I do not know about you, but I am a bar junkie so this Blueberry Oat Bar recipe screams my name. I love bars because I can grab them quickly when running out the door and sometimes they replace sweets for my lunches or afternoon cravings.
Many pre-made bars like energy or protein bars can be loaded with extra calories and way too much added sugar. Making your own bars can be even more delicious and healthier options without all those unnecessary ingredients.
Sugars are carbohydrates and they are the preferred energy source for our cells. Insulin is a hormone that acts as a key to opening the door for carbohydrates to enter our cells. Research has shown that when we have too much added sugar in our diets, insulin becomes less effective, which means that the carbohydrates or sugars are staying in the bloodstream. This is a condition known as diabetes. When we make our own foods like energy bars as we have here, we can reduce the amount of added sugar we consume, which then reduces our risk of diabetes or other health complications.
To make these bars, start by mixing the applesauce, honey, cinnamon, and vanilla in a bowl. Toss the oats, nuts, and dried fruit into a food processor and blend until it is an even consistency. Add in your applesauce mixture and pulse together until everything is evenly blended. Line an 8x8x2 inch pan with parchment paper. Add the oat mixture to the pan and bake at 350F for about 20-30 minutes or until the edges begin to brown. Remove from the pan and slice into bars once they have cooled.
I love having homemade bars on hand for those days on the go or making them for those road trips when you know you’ll be looking for a yummy snack. Have you made your own energy bars before? Let us know what you think in the comments below!
- 2 cups of oats
- 1 cup of dried blueberries or dates
- 1 cup of almonds
- 1 cup of applesauce
- 1/3 cup of honey
- 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
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Mix applesauce, honey and optional cinnamon and vanilla in a bowl
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Toss oats, nuts and dried fruit to food processor, blend until it is an even, chunky consistency
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Add in applesauce mixture and pulse until evenly blended
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Line 8 x 8 x 2 inch pan with parchment paper
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Add oat mixture to pan
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Bake at 350F for 20 to 30 minutes or until the edges are brown
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Remove from pan and slice into bars
You will need parchment paper
Lilia Deterville
April 15, 2014 at 9:04 am (6 years ago)This is such an easy recipe! Didn’t know granola bars (healthy) were so easy to make. Will definitely give these a try. Thank you sharing!
Wendy
April 16, 2014 at 1:11 pm (6 years ago)thanks for tuning in! and def give them a shot. you may never buy granola bars again 😉
Janice
March 31, 2016 at 8:28 pm (4 years ago)Can fresh or frozen berries be used? Most dried are sugared which I can’t do. I use fake honey or school syrup as a sub for honey.
Wendy
April 1, 2016 at 12:27 am (4 years ago)You can but it may affect the texture. Check out Trader Joes for unsugared dried fruit 😉
Maryland
July 28, 2016 at 5:40 pm (4 years ago)What is a good substitute for the almonds?
I can’t eat nuts.
Wendy
July 28, 2016 at 6:46 pm (4 years ago)any seeds work well! (pumpkin, sunflower)
alicia
August 22, 2016 at 7:59 pm (4 years ago)there are no dates in the recipe? just checking because they’re in the photo of ingredients, right? thanks!
Wendy
August 23, 2016 at 4:46 pm (4 years ago)Hi! You can use any dried fruit (we explain in the video) We’ve done them with dates and they work great too 🙂
Jean sevey
August 25, 2016 at 2:11 am (4 years ago)You stated ,very softly that the nuts should be raw,not mentioned in the recipe . Are regular pecans ok ? Never saw raw pecans
Wendy
August 25, 2016 at 9:16 pm (4 years ago)Regular pecans totally fine!
Samantha
August 27, 2016 at 5:56 pm (4 years ago)Could I try it with frozen blueberries?
Wendy
August 29, 2016 at 8:41 pm (4 years ago)yes!
Samantha
August 30, 2016 at 2:50 am (4 years ago)Awesome thank you!
Andrea Miller
August 27, 2016 at 8:07 pm (4 years ago)I just made these and they are so very yummy! And I feel like I could use it as a base for other yummy bars (different fruits, nuts, etc). Highly recommend!!
Andrea Miller
August 28, 2016 at 8:39 pm (4 years ago)Is there any way to make these into crispy granola bars? I mean, I love them chewy but I also like crunchy bars too! Just curious.
Wendy
August 29, 2016 at 8:40 pm (4 years ago)Try cooking them for a bit longer? Might change the flavor though
Angie
August 30, 2016 at 9:57 am (4 years ago)is there any substitute for the applesauce?
Wendy
August 30, 2016 at 2:20 pm (4 years ago)yes you can use bananas- 1/2c applesauce can be swapped for 1 banana- results may vary though depending on what kind of recipe you’re doing.
Mariechristine
September 4, 2016 at 11:34 am (4 years ago)How many calories are these?
Wendy
September 6, 2016 at 7:49 pm (4 years ago)sorry! we don’t do nutrient calculations because it’s so time consuming to do it accurately.
Lola
May 31, 2017 at 4:39 pm (3 years ago)I made these with dates and they were phenomenal! This was the push I needed to purchase your cookbook. It’ll be here tomorrow! 🙂
Wendy
June 5, 2017 at 3:41 am (3 years ago)aww yay that’s awesome! please review the book if you love it when you get a chance! xo
Rebecca
June 25, 2018 at 5:24 pm (2 years ago)Just wanted to mention that you should really use parchment paper instead of wax paper for baking. Wax paper can melt wax into your food and can even ignite in the oven! OK to wrap the cooled bars in wax paper later, though.
https://www.marthastewart.com/269281/parchment-vs-wax-paper
Wendy
June 29, 2018 at 2:09 am (2 years ago)Thanks for the tip!
Ayanfe
July 12, 2018 at 7:09 am (2 years ago)Will it come out okay if i blend the dates into a paste and use instead of honey?
Wendy
July 12, 2018 at 1:17 pm (2 years ago)We haven’t tried that but I don’t see it coming out insanely different- maybe just a little chunkier
Kate
August 25, 2018 at 9:56 pm (2 years ago)Hello! Can I leave them in the cabinet wrapped in parchment paper or sealed in plastic wrap? If so, what is the shelf life. I know I can freeze the left over bars, but am just curious because I probably won’t finish a batch right away.
Wendy
August 30, 2018 at 1:21 pm (2 years ago)Hey! I would recommend refrigerating for storage
Bea
January 14, 2019 at 10:15 pm (1 year ago)Are you using unsweetened dried blueberries? Sorry if that’s a dumb question… 😉
Wendy
January 15, 2019 at 2:02 pm (1 year ago)That’s correct! Any dried fruit will work for this