Easy Lemon Blueberry Oatmeal Bars – A Healthy Breakfast or Snack (2024)

A tangy blueberry filling is sandwiched between two crispy layers of oat crumble in this easy breakfast, snack or dessert. Your obsession with Lemon Blueberry Oatmeal Bars will begin as soon as you smell them baking!

Table of Contents

• The Best Blueberry Breakfast Bars
• What You’ll Need
• How to Make Lemon Blueberry Oatmeal Bars
• Tips for Success
• Variation Ideas
• Serving Suggestions
• How to Store and Reheat Extras
• Can I Freeze These?
• Get the Recipe

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The Best Blueberry Breakfast Bars

When the citrusy goodness of fresh lemon juice meets the sweet-tart tang of bursting blueberries, only amazing things can happen. These bars layer that unbeatable duo of flavors between a buttery oat crust that doubles as a crumble topping. Honey and brown sugar are used to sweeten the crumble, complementing the tartness of the filling like a dream.

Whether you’re looking for a grab-and-go breakfast or a healthy late-night dessert, these bars will quickly become your gold standard. They’re easy to make with basic ingredients and can be kept in the fridge for days! At our house, they’re always gone in a matter of hours.

What You’ll Need

Grab the following ingredients and get ready for a sweet berry miracle. The full amounts are included in the recipe card below.

For the Crust & Crumble

• Unsalted Butter: Melted.
• White Whole Wheat Flour: This contains more fiber, protein and nutrients than regular all-purpose flour.
• Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats: Stay away from instant oats and steel-cut oats. They each require different amounts of water and unique cook times, so it’s important to stick with rolled oats for this recipe.
• Honey
• Brown Sugar
• Lemon Zest: Freshly grated.
• Pinch of Salt: For flavor enhancement.

For the Lemon Blueberry Filling

• Fresh Blueberries
• Brown Sugar
• Lemon Juice: Freshly squeezed.
• White Whole Wheat Flour: This acts as a thickener.

Can I Use Frozen Berries?

Sure! Fresh ones are obviously ideal, but these bars still taste incredible when they’re made with frozen blueberries. Just be sure to thaw them out and dry them off thoroughly before you use them. Alternatively, you can use unthawed berries and increase the cook time by 10-15 minutes.

How to Make Lemon Blueberry Oatmeal Bars

These healthy breakfast bars come together in a flash. We’re talking 5 minutes of prep time total!

Make the Crumble Mixture

1. Prep for Baking: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line the bottom of an 8×8-inch pan with parchment paper and grease the sides with cooking spray for easy removal of the finished bars.
2. Combine Ingredients: Add the melted butter, white whole wheat flour, oats, honey, brown sugar, lemon zest and salt to a large bowl. Mix until everything is just combined (the mixture should be a little crumbly). Scoop out 1 cup of the mixture and set it aside for the topping.
3. Add Crust to Pan: Add the remaining mixture to the prepared pan. Spread it out evenly, then use your fingers to press the crust into the bottom of the pan so it forms a neat layer.

Make the Filling & Assemble the Bars

1. Make Filling: Add the blueberries, brown sugar, lemon juice and flour to a small bowl. Toss to combine.
2. Add to Pan: Pour the blueberry mixture on top of the crust and spread it out evenly.
3. Top With Remaining Crumble: Evenly sprinkle the crumble mixture over the top of the bars.
4. Bake: Bake the bars for 50 minutes.
5. Let Cool & Enjoy! Remove your bars from the pan and let them sit on a cooling rack for at least 10 minutes. After that, you’re free to cut and serve them.

Tips for Success

Put these tips into action if you want to make flawless lemon blueberry bars.

• Zest Before Juicing: It’s quite a challenge to zest a lemon after it has been juiced. Save time and skip the struggle by zesting your lemon beforehand.
• Don’t Overpack the Flour: Remember to fill your measuring cup by the spoonful instead of scooping up the flour directly. If you have a food scale, utilize it to ensure accuracy.
• Cool Before Cutting: Once your blueberry oat bars are out of the oven and on a cooling rack, let them sit undisturbed for at least 10 minutes. This way, you’ll be able to cut out the bars with ease.

Variation Ideas

In the mood to make a change to your berry crumble bars? Try one of these tempting alterations:

• Spice Up the Topping: Add extra flavor to your brown sugar topping by dusting it with ground cinnamon before you bake the bars. Why not sprinkle on a pinch of nutmeg while you’re at it?
• Use Another Berry: You can make these bars with raspberries, blackberries, cranberries—whatever you like! You could even combine multiple kinds of berries in the same batch.
• Bigger is Better: My family won’t have leftover blueberry oatmeal bars unless we make a double batch, so doing so is kind of a no-brainer. If you decide to double the recipe, build your bars in a 9×13-inch baking dish instead of a square 8-inch one.

Serving Suggestions

If you’re enjoying your oat bars for dessert, I highly recommend topping each one with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or Coconut Whipped Cream. For breakfast, they pair wonderfully with plain Greek yogurt. If you’d like to serve them alongside another dish, whip up some Avocado Toast or Sweet Potato Hash With Eggs.

How to Store and Reheat Extras

Fully cooled lemon blueberry bars can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 24 hours. If you happen to have any left after that, you can transfer them to the fridge and store them for 2 additional days. Note that the crumble will get less and less crispy as the bars sit.

I like to warm up my oatmeal bars in the toaster oven before I enjoy them, but you can serve them at room temperature if preferred. I don’t recommend reheating them in the microwave as it would further soften the crust and topping.

Can I Freeze These?

Yes! Place the cooled oat bars into a freezer-safe container and store them for up to 3 months, placing a piece of parchment paper between layers if stacking is needed. Thaw them out in the fridge before you reheat them. The freezing process will make the crumble a lot less crispy, but the bars will still be divine!

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More Healthy Make-Ahead Breakfast Ideas

Making breakfast ahead of time is a great way to show your future self some love. These dishes will have you head over heels!

• No-Bake Apricot Almond Energy Bars
• Egg White Vegetable Breakfast Casserole
• Easy Lemon Blueberry Muffins

DON’T MISS A RECIPE ->

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