Do you love a Starbucks blueberry oatmeal bar with your morning cup of coffee or as an afternoon sweet treat? Now you can make them at home with this easy recipe for the Best blueberry crumble bars. Made with simple, nutritious ingredients, they are so delicious, tart, and sweet! Also, since they're made with almond flour and oats, they are also gluten free.
These blueberry crumble bars are one of my most popular recipes that I have shared on my Instagram recently! What's not to love about the berry goodness of these blueberry bars.
If you've ever enjoyed a slice of blueberry pie or blueberry crumble, these bars have all the same flavor but in an easy to eat bar form! A blueberry layer nestled between an almond flour crust and crumble mixture on top!
They make a delicious treat for a sweet snack or simple breakfast bar! Even better -- they're vegan, dairy-free, and gluten-free bars that everyone will love!
I hope you love them! If you're looking for more recipes made with blueberries, you've got to try this other Starbucks copycat recipe for blueberry muffins or my blueberry cake recipe.
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What You'll Need for These Blueberry Oatmeal Bars
There are two parts to this blueberry pie bars recipe, the crust and the filling. Here's a look at the simple ingredients you will need. Most are pretty easy to find at the grocery store.
- Almond flour: Almond flour is basically just very finely ground almonds. It is a very popular ingredient and flour alternative right now, not only because of its nutritional value and the fact that it is gluten-free, but also because it has an incredible nutty flavor that adds so much flavor.
- Oats: Not all oats are gluten-free so make sure to check your package. You want to use old-fashioned oats like Bob's Red Mill rolled oats.
- Baking powder: These blueberry crumble bars need a bit of leavener to give them a bit of lightness.
- Maple syrup: You can also use another liquid sweetener such as agave syrup or honey. However, do not use granulated sugar because the liquid sweetener in this recipe acts as a binding agent as well as a sweetener. If you use regular sugar, the crust won't bind and stick together.
- Coconut oil: Make sure the coconut oil is melted or very softened before adding it to the recipe. You can microwave it for 20-30 seconds to soften it up.
- Vanilla: Adds a natural essence that's both warming and sweet to both the crust and the filling.
- Blueberries: You can use frozen or fresh berries in this recipe. I used frozen because they are more affordable and also available year round.
- Lemon zest and lemon juice: For a bit of brightness and tart flavors that pair well with the blueberries.
- Coconut sugar: I like using coconut sugar because of the unique flavor it has and because it has a lower glycemic index. However, you can use any type of granulated sugar that you have on hand. I sometimes will use white sugar if I do not have coconut on hand (like I do in the video tutorial below), but I do prefer coconut sugar. Just make sure you use granulated sugar and not a liquid one like maple syrup for the filling. Otherwise, the consistency of the blueberry filling will be too runny.
- Cornstarch: Important as a a thickening agent for the blueberry sauce, giving the filling its perfect texture. Many people use arrowroot powder instead of cornstarch, but I have not experimented with it in this specific recipe, so I cannot say if this will work.
Want to try out some more Starbucks copycat recipes? Try my lemon loaf and vegan lemon bars which are both inspired by the offerings at this popular coffee shop.
Substitutions and Variations
If you'd like to change up your oatmeal bars here are some suggestions:
- Gluten-free Oats: If you don't need this recipe to be gluten-free you can use any oats but I recommend the old-fashioned rolled oats rather than quick oats or instant oats which are more processed.
- Berries: You can use other types of berries to make different flavored crumble bars. Raspberries or blackberries are great options you can use in a similar fashion to the blueberries as they have a similar consistency though more seeds.
- Swap the almond flour: If you want a nut-free alternative or it doesn't matter if they're gluten-free, you can substitute the almond flour for oat flour, whole wheat flour, or all purpose flour.
How to Make Starbucks Blueberry Oat Bars
These blueberry oat bars go together in just a few simple steps. Let's get started.
- Start by making the crumbly mixture for the crust. Combine the almond flour, oats, baking powder, maple, oil, vanilla, and salt in a large mixing bowl and mix them together well.
- Line the bottom of a 9 x 9 inch baking dish with parchment paper and grease it lightly with some coconut oil.
- Add the oat mixture to the pan. Be sure to save about a half cup of the mixture for the top layer.
- Pat down the crust with a spatula or your fingers until the crust is even and tightly packed.
- Now it's time to make your filling. Add the blueberries, lemon zest, lemon juice, coconut sugar, and vanilla to a pan.
- Cook the blueberry mixture over medium heat and use a potato masher to mash up the blueberries as best as you can. It doesn't have to be perfect but just enough to that they release their juices.
- Add the cornstarch to the blueberry mixture after cooking for 3-4 minutes.
- Stir everything together for another minute to give it time to thicken and then remove from heat.
- Pour the blueberry filling on top of the layer of crust. Use a spatula to make sure it's even.
