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  • ร—
    Home ยป Recipes ยป Desserts (Baked) ยป Blackberry Oatmeal Bars: an Easy Dessert Recipe

    LAST UPDATED: January 29, 2022 โ€ข FIRST PUBLISHED: June 16, 2019 By Toni Dash 42 Comments

    Blackberry Oatmeal Bars: an Easy Dessert Recipe

    Jump to Recipe

    This post may include affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Blackberry Oatmeal Bars title image

    Oatmeal Bars are a homey dessert recipe everyone loves. Fresh blackberries add a delicious sweetness to this easy oatmeal bars recipe.

    Blackberry Oatmeal Bars title image
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    Blackberry Oatmeal Bars title image

    Oatmeal bars are very easy to make and have great homey flavors.

    Add in some fresh blackberries and they become an irresistible treat you’ll make on repeat!

    Ingredients in these Oatmeal Bars

    These ingredients in these oatmeal bars are probably already in your pantry and refrigerator!

    • fresh Blackberries
    • Granulated Sugar
    • Cornstarch
    • All-Purpose Flour, regular or gluten-free*
    • Quick-Cooking Oats, regular or gluten-free*
    • Brown Sugar
    • Baking Soda
    • Kosher Salt
    • Chopped Pecans
    • Unsalted butter, room temperature

    PRO TIP: Frozen thawed blackberries may be substituted for fresh blackberries.

    Use Quick-Cooking Oats (regular or gluten-free)

    A key for this oatmeal bars recipe is to use Quick Cooking Oats. Do NOT traditional rolled old fashioned oats that take a longer time to cook.

    stack of oatmeal bars

    Regular or Gluten-Free Oatmeal Bars

    We’ve tested this recipe with regular all-purpose flour and gluten-free all-purpose flour.

    The results are fantastic with both!

    My recommendation for Gluten-Free Flour

    I like measure-for-measure type flours.

    They have been developed to substitute one-for-one for wheat flour.

    Check the ingredients! I personally do NOT like garfava or garbanzo bean flour in gluten-free flour blends used for sweet baking.

    It has good structure but tastes beany.

    The blend I used for these that I really liked is Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten-Free Flour. It tastes great and works wonderfully in baking recipes.

    There are multiple gluten-free flour blends.

    I’m sharing what I used when developing the recipe that I felt provided great results in texture and flavor.

    Use your favorite blend!

    single oatmeal bar with blackerries

    Gluten-Free Quick Oats

    The other ingredients that makes these bars regular or gluten-free is the oats.

    If making gluten-free oatmeal bars, be sure to use quick cooking oats labeled as ‘gluten-free’.

    If they are not labeled they probably are not gluten-free.

    Oatmeal Bar Shortcut

    Want an easy shortcut?

    Instead of using fresh berries substitute blackberry preserves!

    Skip the recipe step of tossing the berries in sugar and cornstarch.

    Use 10-12 ounces of Blackberry Preserves.

    Spread that evenly when the berries are added in the recipe and proceed with the rest of the steps.

    Any preserves can be used! Experiment with strawberry or raspberry preserves too!

    stack of oatmeal bars close up

    How to Make Blackberry Oatmeal Bars  – Step by Step

    For the detailed printable recipe instructions please refer to the recipe card at the end of the blog post.

    • Preheat oven to 350°F.
    • Line a 9×9 inch square baking pan with foil or parchment paper. Spray with non-stick cooking spray.
    • In a small bowl, toss blackberries with sugar and cornstarch. Set aside.
    • Use a standing mixer or handheld mixer and combine:  the flour, oats, brown sugar, baking soda, salt, and pecans (photo 1). Mix to fully combine.

    Oatmeal Bars recipe steps photo collage

    •  Add the softened butter and beat on low speed. Mixture should resemble coarse crumbs.
    •  Spoon half of the oatmeal mixture into the prepared pan. Gently press mixture into bottom of the pan.
    • Top with the cornstarch-coated blackberries (photo 2).
    • Sprinkle with remaining oatmeal mixture (photo 3). NOTE: do not press down on the mixture.
    • Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown (photo 4).
    • Cool completely before slicing into 12-20 squares (see cutting tips).

    oatmeal bars with blackberry on top overhead

    PRO TIP: Best Way to Cut Oatmeal Bars

    These oatmeal bars are most easily cut when cold. When still warm they are more crumbly and soft.

    Allow them to cool fully in the pan. Then place the pan in the refrigerator to chill until firm (a few hours or overnight).

    Take them out of the refrigerator when firm, cut into bars. Select a size you prefer.

    Allow to warm to room temperature before serving for best flavor.

    Want a larger pan of Oatmeal Bars?

    This recipe makes a 9-inch by 9-inch pan of fat oatmeal bars.

    If you want to make more bars, use a prepared 9-inch by 13-inch pan.

    Bake for 35 minutes or until golden on top.

    Proceed with the recipe as written.

    NOTE: when using a larger pan, the oatmeal bars will by thinner.

    oatmeal bars with blackberry side view

    More Easy Dessert Recipes

    • Buttermilk Strawberry Shortcake
    • Chocolate Peanut Butter Snack Bars
    • Pumpkin Bars
    • Peanut Butter Chocolate Mug Cake recipe
    Did you make it? Please RATE THE RECIPE below!

