Easy Oatmeal Bars With Blueberry And Carrot To Share With The Kids

These healthy baked Oatmeal Bars are one of my favorite ways to serve up a lot of nutrients in an easy-to-eat format. The carrots blend into the batter so while you can see them, the aren’t an obvious texture distraction. The blueberries add some sweetness and vitamins. The combo of the two really adds such yummy flavor. We love these for snack time and also breakfast. I like to pair them with a toddler smoothie, yogurt for babies or toddlers, or cooked eggs. Or sometimes just water, depending on hunger levels. I often put half of the batch of oatmeal bars into the freezer to save for a future week—they freeze really well—and that helps us to be excited about eating them since we don’t have to eat them all at once. These are a yummy toddler meal or preschool snack, too. (You may also like my Banana Bars, Blueberry Date Bars, Peach Crumb Bars, and Healthy Breakfast Bars.)

Ingredients You Need

Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make these oatmeal bars so you know what to pick up at the store—or get out from the pantry. Sign up for our email updates to get tips and ideas sent to your inbox.

Quick or instant oats: You can also use regular rolled oats ground up in the food processor or blender so they’re a finer texture that blends in nicely with the batter. Whole wheat flour: A little flour in the mix helps the batter hold together. You can use all-purpose flour if that’s what you have on hand. Melted coconut oil or butter: Melt this, then let it cool for a minute or two so it’s not piping hot when you add it to the batter. Creamy unsweetened almond butter: You can use sunflower seed butter as needed for a nut allergy or peanut butter would work, too. Maple syrup: Honey will also work here (though avoid it for kids under age 1.) Grated carrot: I prefer to grate a whole carrot on a box grater for the finer texture versus using shredded carrots from the store, but both would work. Blueberries: If the berries are very large, I recommend cutting them in half with kitchen scissors. You can also use frozen blueberries. Egg: This is totally optional but makes the bars a little more cake-like than the slightly crunchy texture they have without an egg.

TIP: You can use regular all-purpose flour, gluten-free cup for cup, sunflower seed butter instead of almond butter, and honey instead of maple syrup. Lots of options!

Step-by-Step Instructions

Here’s a look at the basic process of making this oatmeal bar recipe so you know what to expect. Scroll down to the end of the recipe for the full information. TIP: I like to line the pan with parchment paper so the edges hang over the sides. This makes it easy to lift oatmeal bars out of the pan once the bars are baked, cooled, and ready to slice.

How to Store

Store oatmeal bars in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the fridge. Freeze for up to 3 months in a freezer bag with as much air removed as possible.

Best Tips for Success

Cool oatmeal bars fully before slicing to prevent the bars from crumbling when slicing. Find more healthy oatmeal recipes to try. Gluten-free: Use cup-for-cup gluten-free flour mix instead of whole wheat flour. Nut-free: Use sunflower seed butter instead of almond butter. Creamy unsweetened peanut butter (I like Teddies or Smuckers) should work in place of almond butter). You can use honey instead of maple syrup in these oatmeal bars. I prefer the texture of carrots that are grated at home on a box grater as they are finer than those you can buy at the store. Fresh blueberries work best in this recipe (frozen ones can cause the batter to seize up and be hard to press into the pan). If you have more blueberries to use after making oatmeal bars with them, try my Blueberry Banana Smoothie, Blueberry Popsicles, Blueberry Mini Muffins, and Blueberry Banana Bread.

I’d love to hear your feedback if you try this recipe. Please comment below and rate the recipe!