These Oatmeal Superfood Breakfast Bars will become your newest addiction, loaded with healthy ingredients like oats, pumpkin seeds, and blueberries. Gluten Free and Delicious.
We all know breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but what is really important is what ingredients go into your breakfast. I truly believe Oatmeal is one of the healthiest foods we can put in our mouths. Oatmeal is a great source of whole grains and eating whole grains can lower your risk for several diseases, including high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes. Oatmeal also contains lignans, a plant chemical that has been found to prevent heart disease.
However, let’s be honest, a bowl of oatmeal can get tiresome day after day. Not wanting to give up all the healthy benefits Oatmeal offered me I have been trying out a different variation of this Oatmeal Superfood Breakfast Bars for the last several months. A bar that I enjoyed because it is delicious, filling, loaded with super foods and gives me a morning dose of Protein to kickstart my metabolism.
The ingredient list of these bars is crammed with healthy whole clean super foods. Don’t forget a superfood is a term used to describe food with a high nutritional content and associated health benefits. Oatmeal, Almonds, Blueberries, Pumpkin Seeds, Banana, Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, Honey and Cinnamon all make the list, so you know you when you are eating these bars you are feeding your body the best. Helping to fight disease, build muscle, burn fat and satisfying your morning cravings.
Store your Oatmeal Superfood Breakfast Bars in the refrigerator in a sealed container for up to one week.
- Base:
- 2 cups old fashioned oats
- 1 cup slivered almonds
- 4 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 bananas
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 scoop Vanilla Whey Protein
- Topping:
- 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
- 1/4 cup slivered almonds
- 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
- 1 cup fresh organic blueberries
- 1/4 cup of coconut-almond milk (or plain coconut or plain almond milk)
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Line 9 x 9 baking pan with parchment paper, lightly grease with coconut oil
- Add all ingredients in to food processor until completely combined and wet, this may take several minutes.
- Pour into prepared pan and smooth out with off set spatula until evenly spread.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes.
- Combine ingredients in medium bowl and stir to combine.
- Removing pan from oven, spread topping evenly over and lightly press down into base.
- Bake an additional 15 minutes
Don’t forget to try my BLUEBERRY PROTEIN MUFFINS for another healthy breakfast option.
No Bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Coconut Bars
Paleo Cauliflower Avocado Egg Bowl
Blueberry Pie Overnight Oats {gluten free + vegetarian}
Strawberry Pineapple Protein Smoothie Bowl {gluten free + vegetarian}
Thanks for sharing!
I’ll attempt to make the oatmeal bars. I could use a good breakfast bar. The ones that are sold in the stores, even “health food” stores, have added ingredients that I don’t think are healthy for you. Homemade is the best. 🙂
I love to find healthy hand held breakfast items. My husband always eats breakfast in his car on the way to work. This is the perfect heart healthy breakfast for him.
These look amazing Amy!! I’ve been looking for something like this for a while and will definitely be trying them~!
This recipe looks fantastic – can’t wait to try it! However, I was wondering about the vanilla whey protein. Is it necessary? Can it be subbed? I never have protein powder on hand, so I was just wondering! 🙂
Hi Emily,
The protein powder acts as a binder, but you can omit it. When I was coming up with the recipe the first few batches I did not add the powder, and it was fine. I ended up adding it to make the base a little denser and to add the added protein. Enjoy. Amy
I used a tablespoon of almond butter in place of the protein powder and they turned out so yummy! 🙂
That is a great tip Allyson! Thanks for sharing.
Thank you so much for this recipe. I appreciate it when someone creates and shares a healthy recipe. I also love my oatmeal, but don’t want a hot breakfast in the summer. The best part is I already have these ingredients.
This looks great! Did you use bananas that were ripe?
Tameka,
Yes the riper the banana the more flavor comes through in the bars.
Amy
Do you have the nutritional breakdown, by chance? They look delish!
Do you have nutritionals available on these breakfast bars?
9 servings, 387 calories, 6g Saturated fat, 463 mg potassium, 7g fiber, 22g sugar, 11g protein
Just made these last night. So yummy and 1 square sustained me for my whole mountain bike ride. I sharing the recipe with my riding crew. Are these values per servings or for the whole 9 servings?
That is awesome Christy! Thanks for letting me know. The values are per serving.
Do you know nutrition info without using the whey protein?
