Perfectly sweet with DOUBLE the blueberry flavour, these blueberry muffin bars pack the fluffier texture of a muffin into a DELICIOUS gluten-free and vegan bar that makes a great breakfast or snack.
Holy.SNAP. Okay. Before I tell you how ridiculously obsessed I am with these blueberry muffin bars, we need to talk about blueberry jam. I promise it’s not as boring/strange as it sounds.
So I always thought blueberry jam was pretty high up there as far as popular jam flavours go, but my 10pm trip to the grocery store on Thursday night taught me otherwise.
And, yes… I was shopping for food when I probably should have been sleeping, but the sun doesn’t set until after 10pm, and these longer [almost] summer days have me feeling pretty energetic until at least midnight… What better way to use all that extra consciousness than to knock some shopping off the ol’ to-do list?!
No, seriously… that’s, like, my favourite time to go grocery shopping. I’m not a fan of traffic and crowds (is anyone?!), so I try to run my errands during off-peak hours to avoid spending an hour+ doing something that should only take 20 minutes. This is why I don’t think I’d last long in a really big city, and why I’m in complete awe of people who can maintain their sanity while dealing with daily commutes that are 2+ hours long.
But I digress… back to the blueberry jam!
So the [first] store I visited didn’t have any. I know.
I mean, they did, but there were only a few jars in a wall FULL of strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, field berry, apricot and grape, and each one was loaded with added sugars and preservatives… which, if I’m going to eat, I’d rather have in jelly bean form, thank you very much.
So that was confusing. I mean, you’re looking at a girl who puts blueberry jam above all other jams, so learning that it’s actually one of the least popular flavours made me realize that people have no taste was a bit of a shocker.
Thankfully, no one was around to hear my angry mutterings (another reason why I shop at off-times), and I had just recently gotten some new music that was perfect for evening cruises, so I didn’t mind making the trek to another store… and then taking the scenic route home so that I could play my song a few more times.
I’ll share that obsession with you guys tomorrow, though, because today is all about these double blueberry muffin bars…
What’s this double blueberry business? Well, it means that these tasty bars have a double shot of blueberry goodness.
First, we’ve got fresh blueberries mixed right into the batter. You could use frozen berries as well, but you might want to toss them in a tablespoon of flour and very gently fold them into the batter to prevent your bars from turning blue. Unless you like blue bars – in which case, mix those frozen berries as crazily as you like!
Second, we’ve got a few spoonfuls of blueberry jam dolloped on top. Not only does this add a little bit of extra sweetness (use jam sweetened with fruit juice to avoid added refined sugars), but it intensifies the blueberry flavour even more and creates a bar that’s pretty darn irresistible…
Texture-wise, these blueberry muffin bars are basically muffins in bar form. They’re light and fluffy with a tender crumb, but still have a touch of that wonderful granola bar-esque chewiness thanks to the rolled oats and oat bran.
They also happen to be vegan, oil-free, AND easily made gluten-free if you need them to be – all you have to do is use a gluten-free flour and you’re good to go! Oh, and you get to mix everything in one bowl so clean up is super quick and easy.
Happy eating!
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Double Blueberry Muffin Bars
- Total Time: 30 mins
- Yield: 9–12 bars 1x
Ingredients
- 1 cup (80 g) old fashioned rolled oats
- 1/2 cup (56 g) oat bran
- 1/2 cup (60 g) flour of choice*
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) unsweetened almond milk
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) maple syrup**
- 2 Tbsp (25 g) coconut palm sugar***
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup (140 g) blueberries, fresh or frozen****
- 3 Tbsp (45 ml) blueberry jam
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375Ā°F (190Ā°C) and prepare an 8×8 (20x20cm) baking dish by lining it with a sheet of aluminum foil or parchment paper, leaving a few inches of overhang on the sides to allow for easy removal. Lightly spray with cooking spray and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the oats, oat bran, flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the almond milk, maple syrup, coconut sugar, and vanilla, mixing until well combined. Gently fold in the blueberries.
- Transfer the batter to your prepared baking pan, using a spatula to ensure that it is evenly distributed. Drop the jam in small dollops across the entire surface, and use a toothpick to swirl them around a little.
