These freezable oat breakfast bars are packed with brain boosting blueberries and are super easy to make!
UPDATED RECIPE – I think a few people were having problems with this recipe so I have changed the ingredients and also the directions to make sure that the bars do not crumble!
So it’s nearly the end of January. How are those healthy eating resolutions doing? I have to say I haven’t had the best month. There have been lots of ups and downs and a ridiculous amount of illness between myself and the kids so there has been a bit too much chocolate consumed (mostly by me!). That said we are still doing really well with our healthy breakfasts. A little too well really. The kids have been eating either porridge or overnight oats every day from Monday to Friday so I think they are getting a little sick of them! I thought it was time to liven up my oaty breakfast repertoire and so these Blueberry Oat Breakfast Bars were born.
Some of you might be wondering why I have called these “oat bars” rather than flapjacks. Well to me a flapjack is slightly hard and crunchy (like these Chocolate Coconut Flapjacks) whereas this recipe is much softer and I thought that “oat bar” sounded a bit more breakfasty!! So flapjacks, oat bars… call them what you want. Just try this recipe cause it is seriously good!
When I blogged my Chocolate Coconut Flapjack recipe I did have a little rant about packaged flapjacks being labelled as “healthy” or “natural” when they in fact contain a scary amount of refined sugars and highly processed oils or margarines. Some homemade recipes are not much better. One popular recipe site listed golden syrup, honey AND white sugar as some of the ingredients for its flapjack recipe. There is just no need for all that sweetener!
My recipe uses either honey, maple syrup or date syrup. Yes these are all still a form of sugar but they are completely natural, not processed and won’t send your blood sugar sky high (and won’t have the kids bouncing off the walls!). I also use coconut oil instead of butter. If you prefer to use butter than that’s absolutely fine.
Ok, so mini healthy rant out of the way, what’s so good about these oat bars? Well firstly they taste incredible! They are wonderfully soft and sweet, just perfect for breakfast. I used almond butter in mine, which gives a very subtle nutty flavour without being overpowering. The fresh blueberries give just a small pop of tartness to the bar and of course provides that wonderful purple colour. You can also customise the recipe to your liking so add dried fruit or chopped nuts, or even substitute the blueberries for raspberries.
What I also love about this recipe is that these bars can be frozen in individual containers or freezer bags. They defrost in super quick time (mine took about an hour) so you can take them out first thing in the morning and they will be ready when the kids get out of bed. You could also pop a frozen bar into the kids’ lunchboxes and it’ll be good to go by morning snack time.
I would like to say that my freezer is now full of these oat bars but the truth is they have all disappeared. (Those food stealing fairies have been in my kitchen again!) But I plan to make a double batch this weekend for handy grab-and-go breakfasts over the coming weeks.
Claire Toms says
August 11, 2018 at 1:30 pmHi, are your recipes made for a conventional oven or fan assisted?..
Thanks
Jane says
May 13, 2018 at 10:32 amI made this for my own fussy teenager. I’m not sure where to get nut butter from here in Australia, so I used a vegan alternative. OMG they were to die for. My fussy teen has given me the go ahead to make more. These are way better than a similar store bought variety.
★★★★★
Ciara Attwell says
May 14, 2018 at 7:43 amThanks Jane!
Raquelle says
March 5, 2018 at 10:49 amSo good to have in the house for snacks for the whole family rather than our usual flapjacks! Kids and husband really like these.
★★★★★
Janet says
February 3, 2018 at 5:10 pmDelicious. Made for the first time yesterday. A little crumbly, but mostly sticking together. Will definitely make again.
Payal says
October 1, 2017 at 2:15 pmI make these all the time for my kids. They think it’s a treat and i add in hemp and chia seeds. Thank you for creating something so healthy!
Ciara Attwell says
October 1, 2017 at 8:25 pmThank you!
