Healthier Blueberry Jam Bars
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These blueberry jam bars are soft, sweet, and bursting with fruity flavor. They have a hearty cookie-like base, a thick layer of juicy blueberry jam in the middle, and a dusting of oat crumble on top. They're an easy-to-make dessert or snack, and they're ready in just an hour!
For more delicious blueberry baked goods, try our paleo blueberry muffins and our lemon blueberry pancakes!
These blueberry jam bars are our favorite summer dessert by far! A thick layer of juicy blueberry jam is sandwiched between a hearty cookie-like crust and streusel topping, then baked until golden. They're easy to make vegan or gluten-free, and they come together in just a few easy steps (no baking experience required)!
Ingredients needed
These healthier oatmeal blueberry bars are filled with good-for-you ingredients! Here's what goes into the oat crumble:
- Butter + coconut oil: a combination of butter and coconut oil helps the crumble stick together while keeping it crispy, light, and flavorful. Use a dairy-free butter alternative if needed.
- Honey: we use a runny honey as a sweetener but you can also use maple syrup to keep these bars vegan.
- Rolled oats: regular rolled oats give the crumble a hearty texture. You can also use quick oats or gluten-free rolled oats if needed.
- All-purpose flour: a bit of all-purpose flour gives the crumble topping a cookie-like quality. Use a gluten free all-purpose flour if needed.
- Sugar: we use a granulated sugar but you can substitute for light brown sugar or coconut sugar if desired.
- Sea salt: sea salt enhances all the amazing flavors!
Here's everything you need for the blueberry jam filling:
- Blueberries: we love using fresh blueberries in the summer when they're in season, otherwise frozen blueberries work great.
- Sugar or honey: use regular granulated sugar or honey as a natural alternative.
- Cornstarch: cornstarch helps the blueberry juice thicken into a jam-like consistency.
- Lemon juice + zest: fresh lemon juice and zest adds brightness and a subtle citrus pop that marries so well with the sweet blueberries.
How to make blueberry jam bars
These blueberry crumble bars are a delicious dessert or snack that goes great with a cup of tea. They're also simple to make by following a few easy steps:
- While your oven preheats, melt the butter and coconut oil then add the honey.
- Stir together the oats, flour, sugar, and sea salt in a large bowl. Pour in the butter mixture, mix well, and set some aside for the topping. Place the remaining mixture into your baking pan, and press it down firmly to form the crust.
- Make the blueberry jam by simmering the ingredients until they thicken.
- Pour the jam over the crust, sprinkle with the remaining oat mixture, and bake until bubbly and golden brown on top.
- Let the jam bars cool and then cut them into squares. Enjoy!
Are these blueberry jam bars healthy?
We can't exactly call these blueberry jam bars āhealthy' but they are a healthier take on the original recipe. Here are the three tweaks we made:
- We doubled the blueberries making these bars loaded with juicy superfood.
- More oats, less flour. Adding more oats gives these bars a higher ratio of complex carbohydrates which is great news for your blood sugar!
- We use honey in the jam as a natural sweetener, and the bars can be made with coconut sugar (if you desire), which makes them lower in refined sugar.
If you love healthy blueberry recipes, also check out these:
What to serve with blueberry jam bars
These blueberry jam bars make a delicious dessert with a scoop of vanilla coconut ice cream or whipped cream. They also make a great afternoon snack, and we've even been known to enjoy one with our morning almond butter latte as a quick breakfast on-the-go!
Recipe FAQs
How long do these bars keep at room temperature?
These blueberry jam bars will keep at room temperature in an airtight container for about 2 days, or in the fridge for up to 5 days. They taste great cold but can also be reheated in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for a few minutes.
Can I use other berries?
Yep! Other berries like fresh raspberries and blackberries make a great substitute for blueberries. Use one type of berry or try a mix!
Can I use blueberry jam instead?
No, the fresh blueberry filling is really the highlight of this dessert and using jam won't work because it's too thick.