- Bake the bars for 20 minutes until the top has set and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool in the pan for about 20 minutes before removing and cutting into bars.
Notes
* You can really use any flour you want here, depending on your dietary needs. I’ve made these with all-purpose, GF all-purpose, and almond flours, and each one was delicious. The only thing I would advise against is coconut flour. ** You can also use agave nectar, or honey if you don’t need these to be vegan. *** You can also use brown sugar. **** If using frozen berries, toss them in 1 tbsp (7 g) of flour before gently folding them into the batter to prevent them from bleeding.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
Looking for more healthy blueberry recipes? Try one of these!
Blueberry Banana Greek Yogurt Pancakes
Blueberry Muffin Breakfast Bake
Blueberry Oat Greek Yogurt Muffins
Blueberry Almond Oat Bars
Blueberry Avocado Smoothie
These were delicious!
I’m wanting to make these but allergic to almonds…anything to use in place of almond milk by chance? Thank you!
Any milk would work, Heidi! Even dairy is fine.
I’ve never seen oat bran at the store. Is that substitute for more oatmeal? Or oat flour?
Mmm it’s not really either. You could sub it for more oats if you don’t have it, but the texture will come out -slightly- different. This is the bran that I use – http://www.bobsredmill.com/oat-bran-cereal.html
I found oat bran at the store and made this today! Mine didn’t have the same crummy/crumbly texture yours looks like but it tasted great nonetheless. Next time make it, I will try it with less sweetener.
I meant to add the star rating. š
I’m so glad you liked them, Liz! Thanks for letting me know š
Hello! I’m hoping to try this recipe but have a question – I’ve not used almond milk very much and have just been told that my little one needs to avoid all tree nuts and peanuts. Can I use plain cow’s milk instead? Or is there another alternative? Thank you!
Hi Julia! You could definitely use regular milk š I hope you and your little one like them!
These bars look SO great. Definitely adding them to my must-make list!
I’d be running to the store in the middle of the night to make these too! I’m a fiend for blueberries and I love that these pack in a double punch. They look amazing!
I had no idea you had grocery store rage, although I get it, especially when a place is packed and people are veering every which way with no regard for you or your cart. It’s actually why I shop at Nature’s Bin. It’s always manageable and people pay attention.
I love the double blueberry effect.
Nature Bin was epic. And… confession: I never actually take a cart when I go shopping. Since it’s only me, I don’t really have to pick up a tonne of stuff, so I manage to fit it all into a basket. True, my arm is pretty much always falling off, but still.
I love to grocery shop on off days and hours as well. My go-tos are Tuesday and Wednesday late mornings. Those are my off days from work, and when everyone else is working š I like stress-free shopping, so I take my time and relax
You know what these remind me of? They remind me of those chewy Nutrigrain bar things I used to really like before going GF. Blueberry jam is one of my favorites, as well. It’s delicious on yogurt or with cream cheese on bagels!
I remember going through a really long Nutrigrain phase! I think the apple cinnamon ones were always my favourite (they reminded me of apple pie), but blueberry was definitely up there.
These look so so good! I have never had blueberry jam!! guess this will be my first recipe with it–i dont remember even seeing it in the store!
That’s so crazy! I’ve always bee-lined for it so it never really occurred to me that other people didn’t eat it.
Blueberries are one of my favorite fruits so the more the better!
The COLOR on these. Looks amazing.
Bars in muffin form? Yes please! I love soft bars, and they seem to like my jaws more. ;-D Also, going to the store on the off times. Yes, I love that, because I wander down the aisles like a kid at a candy store.
Wow! These look amazing. I love blueberries!
I see you like to do your shopping at 10pm? When the shops are quieter? I never last that long into the evening, but I also like to do my shopping when there’s no one about. But for me that’s generally 5am! Ha ha ha š
I used to do my shopping at 7am! But even that was hit or miss since a lot of people would be heading out to work as I was leaving the shop so I’d usually hit some traffic on the way home š
Blueberries are my favorite in jam form! This recipe makes me so pumped for summer! I went on vacation to Maine last year, so this really takes me back. I’m so excited to make these bars this weekend, I think they’ll be perfect spread with some nut butter for a breakfast treat or warmed up and topped with some coconut milk ice cream for a satisfying, fresh dessert.