Kim says
July 7, 2017 at 6:24 amHi, I don’t have a 10″ x 10″ baking dish, but I have a 9″ x 13″. If I use that how much do you think I should increase each of the ingredients? I wouldn’t want to spread everything too thin and have them burn in the oven, but I don’t know if doubling everything might be too much. Maybe I could increase each by half. Thanks! I’m looking forward to making these! Kim
Ciara Attwell says
July 7, 2017 at 8:34 amHi Kim, yes maybe try increasing by half and hopefully that will work!
K says
March 12, 2017 at 11:32 amI had reservations about this recipe before starting.There were no any real binding agents. The recipe yield granola more than oat bars. Will not use this recipe again.
Lucinda Furness says
September 30, 2016 at 9:05 pmDo you know the calories per bar?
Ciara Attwell says
October 2, 2016 at 4:44 pmNo sorry I don’t calculate the calories. But if you input the ingredients into any online calculator you should be able to find out easy enough!
Jessica says
August 12, 2016 at 6:24 pmCan steel cut oats be used? Or would it come out too dry?
Thanks!
Ciara Attwell says
August 14, 2016 at 8:37 amI’ve never tried it with steel cut oats so can’t say, sorry!
Sabrina says
April 15, 2016 at 3:25 amTaste Great but fell apart so using as a granola with (dairy-free) yoghurt instead.
Tried the freezer but still very crumbly and not ‘bars’.
Does anyone have any suggestions to bind them better? more oil/ honey?
★★★
plasterer bristol says
March 21, 2016 at 6:30 amyummy these are delicious, thanks for sharing this recipe.
Simon
Katlin says
November 15, 2015 at 4:26 pmI made these. They were not a big hit for my family. To me they were good enough to want to eat. My husband wanted something sweeter, my son wanted something crunchy. They did taste like a Cliff bar without the funky after taste, which is good in my book. Although they did not come out looking like these pictures, they still tasted good.
★★★
Jodi says
August 12, 2015 at 7:36 pmQuick question: Are these the quick 1- minute oats or the old-fashioned oats? Don’t want to use the wrong ones and end up with a disaster…thank you!
Ciara Attwell says
August 12, 2015 at 9:39 pmHi Jodi, they’re the old fashioned kind you buy in big packets or bags!
Nicole says
June 15, 2015 at 8:11 amHi,
My toddle has a peanut allergy and we are avoiding tree nuts for now just to be safe. Any idea if sunflower butter can be used as a good substitution in this recipe? My son LOVES to eat and loves all other ingredients in this recipe in a bowl of oatmeal so I think these could be a big hit.
Ciara Attwell says
June 15, 2015 at 8:20 amHi Nicole, I haven’t tried it myself but I see no reason why sunflower butter wouldn’t work. It has the same consistency as peanut butter so should definitely help the mixture to stick together. Let me know if you try it.
LaCreis Kidd says
May 31, 2015 at 12:02 pmPeople always as me about breakfast bars, so I am definitely reposting this! Thank you for the idea.
Ciara Attwell says
May 31, 2015 at 12:11 pmNo problem. So glad you like it!
Bethany says
April 20, 2015 at 9:04 pmJust made these and they’re a bit of a disaster. I followed the recipe without substitutions and they are a crumbling mess. They did not hold together at all. Much more like not-toasted-enough granola than any kind of bar.
Ciara Attwell says
April 21, 2015 at 6:48 amSorry to hear that Bethany. I’ve made these dozens of times and they always turn out well. Sometimes people’s ovens vary quite a lot in temperature so I would suggest turning the heat up a little and cooking them for longer.
HG says
July 5, 2015 at 8:06 pmI had the same issue as well. Everything tastes quite good so I don’t mind, but the bars did not bind together at all.
Ciara Attwell says
July 6, 2015 at 9:03 pmI’m not sure why that happened as mine always stick together. I will make them again to check!
Kelsey says
October 29, 2015 at 4:33 pmMine fell apart as well! I just eat them with a spoon. They taste amazing though! w\Would Quick oats hold better?