- Add the remaining half a cup of crumble topping on top of the blueberries.
- Bake the bars for 30-35 minutes at 400F or 200C. Allow them to cool completely so the blueberry filling can set.
- Slice them up and enjoy!
How to Store
Since these breakfast bars are made with fruit, it is best to store them in the fridge. After cutting them, place them in a single layer in an airtight container and they will last up to six days.
You can also freeze them. I suggest laying the squares on a parchment lined baking sheet and freeze for several hours. Once they're frozen you can transfer them to a container and store for up to three months.
This method easily allows you to remove a single (or amount you want) bar at a time. They will thaw out in about an hour on the counter.
Recipe Tips
- Don't swap the maple syrup in the crust for granulated sugar. If you need to make a substitution you will need to use another liquid sweetener to help bind the crust.
- Don't swap the coconut sugar for a liquid sweetener when making the blueberry filling as it will make the filling too runny. The closest sugar substitute to the flavor and texture of coconut sugar is brown sugar.
- Allow the bars plenty of time to cool before cutting them into squares. The filling will continue to set as it cools.
- You can use fresh or frozen blueberries! If you go with frozen, you don't need to worry about thawing them out -- just add them to the pan to heat.
- Serve them up on their own or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream (vegan, of course!).
- If you want thicker and gooier oatmeal bars, double the recipe, but still use a 9 x 9-inch baking pan! Doubling the recipe is very easy- you can just use the "x2" button in the recipe card to do this so that you don't have to do the math yourself!
Video
Frequently Asked Questions
It's a gluten-free thickener that's white, very fine, and starchy. It's used to thicken sauces, gravies, and soups. I realize not everyone may know or it may be called something else where you live. This question first came from a reader on Instagram message, and I thought, this was a great question to point out, because cornstarch is called something different in some other countries. For example, in the UK, it is known as corn flour (something very different in the US). Just to clarify what I mean for readers that live outside of the US, here is a link of the type of cornstarch I am using in this recipe. If you want to learn more this article by The Spruce Eats about cornstarch is helpful.
Yes, certainly! I love doubling this recipe when making it for friends and family.
More Fruit Dessert Recipes
Blueberry Oat Crumble Bars (Starbucks Copycat)
Equipment
- baking pan 9x9
- sauce pan
Ingredients
Crust Ingredients
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1 ½ cup oats
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup coconut oil
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- dash of salt
Filling Ingredients
- 2 cups blueberries I used frozen
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- â…“ cup coconut sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- 3 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
- Start by making the crust. In a large bowl, combine the almond flour, oats, baking powder, maple, oil, vanilla, and salt. Mix them well.
- Line the bottom of a 9 x 9 inch baking dish with parchment paper and grease it lightly with some coconut oil.
- Then add the crust to the pan, but save about ½ cup of the mixture for the top layer.
- Use a spatula or your fingers to pat down the crust until you have a tightly packed, even layer.
- Now it's time to make your filling. To a pan, add the blueberries, lemon zest, lemon juice, coconut sugar, and vanilla.
- Cook them over medium heat and use a potato masher to mash up the blueberries as best as you can. It doesn't have to be perfect but just enough to that they release their juices.
- Cook the blueberry mixture for 3-4 minutes, then add in the cornstarch. Stir everything together for another minute, then remove from heat.
- Pour the blueberry filling on top of the layer of crust. Use a spatula to make sure it's even.
- Crumble the remaining ½ cup of crust on top of the blueberries.
- Bake the bars for 30-35 minutes at 400*F.
- Remove from the oven and give the bars plenty of time to cool so that the blueberry filling can set.
- I sliced mine into smaller squares and made 16 bars with this recipe. Store it in the fridge for 5-6 days💙
Video
Notes
- Don't swap the maple syrup in the crust for granulated sugar. If you need to make a substitution you will need to use another liquid sweetener to help bind the crust.
- Don't swap the coconut sugar for a liquid sweetener when making the blueberry filling as it will make the filling too runny.
- Allow the bars plenty of time to cool before cutting them into squares. The filling will continue to set as it cools.
- You can use fresh or frozen blueberries! If you go with frozen, you don't need to worry about thawing them out -- just add them to the pan to heat.
Tanya Musselman
Absolutely delicious!!! 30 min was too long for my oven, so I reduced the time.
Gaby Dimova
Sooo happy to hear that you liked them! 🙂
Halimah Khan
This recipe looks awesome! Is it 153kcal per serving or the whole recipe? Thank you x
Gaby Dimova
per serving 🙂
Donna
Can I substitute the almond flour for more oat or gluten free flour due to anaphylactic allergy to ALL nuts/most seeds? I understand it may not be as good, but I have little choice.
Gaby Dimova
I haven't tried it, but it should work! Please let me know what the results are if you try 🙂