Blueberry Oat Bars

Have you ever had a Blueberry Oat Bar from Starbucks?  They are my favorite sweet treat from the coffee house giant.  I don't even drink coffee, but will make a stop occasionally for a black iced tea (unsweetened) or a chai tea latte and a blueberry oat bar.  It tastes like a homemade treat with a delicious oat crust base, a blueberry filling with a bright fresh blueberry taste and a tender oat crumble topping. If you are a blueberry fan, you should try one next time you stop at Starbucks.

I decided I wanted to try making them at home, so I went in search of recipes.  I found a recipe on food.com that claimed to be like the delicious Starbucks treat, if not better!  So I put it to the test.  It's not quite like the original. Seems like this recipe has more oats and a different blueberry to  crust/crumble ratio.   I also read online that other folks recommended adding cinnamon to the crust/crumble mixture.  I meant to add cinnamon, but forgot.  The finished product would definitely be enhanced with a little kiss of cinnamon.  Next time!

Even though this recipe isn't an exact replica of the original, it is very tasty and definitely holds its own and makes a great snack or breakfast.  Katrina from Baking and Boys has a blueberry cream cheese oat bar on her blog that looks amazing.  Next time I will try Katrina's version. The cream cheese layer looks like it would take these bars to the next level.

Some of these blueberry oat bars will be my breakfast for the next few days and the rest will serve as a gift to my Grandpa who is turning 94 years old this week.  Happy Birthday Grandpa!   


Blueberry Oat Bars
adapted from food.com

3 cups fresh blueberries
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup lemon juice
4 teaspoons cornstarch
2 cups oats
1 cup flour
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
1 1/2 sticks butter, softened

In small saucepan combine blueberries, sugar and lemon juice and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to a simmer and continue cooking for 10 minutes.  Whisk in the cornstarch and boil until thickened about 1 minute.  Transfer to a bowl and place plastic wrap directly on the surface and refrigerate until cooled, about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350.  Line a 9 x 13 baking dish with foil to come up over all four sides of the dish for easy removal after the bars are baked.  Spray the foil with non stick cooking spray. 

Make the base/crumble topping by combining  oats, flour, brown sugar, salt, baking soda and cinnamon (if using). Cut the butter into small pieces and combine in the flour mixture.  Using your hands mix the butter into the flour mixture to form a crumble. 

Set aside 1 1/2 cups of the mixture and press the remaining mixture evenly into the prepared pan.  Top with the cooled blueberry filling.  Sprinkle reserved crumble evenly over the top.  Bake for 40-45 until lightly golden brown.  Let cool completely before cutting.