Perfectly sweetened with honey, these oatmeal breakfast bars with juicy blueberries are like having dessert in the morning. Loaded with nutrient-dense superfoods, they’re an easy on-the-go treat you can prep for the week.
Why You’ll Love These Oatmeal Breakfast Bars
You can thank this recipe for turning oatmeal into your new favorite breakfast ingredient.
- Easy. With a blended crust and a simple topping mix, these bars are an easy project for even beginner-level bakers.
- Packed with superfoods. Lots of blueberries and pumpkin seeds make this a nutrient-rich breakfast option that’ll keep you full until lunch.
- High in protein. Each slice is packed with protein from the oatmeal, almonds, pumpkin seeds, and protein powder.
- Prep-friendly. Made in advance or frozen for later, these oatmeal bars are the perfect treat for busy weeks.
What You’ll Need
It’s all about the ingredients. Check the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact amounts.
Base
- Old-fashioned oats – Please don’t use quick oats.
- Slivered almonds
- Honey – Agave and maple syrup are great swaps.
- Coconut oil – Feel free to use avocado oil.
- Salt
- Cinnamon
- Bananas
- Vanilla extract
- Vanilla whey protein – Use pea protein to keep this recipe 100% plant-based.
Topping
- Old-fashioned oats
- Slivered almonds – You can also use roughly chopped almonds.
- Pumpkin seeds
- Blueberries
- Coconut-almond milk – Plain coconut or plain almond milk work too.
- Cinnamon
How to Make Oatmeal Breakfast Bars
The blender takes care of the crust so all you have to do is mix the toppings and keep an eye on the oven. Check the recipe card at the bottom of the post for more detailed instructions.
- Prepare the pan. Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a baking pan with parchment paper. Lightly grease it with coconut oil.
- Blend the base. Add all of the base ingredients to the blender. Process until crumbly and moist.
- Spread it. Pour the blended base into the lined baking pan. Spread it out evenly with a spoon or an offset spatula.
- Bake it. Pop the base into the oven for 8-10 minutes.
- Mix the toppings. Combine all of the topping ingredients in a bowl.
- Bake again. Remove the base from the oven and carefully add the topping mix. Spread it out. Return the pan to the oven and bake the bars for another 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let the bars cool before slicing and serving.
Tips & Variations
The chances of you getting tired of these breakfast bars is very low thanks to these yummy (and easy) variations:
- Make a chocolate base. Swap the vanilla protein powder for a chocolate one to make the breakfast bars more indulgent.
- Swap the berries. Raspberries and blackberries are amazing swaps. You can also use all your leftover berries in this recipe.
- Use regular milk. If you’re not on a special diet, feel free to swap the plant-based milk for regular milk.
- Let them cool. Digging in the second the bars are out of the oven might be tempting, but you need to let them cool. This will allow them to set and slice easily, otherwise they’ll just crumble to pieces.
- Add more nutrients. Mixing 1 tablespoon of your favorite superfoods to the like chia seeds, sunflower seeds, goji berries, etc to the toppings will make each bite more nutrient-dense.
How to Store Oatmeal Bars
Since these oatmeal breakfast bars have fruit in them, you need to refrigerate the leftovers in an airtight container for up to 7 days. Keep them away from strong-smelling foods to avoid the transfer of odors. For a grab-and-go treat, place each slice in an airtight bag you can just take from the fridge on your way out. Enjoy them chilled or at room temperature.
Can I Freeze These Breakfast Bars?
Absolutely! Once fully cooled, wrap each slice in plastic wrap twice. Transfer them to a freezer-friendly bag or container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Set them on the counter for 30 minutes or up to an hour until fully thawed before enjoying them again.
More Oatmeal Recipes
- Gluten Free Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies
- Apple Fig Baked Oatmeal Cups
- Warm Chai Oatmeal Almond Bowl
- Blueberry Pie Overnight Oats
- Peanut Butter Breakfaast Cookies
Oatmeal Breakfast Bars
Equipment
- Food Processor
- Square 9 x 9″ baking pan
Ingredients
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
Instructions
Base:
- 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.
Topping:
- 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
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 🙂
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 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
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.
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
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 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.
These look amazing Amy!! I’ve been looking for something like this for a while and will definitely be trying them~!
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.
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. 🙂