These blueberry almond oat bars are so tender and “buttery” that you’d never guess they’re made without any flour or butter! A combination of oats and almond flour gives them an irresistibly tender crust, which pairs beautifully with an easy homemade blueberry chia seed jam. Gluten-free and vegan.
We’re putting away the carrots today and busting out some blueberries!!
I know they aren’t quite as spring-y, but I need to step away from the orange things for a while and I’m secretly hoping that putting some summer-ish vibes out there will help improve our weather, because… you guys… it snowed a couple days this week. Snowed! Never mind that it basically melted as soon as it hit the ground because we’ve still got a bunch of snow sitting around from winter, including 3 ft snowbanks that are going to create mini lakes on the sidewalks as soon as they start melting. Those’ll go great with the mounds of grit left over from all the rocks and dirt they have to put on the roads.
Have I mentioned that I’m a big fan of spring? (read: I’m not at all)
BUT! I am a big, big fan of these blueberry almond oat bars.
So let’s talk deets.
This recipe is actually made up of two mini recipes that mesh together to create a batch of delicious gluten-free & vegan bars.
First up, we’ve got the blueberry chia seed jam. It’s super easy to make, with the most difficult part being waiting for it to finish thickening up before you can actually make the bars. I’ve found the perfect way around this is to just make the jam in advance since it doesn’t require much work. That way, you can let it sit and do its thing until you’re ready to put the bars together. Or you can just use store-bought jam if you’re short on time or don’t have any fresh/frozen berries laying around.
Next up, we’ve got the almond oat crust. You.guys. This crust is so.freaking.good that I’m pretty sure I came close to reaching the point of no return with how many spoonfuls I “taste tested” straight out of the blender. You know… the point where you eat so much of the dough that you’re not sure you have enough left over to make the entire recipe anymore? Yeah. I was definitely toeing that line.
What makes it so good? Well, it tastes sweet and buttery, but it’s made without any butter at all. The magic actually happens from a mix of oats (gluten-free if needed) and almond flour, with a little bit of coconut oil. I don’t know what it is about this combination, but I’ve always found it tastes a lot like traditional doughs made with flour and butter. The only downside is that it can be a little tricky to spread out in the pan, but it’s nothing a trusty spatula and a couple extra minutes of patience won’t counter. Trust me – it’s totally worth it.
Happy eating!
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Blueberry Almond Oat Bars
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 12 bars 1x
Ingredients
For the blueberry chia jam:
- 2 cups (280 g) blueberries, fresh or frozen*
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) maple syrup
- 2 tbsp (20 g) chia seeds
For the bars:
- 1 cup (80 g) rolled oats, gluten-free if needed
- 1 cup (128 g) blanched almond flour
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) unsweetened applesauce
- 6 tbsp (75 g) coconut palm sugar**
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) coconut oil, melted***
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
Make the jam:
- Add the blueberries and maple syrup to a medium saucepan set over medium heat. Heat until the berries begin to release their liquid, about 5 – 15 minutes depending on whether or not they were fresh, frozen, or thawed. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, until the berries begin to reduce and thicken, about 5 -10 minutes. Use your spoon to break them apart further if desired.
- Stir in the chia seeds, continuing to cook for another 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the jam to cool. It will continue to thicken the longer it sits, which is why I usually like to make it the night before I’m planning on making these bars.
Make the bars:
- Preheat your oven to 325F (162C) and prepare an 8×8 (20x20cm) baking dish by lining it with a sheet of parchment paper, leaving a few inches of overhang on the sides to allow for easy removal.
- Add the oats and almond flour to a high-speed blender or food processor and process on high for about 10 seconds, or until the oats have broken down into the consistency of a fine flour. Add the remaining crust ingredients and continue processing for about 20 – 30 seconds until a sticky dough begins to form. Make sure to stop and scrape down the sides of your blender/processor as necessary.
- Transfer 2/3 of the dough into your prepared baking pan, using your fingers or a spatula to ensure that it is pressed down tightly and evenly. It might be a little stubborn, so just take your time and spread it as best you can – it doesn’t have to be perfect. Spoon the chia jam over the surface, and use a spatula or knife to spread it evenly, making sure to only go within 1/4 of the edge to prevent the jam from burning. Top with remaining dough by dropping it on top in in a few separate globs, and then using your spatula to spread them out.
- Bake for 35 – 40 minutes, until the centre has set and the bars begin to turn golden brown. Remove from the oven and let them cool in the pan for about 15 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Use a sharp knife to cut them into individual bars and store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, or wrap individually and freeze for up to 3 months.
Notes
* You can also use 3/4 cup store-bought jam if you don’t have time to make your own. ** You can also use any other lightly flavoured oil. *** You can also use brown sugar.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 40 mins
Looking for more healthy snack bar recipes? Try one of these!