I do not, though a scoop of whey vanilla protein powder has 90 calories and 20 grams of Protein. Hope this helps.
I do not like bananas. Any suggestions for a substitute? Apple sauce? pumpkin?
Teri,
I used banana as a binder in place of eggs. You can use an egg for every bananas or one tablespoon of applesauce.
Best, Amy
Those toppings!!!! They look so crunchy and tasty! I love making our own bars, and we just ran out so these look fantastic to throw into the mix!
I’ve been making homemade quinoa oatmeal granola bars, so I should definitely give this a try, I’m always looking for more snacks to carry in my purse, haha 🙂
Love these! I’m always looking for ways to mix it up at breakfast (it CAN get pretty dull) — these will be perfect.
oh my gosh, made these last night, I couldn’t wait to get up for breakfast this morning. Soooo delish. Thanks for sharing!
That is so awesome Kay! Thank you for letting me know.
The muffins are great! I’m always looking for protein packed heAlthy recipes. Thank you! Be sure not to mix the blueberries into to mix as instructed, just pop them on the top, otherwise not so good.
I love this recipe! Easy and Yami 😉 thank you!
Thanks Jana.
These breakfast bars sound delicious and nutritious! I am going to try them out this weekend!
I hope you enjoy them Lulu!
Can’t wait to make these!! I have never used vanilla whey protein. can you recommend a clean brand to purchase? Thanks!!
You will love them Kelly. I use Teras Whey Vanilla, it is a grass fed organic Whey product. Any grass fed organic whey protein would be a good choice. Enjoy.
I would like to use peanut butter powder instead of whey protein. Can you give the measurement equal to a scoop? thanks
Ainta, I have never baked with peanut butter powder, but I would think one scoop would work fine (about 2-3 tablespoons). Your bars may be more sticky than the original recipe though. Please let me know how they turn out.
these are so beautiful and look delicious!! i wish i had one right now. pumpkin seeds + blueberries are my ultimate go to when dealing with oatmeal haha
I hope you try the recipe, they are really delicious and the pumpkin seeds and blueberries are the perfect topping.
I can’t lie, I don’t know if I could EVER get sick of oatmeal, but it is definitely nice to change it up sometimes! I love how healthy these bars are, and with all that superfood goodness! Pinned!
Thanks Taylor!
That topping looks incredible! I love to eat bars for breakfast and will have to try these!
Thanks Christin. Yep those toppings are pretty darn awesome. You will love these bars, they are so delicious!
Thx for sharing, Amy, I googled healthy oatmeal bars & your recipe came up. I’m looking forward to trying this recipe. Most food from stores, even health food stores have so much salt and sugar.
I agree Pamela, most packaged foods are too salty for me. These bars are wonderful. Each time I make them I can’t eat them fast enough.
Great recipe but there is way too much salt. I was disappointed at how it seemed to overpower in the final product.
Sorry to hear that Angela. I am pretty sensitive to salt, so I am wondering if you may have mismeasured. Hope you give the recipe another try.
Just made your bars and they are great! I am a real foodie and always looking for healthy new ways to make incredibly well tasting meals. Thank you so much for sharing!!!!
I am so glad you like them Jasmin! Thanks for stopping by and letting me know! xo
These look amazing! So glad you replied to the comment about replacing the bananas; my husband hates bananas. What could I sub for the honey, or could I omit it altogether? We are cutting adding sweeteners of any kind. Thank you!!
Tori, you can omit the honey, but the bars will not taste the same. Since it is only 4 tablespoons divided into 9 servings it is a small amount of natural sugar per serving. Since you want to take out the sweetness of the bananas as well, I am afraid you will be left with a bar that is a bit bland. Let me know how they turn out.
These bars were super yummy! I didn’t have the whey so I left it out but they held together very well.
Thanks for the feedback Daniela.
I made these a couple weeks ago and they were delicious but the toppings didn’t stay on, any suggestions?
Did they all fall off or did you loose a piece here and there? If just a few fell off, just gently push the toppins down into the batter when you add it. I usually loose a bit of topping, which I don’t mind I just scoop it up and pop it into my mouth. 🙂
HI, can i use regular milk ??
Zainab, Yes regular milk will work fine.
Have you tried to freeze these at all? Just wondering if they do well! Thanks!
Amy, I have not, but they should hold up, but may be a bit mushy when they thaw. If you freeze them would you let me know how they turn out.
