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
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Oil a 8×8 inch baking dish and set aside.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
Serve chilled for a firm bar or slightly warm for a softer, cozier treat.
These bars pair beautifully with fresh fruit, a dollop of vegan yogurt or a warm cup of tea.
They also travel well, making them perfect for school lunches or snacks on the go.
Nutrition info is approximate.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Breakfast, Snack
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American, Vegan
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Bar (1/12 of recipe)
- Calories: 185kcal
- Sugar: 16g
- Sodium: 56mg
- Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0mg
- Carbohydrates: 32g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 0mg