Coconut milk ice cream!?!? Now that definitely sounds amazing. I hope you like them, Meah!
Haha – yup, I am not a fan of traffic or crowds either – though I usually go shopping as early as I can, I mean noone is at the grocery store at 6 on a Saturday morn! BTW – am a blackberry jam lover too (though currently, blackberry jam comes second to cloudberry jam) and, have you tried Trader Joes? They have a pretty good collection – usually anyways! But back to these bars – wow, Amanda they are simply bursting with blueberries and blueberry jam! And they have no eggs or oil! Fantastic recipe! I’ve started bookmarking recipes for my daughter for when she is in college and this is gonna be bookmarked for sure!
I have a friend who’ll only do his shopping at 7am on Saturdays too! š And we actually don’t have a TJ’s up here š We’re getting Whole Foods, but that’s still a few months away.
I used to grocery shop midday when I was still in school, when there were definitely moms/nannies and old people but nowhere near the biggest crowds in NYC which is the 6-8pm range right after work when EVERYONE goes. That I cannot deal with. Now I tend to just go on weekends. Or if I need something random midweek I buy it at lunch.
I had a friend who only goes shopping at 7am on Saturday mornings š I couldn’t imagine dealing with the crowds in NYC.
In total agreement on avoiding the crowds!! Unfortunately we do most of our grocery shopping at Costco, which is a circus from the time it opens until close!
Oh man. Costco can definitely be tricky. I’ve found that going 30-45 minutes before closing has pretty tame crowds… at least around here!
I am it a fan of blueberries plain but I LOVE them in baked goods!
I have so many blueberries right now and I’m loving it! They are easily my favorite fruit. These bars look delicious! Perfect way to use ’em up!
Muffin bars… double blueberry- I’m in! These look great!
I would say make some blueberry chia jam just like your strawberry chia jam. That was so good and super easy. These look delicious for breakfast. Now I need some blueberries.
GIVE ME ALL THE BLOOBS!! They are my favorite, and these bars are calling to me in all sorts of ways. I will admit to you though, I don’t know if I’ve EVER seen blueberry jam at a standard market. Maybe at health food markets, but not at the general stores, which I agree is so not ok!
Seriously?!?! Omg. Ok I’ve never had issues finding it before, so I thought this was just some freak thing. Not even okay.
These are so pretty! I like to grocery shop first thing in the morning. All the marked down stuff is still there and I don’t have to deal with the crowds.
Hey Amanda,
Long time listener first time caller…!
I absolutely love so many of your recipes, some of which have become weekly staples in my life!
There is one thing though that trips me up with the baking recipes – I have a silicone baking tray and find if I replicate your steps exactly that it’s often undercooked as it’s not metal. Any tips as to how I could counter this? I think when you leave it to cool in a metal baking tray it’s still cooking it slightly, which you don’t get with silicone.
Any advice would be much appreciated. And thank you so much again, can’t wait for the book!
Thanks for taking the time to say hi, Rami! I think the best advice I could offer for silicone baking trays is to increase the cook times a little bit. I’m not 100% sure how long it would have to be, but I would guess an extra 5-10 minutes? Whatever you’re baking should be fully cooked before it comes out of the oven, so watch it and use a toothpick to check if it’s done!
Hey Amanda,
Thanks for the tip!
I Google searched my email address and it led me to this post, which I’m unable to delete, would you mind doing so for me please? Thanks!
Double blueberry? I’m down! These look awesome!
i do not think I could handle the sun being out until after 10! that’s craziness to me!
That’s so weird how it sets at different times. Yeah. It’s literally out until 1030.
I also get some sort of weird joy of being at the grocery store when no one else is… though, opposite of you, I tend to get there early while other people are still sleeping. I just hate pushing a cart around and weaving through people! It’s just too much <–heyoooo dramatic.
Lol no I hear that. Most of the time I don’t even bother getting a cart because of the extra hassle.
Blueberry twinning, very cool. Double blueberry can do no wrong! I always find my favorite jam flavors aren’t the most popular, I should probably start making my own. Favorite time to grocery shop is whenever it’s the least crowded but it’s tough to make that happen.
I take it you’re not part of the 50% of strawberry lovers then š What’s your favourite?!