What would be a good substitute for the slivered almonds in the base?
Hi Jasmine, I would not recommend using a substitute in this recipe. If you must you could use coconut flour, but you will need to add 2 eggs, and I can not guarantee that this will work.
These look amazing!!! I am going to make a batch this weekend!!! I was looking for a new sweet treat!!! Score!!!!
I hope you enjoyed them Skye!
Hello!
How long should I allow these cool before cutting?
Samya, Till they are completely cooled, about 30 minutes. You can pop them in the fridge to accelerate the cooling process if you can’t wait.
Made these yesterday and they are delicious! Mine looked just like your picture – I am so proud, ha! Thanks for the yummy recipe!
WOOT-WOOT! Thanks for letting me know Jordan!
This is a great, healthy, time saving breakfast! Between two of us it has lasted for 5 days! Thank you so much for the recipe!
After food-processing all the base ingredients for a few minutes, mine never became “wet”…but I followed it exactly, pretty sure. It’s the texture of play dough!
Sorry to hear that Sam. Did you bake it and see if it hardened up?
These look great! Have you ever made them with a different berry? I’m not a big fan of blueberries. Do you think raspberries will work as well?
Hey Ann, Thank you and yes you can substitute different berries. Raspberries will work but may bleed a bit, won’t effect the flavor at all. Hope you give them a try! xo
What can I use in place of the coconut oil? Can’t wait to try these!
You can add butter Megan.
Hi Amy,
Do you think strawberries would work well instead of the blueberries?
Yes Yamirka they would work fine.
These bars are AMAZING! So easy, so delicious and they keep me full until lunch. (I did not add the protein powder.) One question: the recipe says to add milk to the topping, but that made my topping soggy instead of crispy so I had to put it under the broiler to crisp it up. And I had to add milk to the crust to get it to blend in the food processor. Should the milk be in the crust instead of in the topping??
Hi Angie, glad you liked the bars. No the milk goes with the topping and not the base. I have made these bars more times than I can count, and I haven’t had a problem with the milk. Sorry you had to play with the recipe to get them the way that you like.
Would raspberries or strawberries hold up on the bars as well as the blueberries do?
Hi Daria, the strawberries will do well more so than the raspberries. The raspberries might be a bit mushy, but taste fine.
These are delicious! I made them yesterday during my food prep for the week and they will definitely be added to my weekly prepping now. I love them so much!
I didn’t have any vanilla whey protein on hand so I used vanilla flavored almond milk to add a little more vanilla and they were perfect!
Thank you so much for the recipe – I can’t wait to try some of your others 🙂
That is so wonderful to hear Lauren. I make them on Sunday with my food prep to enjoy throughout the week. They are a great balance of carbs, protein, and healthy fats. I hope you enjoy a few more of my recipes 🙂
These look insanely good. I do not have a food processor though. Could I use a stand mixer?
Renee, if you have a blender that would work well.
How about an equally healthy substitute for blueberries?
Strawberries will work well.
This recipe looks amazing! Do you know the 21 day fix container equivalent by any chance?
Sorry Karen, I don’t know that equivalent.
Could you substitute a plant based protein powder for the whey?
The bars look delicious can’t wait to make them!
Hi Debbie, I have never worked with plant protein, but I would think that it would work fine depending on the flavor. Let me know how it turns out.
Could you use frozen blueberries? Thanks!
Yes you can use frozen.
Do you need unsalted pumpkin seeds? All I have in the house is the salted type. Wondering what your thoughts are.
Yes, you can use salted pumpkin seeds, but it will make for a bit more salty flavor.
I’ve been making this for lunches and my husband and I can’t get enough of these! Thank you for the recipe!
That is awesome Jessica! Thanks for letting me know.
I made a batch for a new mom. I love them so much I have another batch in the oven I added blackberries to the topping since they are in season and some flaked, unsweetened coconut to 1/2 of the second batch. Can’t wait!
That is awesome and I love the addition of coconut {one of my favorites}.
So happy to try something healthy for breakfast. I made it and it’ll last me this entire week. Thank you! I did decrease the salt, added some organic peanut butter instead of the protein powder, and I wanted to use chia seeds but wasn’t sure. Let me know if that’s okay to add in the recipe without it getting messed up.
So glad you liked the recipe Zehra. You can add chia seeds, but you won’t want to add too much, no more than a tablespoon.