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    Recipe

    Blackberry Oatmeal Bars title image

    Blackberry Oatmeal Bars

    Home Oatmeal Bars are easy to make and always a delicious dessert choice. Fresh blackberries add wonderful texture, color and flavor to this recipe.
    5 from 76 votes
    Print Save Recipe Recipe Saved! Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Cooling Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Servings: 16 -25 bars
    Calories: 253kcal
    Author: Toni Dash
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients

    • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour regular or gluten-free*
    • 1 1/2 cups uncooked quick-cooking oats regular or gluten-free*
    • 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
    • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
    • 1/4 teaspoon salt
    • 1/3 cup chopped pecans
    • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter room temperature
    • 2 cups fresh blackberries
    • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
    • 1 tablespoons cornstarch

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350°F.
    • Line a 9x9 inch square baking pan with foil or parchment paper. Spray with non-stick cooking spray.
    • In a small bowl, toss blackberries with sugar and cornstarch. Set aside.
    • Combine in the bowl of a standing mixer the flour, oats, brown sugar, baking soda, salt, and pecans. Mix to fully combine. Note: a hand held mixer may also be used.
    • Add the softened butter and beat on low speed, until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
    • Spoon half of the oatmeal mixture into the prepared pan. Gently press mixture into bottom of the pan.
    • Top with the cornstarch-coated blackberries.
    • Sprinkle with remaining oatmeal mixture. NOTE: do not press down on the mixture.
    • Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown.
    • Cool completely before slicing into 16-25 squares.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 253kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 77mg | Potassium: 100mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 395IU | Vitamin C: 3.8mg | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 1.2mg
    Blackberry Oatmeal Bars title image
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Erin says

      October 20, 2022 at 10:51 am

      5 stars
      Really great recipe – so easy! I changed the pecans for walnuts, because that was what I had on hand. I also added a couple teaspoons of vanilla extract when I mixed in the butter. They turned out super yummy!

      Reply
      • Toni Dash says

        October 20, 2022 at 2:39 pm

        So glad you liked them Erin! Thanks for sharing your swaps too.

        Reply
    2. Darla says

      March 20, 2022 at 11:43 am

      I only have old fashioned oats. How can I adapt this recipe?

      Reply
      • Toni Dash says

        March 21, 2022 at 12:55 pm

        Hi Darla. I’d suggest making the recipe with the oat specified.

        Reply
    3. Ali says

      September 04, 2021 at 5:04 pm

      5 stars
      Wonderful! I love the crunch of the nuts and oat meal. Thank you for sharing!

      Reply
    4. Laura says

      August 07, 2021 at 5:49 pm

      Can these be freezer after baking?

      Reply
      • Toni Dash says

        August 08, 2021 at 10:34 am

        I’ve never had any left to try it lol! I think they should be able to be frozen. I’d let them cool fully first. Personally I would cut them into bars and place the bars on the rimmed baking sheet to flash freeze for 1-2 hours. Then wrap the bars individually and place them in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months. Then you can take the bars out as you want one instead of an entire batch.

        Reply
    5. Sarah H says

      August 31, 2020 at 4:49 pm

      These were delicious although next time I make them I’ll use a lot less base/topping and more blackberries.

      Reply
    6. Paige Rouse says

      April 12, 2020 at 5:55 pm

      I do not have the quick cooking oats, only regular. Any tips on how I could still make these without the quick cooking oats?

      Reply
      • Toni Dash says

        April 12, 2020 at 8:59 pm

        Hi Paige. We suggest making the recipe with the specified quick oats for best results.

        Reply
        • Lucy Hodge says

          July 31, 2022 at 12:19 pm

          I’m confused. I thought the recipe called for quick cooking oats? Could you clarify? Thanks!

        • Toni Dash says

          July 31, 2022 at 7:21 pm

          Hi Lucy. The recipe does call for quick cooking oats. We feel these give the best results. Hope that helps.

      • Toni Dash says

        July 31, 2022 at 7:19 pm

        Hi Paige. We suggest making the recipe with the specified quick oats for best results.

        Reply
    7. Ashley F says

      June 18, 2019 at 8:51 pm

      These are gorgeous looking bars and I bet they taste amazing!

      Reply
    8. Jocelyn says

      June 18, 2019 at 7:25 pm

      5 stars
      These are the prettiest and most delicious crumble bars!

      Reply
    9. Tanya Schroeder says

      June 18, 2019 at 5:02 am

      5 stars
      These have the perfect texture and taste! I cannot wait to try this recipe with other berries!

      Reply
    10. Sommer says

      June 17, 2019 at 9:04 pm

      5 stars
      Made these the other night and they were a huge hit! The perfect summer dessert.

      Reply
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    5 from 76 votes (58 ratings without comment)

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    Welcome! Iโ€™m Toni Dash. Iโ€™m a Certified Nutrition Coach and the professional writer/blogger, photographer, recipe developer and creator of Boulder Locavoreยฎ. Iโ€™m so glad you are here!

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