These easy homemade berry oatmeal breakfast bars are made with pantry ingredients. They are gluten-free and the perfect on-the-go breakfast or healthy snack! Make them for a little sweetness and a lot of crunch!
These healthy homemade oatmeal bars are so easy to pull together and the perfect make-ahead breakfast recipe!
Ingredients
- Old fashioned oats
- Ground flaxseed
- Ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger
- Salt
- Maple syrup or brown sugar
- Nondairy milk
- Pecans or walnuts
- Fresh or frozen blueberries, blackberries, or cherries
Once you’ve gathered your ingredients, this recipe comes together in just 5 minutes! A quick mix and it’s ready for some time in the oven.
Directions
To make this recipe, you’ll just need a mixing bowl, a standard loaf pan, and parchment paper to make it easy on yourself.
Add the oats, spices, flaxseed, and nuts to the bowl.
Add the milk. Stir. Pour into the parchment-lined loaf pan and bake in a preheated oven.
Recipe substitutions
This recipe is very forgiving. Use what you have in your pantry to make it work for you and your family.
Nuts and seeds: You’ll notice that the picture above includes chopped walnuts though I initially made this recipe with pecans. Use either one or even sunflower or pumpkin seeds.
Fruit: I’ve made this recipe with fresh and frozen berries like blueberries and blackberries, dried cherries and blueberries, and leftover homemade jam.
Milk: To keep the recipe vegan, use a non-dairy milk. Shaken canned coconut milk adds a subtle sweetness. But you can use cashew, almond, or hemp or dairy milk equally in this recipe.
Sweetener: I use maple syrup for the flavor. But that can get pricey. I know. Feel free to swap in a 1/4 cup brown sugar for a less expensive option.
Benefits of flaxseed
Flax seeds provide an extra boost of protein, fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, and lignans that may help reduce the risk of certain cancers and improve health.
Ground flaxseed keeps these homemade oat bars together. It must be ground not whole flax – since these will not provide any binding benefits.
I find ground flaxseed in the baking or sometimes in the “health foods” aisle at the store. If you don’t have flaxseed, you can use ground chia seeds and if you don’t need to avoid eggs, you can use one egg.
Freezer-Friendly Idea
Once the bars are cool, slice them and enjoy within a couple of days.
Or freeze the bars: Separate the bars so they don’t stick. I usually lay them into a zip-top freezer bag, leaving enough space between the bars.
Eat the bars within 3 months or so. They will be fine after that but for quality, I recommend enjoying these bars sooner than later.
To reheat: Place in a conventional or toaster oven at 350 F for 15 minutes or until the center is warm.
These Almond Butter Oat Cups are another freezer-friendly recipe you’ll want to make!
Try these other breakfast recipes
Peanut Butter Banana Breakfast Cookies
Triple Berry Hemp Oat Smoothie
Honey Nut Toasted Oat Breakfast Bites
Vegan Berry Oatmeal Bars
Ingredients
- 2 cups old fashioned oats
- 2 tbsp ground flaxseed
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- 1 ¼ cup cup nondairy milk
- ½ cup chopped pecans
- 2 cups fresh or frozen blackberries, blueberries, or cherries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 F.
- Combine all ingredients in a large bowl until well mixed. Let sit at least five minutes until some liquid is absorbed. Fold in the blackberries being careful not to break them up too much.
- Line a 9 x5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper. Pour the oat mixture into the pan. Bake 45-50 minutes until the center is set.
- Remove from the pan. Set on a cooling rack. Once cool, slice into 8 bars.
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