Great, thank you! I really recommend your recipe to everyone.
Can I use quick oats instead of old fashioned?
Jelena, You can use quick but your crust may be a bit drier and not as hardy.
Hi Amy. I just found this recipe and made them last night for this morning’s breakfast.
Kept everything the same, but used half almonds, half cashews for the base b/c I didn’t have enough almonds on hand. My base “dough” turned out wet, but almost like play-doh consistency. After baking and eating this morning out of the fridge, they are not crunchy as I expected but more like the consistency of a Lara bar or raw bar. Is that what happens for you? Just checking! I’m very happy with the taste, but the moist denseness just surprised me!
Hi Becky, I have never had a Lara bar, so I don’t know if the consistency is the same. The base is a bit crumbly when I make it, so it sounds like you have the right consistency. Enjoy!
I was surprised at the 22 grams of sugar. That does not sound very “healthy”!
Joyce, the bars do not have 22 grams of sugar? Not sure where you came up with that number?? The sugar that is present in the recipe comes from the fruit and organic honey, which are both healthy good for you ingredients.
can i substitite greek yoghurt for bananas
Hi Camille, 2 eggs would be a better substitute.
These bar are so good! It can be challenging to find a healthy breakfast alternative that tastes as good as these, especially one that is so quick to whip up with just a food processor. They are perfect hot or cold and are wonderful for a make-ahead camping/backpacking/outdoor activities. When I make them, we eat them way too fast because we will start munching on them for snacks or desserts as well. I don’t like protein powder but have successfully substituted different nut butters or hemp hearts to get the protein (not 1:1, I just eyeball the texture). Thanks!
Great feedback Amanda! Thanks for your tip on using nut butter and hemp hearts.
I’m so bummed that my bars basically crumbled up when I tried to cut them into “bars”. I did not have any bananas so I substituted with applesauce. I also only had frozen blueberries to use as the topping. As a crumble they taste good but I wanted a bar to bite into. Big bummer!
I am so sorry to hear that you didn’t enjoy the bars MJ.
Amy~ I just made these and they were super yummy. There is a recipe for a reason, you can’t always substitute this for that and “hope” that the outcome is the same. I stuck to what was written (other than the whey) and used almond butter (about 1 TBL) and it turned out wonderful. My 2-year-old ate most of mine and I had to give him his own piece. This is a must for breakfast.
Laura, Thank you for the positive feedback. It is always appreciated! I am thrilled your little man liked the bars, that is a real endorsement! 🙂
Do you think it would work to use an 11×7 pan if I don’t have a 9×9 pan? Otherwise I’ll pick one up before making.
Leanne, They will be pretty thin and might not hold together quite as well. You could double the recipe and have more 🙂
Do you know approximately how much is in “one scoop” of protein powder? I buy mine from a bulk food store, so I don’t have a scoop like the ones that come in the containers of pre-packaged powder.
Tammy, I would use three tablespoons as a good measure.
hi there! i’m trying to make these bars for the first time. i didn’t have a food processor (and also parchment paper — i’m starting to bake more slowly ^_^), so i borrowed one from a neighbor. it is an old Oscar and did not blend the base ingredients well and started emitting smoke after a bit 🙂 what kind of food processor / blender would you recommend? i would like something multipuporse, powerful, and lasting. thanks, in advance, for your input!
Hi Jenny, My mom had an Oscar food processor back in the day. I use Cuisinart food processor for years and I have been very pleased with it.
Would medjool dates be an OK substitute for the bananas?
Hi Erin, I have never tried this, but I used bananas in this recipe as I would eggs, so they work fine. If you do try it with dates please let me know how they turn out. Best Amy
I’ve made these twice now and they are amazing! I added kale to the base for a tasty green bar. Thank you for this awesome recipe!
I tried making these tonight but may not have cooked them long enough. What should the texture be when done? The flavor is great and I love all of the ingredients. I need to be the baking time down. Thanks!
The base is firm and the toppings are slightly baked into the base.
Can these bars be frozen and still have the same texture when thawed?
Hi Tara,
No I think they might come out a little mushy. They last for a good amount of time covered and in the refrigerator.
Would substituting hemp seeds for pumpkin seeds work? The only ones I have on hand!
Thanks, can’t wait to try!
Hi Hannah,
I think that hemp seeds will really change the flavor, but will work fine. Let me know how they turn out. Amy