Blueberries are a nutritional powerhouse and one of my favorite fruits to bake with. See page 14 and 35 for proof! These easy squares are healthy enough to call breakfast. They’re made with whole wheat flour, oats, almonds, and sweetened with maple syrup. The thick oatmeal base is hearty and there’s enough blueberry filling to make pancakes jealous. I like to add a tart Granny Smith apple to offset the sweet blueberry filling.
Ingredients
Blueberry Filling
- 2 tbsp (15 g) cornstarch
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) warm water
- 2 cups (345 g) fresh blueberries (or frozen and unthawed)
- ¼ cup (80 g) pure maple syrup
- 1 tbsp (15 g) granulated sugar
- 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and thinly sliced
Oatmeal Base & Topping
- 2 cups (160 g) old-fashioned oats
- 0.33 cup (45 g) whole wheat flour
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 cup (250 g) almond butter
- ¼ cup (80 g) pure maple syrup
- ¼ cup (55 g) apple butter
- 1 egg, beaten
- ½ cup (50 g) sliced almonds
How to Make It
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Make the Blueberry Filling
- Mix the cornstarch with the warm water until all of the cornstarch has dissolved and there are no more clumps. It should resemble milk. Set aside. Combine the blueberries, maple syrup, and sugar together in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and stir well. Smash some of the blueberries down as you stir. Remove from the heat and stir in the pre-mixed cornstarch. Whisk until all the clumps are gone and set aside to thicken and cool.
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line an 8 x 8in baking pan with aluminum foil with enough overhang on the sides for easy removal. Set aside. Make the Oat Crust/Topping
- Combine the oats, whole wheat flour, cinnamon, almond butter, maple syrup, apple butter, and beaten egg in a large bowl. Mix until all of the oats are moistened and the mixture is thoroughly combined the mixture will be sticky. Reserve ½ cup and press the remaining oat mixture into the prepared baking pan. Make sure it is firmly pressed down.
- Spread the blueberry filling on top. Evenly layer the sliced apples on top of the blueberry filling. To the reserved ½ cup oat mixture, add the sliced almonds. Crumble this over the filling and, using the back of a spatula, press the topping down firmly into the filling. You want to make sure it sticks well.
- Bake for 25–30 minutes the topping will be lightly browned. Allow to cool for 30 minutes at room temperature. Transfer to the refrigerator and chill for 2 hours. Lift the foil out of the pan using the overhang on the sides and cut into squares. These squares will remain fresh stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Bars can be frozen up to 2 months.