Healthier Blueberry Jam Bars Recipe
Ingredients
The Oat Crumble
- Ā½ cup butter
- Ā¼ cup coconut oil
- Ā¼ cup honey
- 1 Ā½ cups rolled oats
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (sub gluten-free, if needed)
- Ā½ cup sugar (can use coconut sugar)
- A pinch of sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line an 8Ć8 inch baking pan with parchment paper. In a small pot, melt the butter and coconut oil. Pour the honey into the pot.Ā½ cup butter, Ā¼ cup coconut oil, Ā¼ cup honey
- In a large mixing bowl, add the rolled oats, all-purpose flour, sugar, and sea salt. Pour the melted butter into the bowl (keep the pot handy) and mix well. Set aside 1 cup of the mix and pour the rest into the prepared baking pan. Press down firmly to create the crust.1 Ā½ cups rolled oats, 1 cup all-purpose flour, Ā½ cup sugar, A pinch of sea salt
- In the same pot used for the butter, add all the blueberry jam ingredients. Bring to a boil over high heat then reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 2 minutes, or until the jam thickens. It won't be as thick as jam from your fridge.3 cups fresh blueberries, Ā¼ cup sugar or honey, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, Juice and zest of 1 lemon
- Pour the jam over the crust and sprinkle the top with the remaining oats you set aside. Bake in your oven for 40 minutes.
- Let the blueberry jam bars cool in the pan and then remove them with the parchment paper and cut them into 12-16 bars.
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
For more inspiration, check out all of our dessert recipes!
There is way too much butter/oil in this recipe. The flavors are good but the bars were greasy and I even added more flour when I saw how wet the batter was after adding the honey butter and coconut oil. I recommend using just half a stick of butter and 1/4 c coconut oil. Iāll try that next time. I had blueberry jam on hand so I canāt comment on that aspect of the recipe, just the crust and topping. I may also add a bit of cinnamon and sugar on the crust next time. I also think you could easily cut back on the coconut sugar because the honey sweetened the crust nicely.
Everything about these was amazing!
Thank you for this recipe. I did do a few changes. Had to put in an extra cup of quick oats. Plus I made blueberry chia jam using frozen berries no sugar or cornstarch. Used half the amount of coconut sugar. Spelt flour instead of white flour. Ā
Thatās great, Angela! Thank you for the comment!
Thank you for the comment, Angela!
I have no idea what I did wrong but these just came out a big runny, wet, but delicious mess! LOL they are definitely not bars, mine came out more like a blueberry crisp so we’re just eating it with a spoon. I double checked my measurements a hundred times and I don’t think I did anything wrong so I’m not sure what happened! But they are still delicious.
It’s hard to say for sure what went wrong. My guess is that the blueberry jam didn’t reduce and thicken enough so that it was runny when poured over the crust. I’m happy that you were able to enjoy it as a blueberry crisp!
This looks wonderful and I want to make it without first making my own blueberry jam. How many ounces of blueberry jam should I use?
I should have measured how much jam there was! If I were to guess, I’d say you’d need about 1 – 1 Ā½ cups of jam.
Love these bars! So nice to have a healthier way to make them. Will be making them again!
I’m so happy you liked them!!
Just made this and we loved it. I only put a bit of honey in the crust, skipped sugar as we dont like things too sweet. It was absolutely delicious, it is now in my favourites folder. Thank you!!! ?
I’m so happy you liked the recipe! And so good to know it works well with less sugar!
I love blueberries – it sounds like almost as much as you do! I like to pick a ton, and nosh of them for days, then eventually bake them into something fantastic. these bars sound like just the right thing. IOve the thickness of the blueberry layer. Yum. I have to say, though, 35 degrees is pretty cold oven š
Oh man … that would be like cooking them on the counter top. Thanks for pointing that out! ?
Hi. I cannot use oatmeal.. Have you ever tried this with quinoa flakes?
Thanks for your help
I’ve honestly never cooked or baked with quinoa flakes so I’m not sure how they work. I would suggest referencing a recipe that uses them and them making the modifications with this recipe. This recipe is pretty flexible so you’ll be able to work with it pretty easily. I hope that helps!
Absolutely love these bars Kristen! That’s one of the biggest things I miss about Van is the fresh blueberries and fruit. I’d give my right arm for a Kins!!!!!
These bars are gorgeous and love that you’ve made them healthier!
Aren’t BC blueberries the best? I wish I could send you some of these bars so you could get your fix!