyright protected. Please do not use our photos without prior written permission. If you wish to republish a recipe, please rewrite the recipe in your own unique words. Link back to the source recipe here on The Real Food Dietitians. Thank you!