Ciara Attwell says
October 31, 2015 at 10:50 amTry popping them in the freezer to cool. That should help them to stick together.
Lori says
March 9, 2015 at 2:03 pmOkay- so glad I found you! I don’t eat refined either. love your recipes!!!
★★★★★
Ciara Attwell says
March 9, 2015 at 7:05 pmThank you Lori!
Liz says
March 7, 2015 at 2:09 amCan I use frozen blueberries? These sound perfect for my picky eater’s lunch but it’s hard to find fresh blueberries in winter.
Ciara Attwell says
March 7, 2015 at 7:46 amYes you can although I would defrost them first and allow as much of the water as possible to drain away, otherwise the oat bars may end up too soft and won’t stick together!
Stacey Guilliatt says
February 17, 2015 at 2:50 pmOoh these look so so yummy! Think my whole house would like these 🙂 #tastytuesdays
Ciara Attwell says
February 18, 2015 at 9:20 amThanks Stacey. They are a big hit in our house so I hope your brood enjoys them too x
Honest mum says
February 6, 2015 at 11:32 pmLove these and I make something similar, in fact most days I’m experimenting with oat biscuits, bars or flapjacks, love it! Got some banana oat biscuits for next week! Thanks for linking up to #tastytuesdays x
★★★★★
Ciara Attwell says
February 7, 2015 at 3:44 pmYou gotta love oats. They are just so versatile!
Cherished By Me says
February 4, 2015 at 6:34 pmThese look great and perfect for my daughters who never seem to have time for anything in the morning which drives me crazy! I even make overnight oats in a jar for one to eat on the school bus but these are much better. I agree about flapjacks too, scary how much rubbish is in them.
Ciara Attwell says
February 4, 2015 at 9:27 pmI know, its ridiculous the amount of unnecessary sugar that they contain. Hope these manage to tempt your daughter into eating breakfast!
Sophie says
February 4, 2015 at 11:56 amThese looks yummy! Love anything blueberry – definitely pinning this!
Ciara Attwell says
February 4, 2015 at 1:09 pmThanks Sophie. Enjoy! x
Jenny says
February 4, 2015 at 11:01 amThese look so amazing I just had to pin them for later. I am trying to eat more oats and fruit so this is perfect. Popping over from #tastytuesdays Love the styling too!
★★★★★
Ciara Attwell says
February 4, 2015 at 11:14 amThank Jenny. I hope you like them. They are a big hit in my house!
Laura @ Life with Baby Kicks says
February 4, 2015 at 10:59 amPinned to try!
Ciara Attwell says
February 4, 2015 at 1:09 pmThank you Laura!
Emz says
February 4, 2015 at 10:58 amHoly moly, these look good! I made some flapjacks the other day but they were too dry, I will definitely give these a go! x
Ciara Attwell says
February 4, 2015 at 1:10 pmThese are definitely the antidote to dry flapjacks. Hope you like!
Kirsty Hijacked By Twins says
February 3, 2015 at 1:38 pmThese look and sound delicious, perfect with a good cuppa 🙂 x #tastytuesdays
Ciara Attwell says
February 4, 2015 at 8:16 amThanks Kirsty!
Isabella says
February 3, 2015 at 12:27 pmThese look super delicious, definitely bookmarking these for busy weeks – love the fruity honey oaty combo! Yum!
★★★★★
Ciara Attwell says
February 4, 2015 at 8:16 amThanks Isabella. Hope you enjoy them!
Sian says
February 3, 2015 at 10:18 amOh yummy! I’m always looking for quick, healthy breakfast options!
Ciara Attwell says
February 3, 2015 at 10:49 amThank Sian. I have a big batch in the freezer now so I can just take one or two out at a time. So handy!
Bintu @ Recipes From A Pantry says
February 1, 2015 at 10:48 amOh my gosh, what I would not do to have had on of these for breakfast (instead of my dry toast).
★★★★★
Ciara Attwell says
February 1, 2015 at 11:30 amI made another batch last night for breakfast this morning. So good!