Mixed Berry Oatmeal Bars

Mixed Berry Oatmeal Bars are bursting with summer berries and are the perfect treat for breakfast, snacking, or dessert!

 

Mixed Berry Oatmeal Bars

We love granola bars but they are often filled with stuff that you don't really want.  We recently went on a late summer beach vacation and I usually bring snacks, including granola bars.  This time I decided to make these quick homemade bars for our snacks/breakfast treats.  The are easy to pull together, bake quickly, and then can be cut in to squares so they travel well.

These homemade bars are filled with healthy oats, a mix of summer berries, coconut sugar, and cinnamon.  It makes a small batch using and 8x8 square pan, and can be made in under 1 hour.  Treat yourself to some homemade bars that taste delicious and are good for you!

Enjoy!

What Ingredients do I need?

• frozen mixed berries
• oats
• flour 
• coconut sugar
• cinnamon
• unsalted butter
• cornstarch
• fresh lemon

Substitutions and Variations

• Use your favorite frozen fruit. peaches or mango would be good.

• Leave out the cinnamon, or add in some ginger instead.

• Try chocolate chips and peanut butter chips along with sliced almonds instead of fruit.

• Add dried fruit like cherries, apricots, raisins, or cranberries instead of fresh fruit.

Kitchen Tips and Notes

• Layer cut up bars with pieces of wax or parchment paper.

• Use the juice that comes from defrosting the frozen fruit to pour over yogurt or use in a smoothie.

• Leftovers will keep in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

• Heat up a bar and serve it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a great dessert.

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Mixed Berry Oatmeal Bars

14 - 16 ounces frozen mixed berries
1 cup rolled oats
¾ cup flour 
½ cup coconut sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 teaspoons cornstarch
juice and zest from ½ a lemon


Partially defrost the berries at room temperature for about an hour.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Line an 8 x 8" square pan with parchment paper.  Leave excess parchment paper so you have handles for removing the bars.

In a medium bowl, stir together the oats, oat flour, coconut sugar, cinnamon and salt.  Add the butter into the oat mixture and stir until everything evenly incorporated.  Remove a ½ cup of the oat mixture and reserve it for the top.

Press the oat mixture into the pan and press it firmly with the back of a measuring cup to compact the oat mixture and distribute it evenly.  Drain the juices from the berries and stir in cornstarch, lemon zest and lemon juice.  Pour the berry mixture evenly over the crust.  Sprinkle the reserved oat mixture on top of the berries.

Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the bars are bubbling and the top is golden brown.  Remove from the oven and set pan on a cooling rack for 10 minutes.  Remove bars with the parchment paper and allow the oats to cool completely before cutting into squares and serving.