Gluten-free, dairy-free Blackberry Breakfast Bars are made with rolled oats and sweetened with honey. They're a soft, tender wholesome blackberry oat bar, bursting with blackberries. Perfect for morning coffee time or a quick breakfast.
❤️ Why this recipe works
- These Blackberry Oatmeal Breakfast Bars are so easy to make and they're naturally gluten-free!
- Make them with fresh berries in the summertime or frozen berries year-round.
- This simple recipe is also dairy-free and has no refined sugar.
- These breakfast bars are soft and tender and yet they hold their shape.
- They're a healthy choice to have for morning coffee time.
- They're sweet, but not overly sweet, just the way I like a breakfast bar to be.
And truth be told, I sometimes have one for dessert, too!
These are not Oatmeal Crumble Bars. Crumble bars, (like these Apple Crumble Cheesecake Bars or Apple Pomegranate Crumble Bars or Cranberry Lemon Oatmeal Bars) are made with a base, a sweet filling, and a crumble topping. They're delicious, they're slightly sweeter than these Blackberry Breakfast Bars but they're more of a dessert bar.
These breakfast bars are also different from baked oatmeal bars. I often make these Mixed Berry Baked Oatmeal Cups with Chia or Warm Cranberry-Apple Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal. They make a hearty breakfast bar that is firmer and chewier. I like baked oatmeal bars or cups served with yogurt or milk and extra berries.
These Blackberry Oatmeal Breakfast Bars, on the other hand, are soft, tender and light and they're delicious all on their own.
Ready to whip up a batch? Here's what you'll need to make them.
Ingredients
- quick oats: quick oats work best in this recipe. If you only have old-fashioned or rolled oats on hand, just pulse them a few times in a blender or food processor to make them a little finer. Oats are naturally gluten-free but if they're processed in a facility that also processes wheat, there is a risk of cross-contamination. Use certified gluten-free oats, if necessary.
- oat flour: make your own by whirring in a high-speed blender, or use store-bought. Oat flour helps to make these bars nice and light.
- coconut sugar: or a 0-calorie natural sweetener. I use Lacanto Monkfruit granulated sweetener with erythritol, but low-glycemic coconut sugar works beautifully in this recipe, too.
- lemon zest: A teaspoon or so adds a bright flavour, enhancing the flavour of the blackberries.
- cinnamon, baking soda, salt
- eggs: You'll need 3 farm-fresh eggs.
- milk: Keep these bars dairy-free by using plant-based milk like almond milk or cashew milk.
- coconut oil: melted, then cooled slightly
- honey: liquid or "runny honey"
- blackberries: You can use fresh or frozen. Blackberries are packed with essential nutrients and antioxidants. Did you know that they may improve brain health and help prevent memory loss caused by aging? Read more about the health benefits of blackberries.
No blackberries? No worries!
Substitute other berries for the blackberries! Blueberries, raspberries or even Saskatoon berries (also called Service berries) are delicious in these bars. You'll love these Blueberry Oatmeal Breakfast Bars, too.
How to make Blackberry Breakfast Bars
Here's a quick overview of what you'll do to make these yummy blackberry bars. Complete instructions are in the recipe card below.
- Prepare an 8-inch square pan by lining it with parchment paper. I lay a sheet in my pan so that it hangs over two edges, then lightly grease the remaining two sides with a little coconut oil or butter. The parchment paper acts as a sling, making it easy to lift the baked bars out once they're finished baking.
- Combine the wet ingredients in one bowl, the dry ingredients in another, then combine the two. Gently fold in the blackberries, stirring as little as possible so you don't end up with purple bars!
- Transfer to your prepared baking pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool in the pan for 10 -15 minutes. If you try to remove them from the pan too soon, you risk having them crumble and break. After 10 to 15 minutes, carefully remove to a cooling rack to cool completely. Remove the parchment paper (just slide it out from underneath the bars.)
- When completely cool, use a sharp or serrated knife to cut into bars. This recipe makes 16 small bars or 8 large bars.
How to store and freeze blackberry oatmeal bars
Store in an airtight container. These will keep fresh at room temperature for up to 3 days.
For longer storage, you can freeze them. Wrap bars individually, then pack them into an airtight container. Thaw them at room temperature or gently reheat on a baking sheet in the oven, if you'd like.
Make a batch of these wholesome Blackberry Oatmeal Breakfast Bars today and look forward to coffee time in the morning. Enjoy, everyone!
For more recipes using rolled oats, see 30 Healthy Oatmeal Recipes.
More gluten-free breakfast recipes
When you make this recipe please leave a comment and a rating below. Thanks in advance! Subscribe to my newsletter and have new recipes delivered straight to your inbox.
📖 Recipe
Blackberry Oatmeal Breakfast Bars - Gluten-Free
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup quick oats
- 1 cup oat flour
- 2 tablespoon coconut sugar or Monkfruit granulated sweetener
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest, finely grated
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 3 large eggs
- ¼ cup coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
- ⅓ cup honey
- ½ cup almond milk, or other plant-based milk
- 1 cup blackberries, fresh or frozen
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. and line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk to combine quick oats, oat flour, granulated sweetener or coconut sugar, baking powder, lemon zest, cinnamon and salt.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine eggs, coconut oil, honey and milk, whisking to combine thoroughly.
- Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients, stirring to combine.
- Gently stir in the blackberries. Transfer mixture to the prepared baking pan, smoothing to fill the pan right to the corners.
- Bake at 350°F. for 33 - 38 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool in pan for 10 minutes before carefully transferring to a cooling rack and removing the parchment paper.
- When completely cool, slice into 8 large bars or 16 small bars.
Elise
I made these this afternoon. They're so good! I'm wrapping half of them in freezer baggies and freezing them for snacks later on. Thanks for a great recipe.
Laura
These sound perfect!
Flavour & Savour
Thanks! They're great with blueberries, too!