Flourless Banana Bread Bars
Almond Butter & Jelly Banana Bread Bars
Blueberry Banana Oat Bars
Soft Baked Brownie Breakfast Bars
No Bake Almond Fudge Protein Bars
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Bars are good! Though I made a triple batch and it burnt the motor to my ninja blender 😭
These are so good and quite addicting! They are just sweet enough and have the perfect texture. Thank you so much for a great recipe!
Can we substitute the applesauce for anything else?
These were so good!! They only lasted one day in my house 🙂 my husband and daughter loved them as well. I used frozen mixed berries instead of blueberries and cane sugar instead of coconut sugar. I plan on making a double batch next time (soon)!
Snowed! Never mind that it basically melted as soon as it hit hyhkdnet the ground because we’ve still got a
I made half size and changed blueberry to apple! It was so delicious:)
Thanks for great recipe♡
I am going to try these with dates. My husband and I have a thing for them right now. Thank you for sharing!
Would I be able to substitute some of the almond flour for ground flaxseed meal?
Oooo I’m not too sure about that one. Possibly, but I can’t really say how much. And flaxmeal is a lot different from almond flour so it would change the texture of the bars and might need different liquid requirements. Sorry I can’t be more helpful!
These are seriously delicious! I made a batch yesterday and it’s already almost gone. Is it too much if I make a second batch today? I baked mine for closer to 50 minutes and they still could have gone a bit longer, but that could be a result of my oven or using a ceramic pan. I can’t wait to try these with raspberries next!
I’m so glad you liked them! And 2 batches in 2 days definitely isn’t too much 🙂
Hi! I made these and my daughter loved them. I plan to double and use oat flour and mix by hand next time. Curious…did you use refined or virgin coconut oil? I used virgin. Thank you!
I just used virgin coconut oil. You can use refined if you find the coconut oil taste too strong though.
These cake out well and thanks for sharing your recipe !
I can’t have chia seeds because of an allergy. What could I use instead?
Hmm. To thicken the jam you could just use a tablespoon of cornstarch.
Thank you for the recipe!
These are incredible! I already made them twice and love them to satisfy my sweet tooth! I was just wondering if I could sub yogurt for the applesauce. I’m out and don’t want to go to the store to get more. Just wondering if it’s there for the liquid content to replace any egg that would have been used? Thanks!
I’m so glad you like them, Victoria! Yogurt should be fine to substitute for the applesauce… it’s mostly just to add moisture.
I like them and the add in of oat. The fruit part is absolutely wonderful. Maybe will try to add in a bit of coconut flour.
Instead of flattening the crust with spoon or hand use two silicon bake mats and a rolling pin, works for the top too and makes it way quicker compared to trying to get a nice surface
Omg – just popped over after seeing this on MFP.
Cannot *wait* to try!
Thanks so much for sharing!
I hope you like them!
Love them, they turned out great
I’m so glad you liked them!
Made these for breakfast today and they are wonderful! My vegan daughter is home from college and she loved having these for breakfast, as did the rest of the family. I made them as written and had 3/4 of a smaller jelly jar of blueberry chia jam leftover for bagels, etc. We really appreciated that these were not only vegan but gluten free. I think I might keep 1/4 c of the oats as coarsely ground instead of flour to give some more chewy texture and we might be able to cut the coconut sugar from 6T to 4T. We’ll see. So good as written! Thank you!
Love the idea of keeping some of the oats coarse to add texture! I’m glad you and your family liked them, Laurel 🙂
Amanda, I mean, these pictures look so good I can taste the blueberry ooze through my screen!
I have one question, can you substitute the coconut palm sugar for another type of sugar? I can’t find this in any of my local supermarkets and really want to make this on the weekend
LA x
Definitely, Laura! Any other type of sugar will work just fine. I hope you like them!
This looks so AMAZING!! I will definitely try this at home.
Thank you for such an awestruck recipe.
Keep sharing:)
I don’t have almond flour at the moment. Can I use white wheat flour?
Sweet and delicious, yummy. Can’t wait to make this recipes.
This looks so tasty but I am more of a raspberry kinda gal. Would I be able to substitute the blueberries for raspberries?
I made these last night and my 3 kids had them for breakfast this morning. They were a huge hit!! They gobbled it up and asked for seconds. The blueberry chia jam was really easy and adds to the bars for sure.
Thanks for the recipe, we will definitely make these again.
These bars look incredible! I’m planning on making them tomorrow. I absolutely love chia jams, Yum. thanks for the recipe!
Sweet baby Jesus I need these in my life asap. I can only imagine how delicious the kitchen will smell. Though like you, I can guarantee that I’ll be “sampling” that dough quite a bit! I’m a sucker for a good crust and oat flour and almond flour is one of my favorite combinations when it comes to baked goodies! Also, let’s not even talk about how many carrot-based recipes I’ve made this week *cough* THREE! *cough*