Need an afternoon pick-me-up or a healthy breakfast idea? These Easy Blueberry Peanut Butter Bars are loaded with protein and have enough carbs to keep you going giving you that boost of energy you've been looking for.
Blueberry peanut butter energy bars are one of my favorites. First of all, when it comes to snacks this is where I always fall short of staying healthy. Or, where I try to not eat processed. The "grab and go" is just the easiest thing for me to do.
These are perfect for meal prepping a healthy snack. If you like these, then you will love my Flourless Banana Muffins!
Being a busy mother of 4 I always need an extra boost of energy. Incoming these healthy peanut butter bars. This snack contains a lot of protein and just the right amount of carbs for that added energy.
Table of contents
Ingredients for this healthy snack
You will need the following ingredients to make this recipe.
- peanut butter - I always use natural peanut butter. You can choose creamy or chunky for this recipe.
- pure maple syrup - a natural sweetener so no sugar is added.
- old fashioned oats - this is a bulk of these bites. I use 2 cups when making this recipe.
- blueberries - I LOVE how these berries taste in this recipe. They mix in perfectly and you can even add some extra on top for a burst of flavor.
- pistachios - shells removed and chopped up. You can buy them already in this condition so you don't have to peel each one and then chop them.
- chia seeds - I added chia seeds for their nutritional value.
- egg - whisked, acts as a binder keeping the ingredients together.
- baking powder - helps the bars rise and become lighter.
Directions
Step-by-step directions for this easy healthy breakfast idea!
Step 1 - Preheat oven to 350°. Line an 8 x 8-inch baking pan with parchment paper or cooking spray. If you use parchment paper lightly spray it with cooking spray and set aside. In a large mixing bowl combine peanut butter and maple syrup and mix well.
Step 2 - Stir in oats, blueberries, pistachios, chia seeds, egg, baking powder, and salt.
Step 3 -Spread mixture onto the prepared baking pan and press firmly and evenly. Top with more blueberries, if desired, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Until edges are browned and crispy.
Step 4 - Once cooked through remove from oven and let cool completely before removing from pan. Enjoy! You can eat these as they are or use them as a topping as you would with granola.
Substitutions and Variations
Here are some substitutions for some of the ingredients in case you happen to not have them on hand.
Peanut Butter - if you are allergic to peanut butter or just don't like the taste you can also use almond butter or soy nut butter instead.
Pure Maple Syrup - if you want to also use a natural sweetener, but don't have pure maple syrup you can also use honey here.
Old-Fashioned Oats - you can also use rolled oats here or even muesli. Muesli normally has oats in its mix along with dried fruit and added nuts and seeds so you will have those mixed in, but they just add to the bites.
Blueberries - if you aren't a fan of blueberries you can use another small berry like chopped strawberries, raspberries, or even blackberries.
Pistachios - If you don't have pistachios at home, choose another nut that is also full of protein. Walnuts and almonds are both great options.
Variations - I have added a scoop of my favorite protein powder to this recipe before for added protein and it has tasted just as amazing.
Cookware
You will need the following bakeware to make this healthy recipe.
8 x 8 inch square Non-stick baking pan - this is the size dish I make this recipe in. It will make 9 squares.
How can the kids help
I love including my kids in all of my cooking and baking and love to help. I even let my one-year-old in on the action. Here she is mixing the peanut butter and maple syrup. They can also help you mix the rest of the ingredients, as well!
Tips and FAQ's
So, you can either eat them as a bar or add them to a mason jar like granola and top it with plain Greek yogurt or cottage cheese.
If you find your bars are sticking to the pan use parchment paper.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week or in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days.
Other healthy snacks you will also LOVE
If you give this recipe a try don't forget to rate the recipe below! Always love hearing what you all think. You can also Stay in touch with me through social media on @Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook. Don't forget to tag me when you try one of my healthy recipes!
Blueberry Peanut Butter Bars
Equipment
- 8 inch baking pan
- mixing bowls
Ingredients
- 1 cup natural peanut butter
- ½ cup pure maple syrup
- 2 cups rolled oats or old fashioned oats uncooked
- ½ cup fresh blueberries extra blueberries to add on top
- ½ cup pistachios or walnuts or almonds chopped
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 large egg whisked
- 1 tbsp chia seeds
- coconut or avocado cooking spray
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° and line an 8 inch baking pan with parchment paper. Spray the parchment paper with cooking spray and set aside.
- In a large bowl combine peanut butter and pure maple syrup and mix well.
- Stir on oats, blueberries, nuts, salt, chia seeds, baking powder, and egg. Mix until well combined.
- Spread the mixture onto prepared baking pan and spread out into an even layer. I used a rubber spatula to help with this by pressing down on the top. Add additional blueberries on top, if desired. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until the outside begins to brown.
- Remove from oven and let cool completely before cutting into bars.
Notes
- Mix all the ingredients together.
- Add extra blueberries on top.
Nutrition
Jillian is the creator of Jillian's Healthful Eats. She is the one who cooks all the meals, develops all the recipes, takes all the photographs, and washes all the dishes! She is a very busy wife and mother of 4 who enjoys cooking with her children and instilling in them her love for health and nutrition!
I know this if off topic but I'm looking into starting my own blog and was curious what all is required to get set up? I'm assuming having a blog like yours would cost a pretty penny? I'm not very internet savvy so I'm not 100 sure. Any recommendations or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
Good Luck on your blog journey! Consistency is Key! The platform WordPress is also free to create your own blog. I hope you do well 🙂
They were not good. And the cook time was way too long.
Hi Sharley,
Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment. I’m sorry to hear the recipe didn’t turn out the way you’d hoped. I’ve made this one quite a few times myself and have found the cooking time to work well, but I understand that results can vary depending on ovens and ingredient brands. I really appreciate your feedback and hope you might give it another try sometime with a few adjustments that work better for you. Wishing you all the best in your cooking!
The recipe says oatmeal, cooked. Is that correct? I've never seen cooked oatmeal in a recipe, just raw.
Thanks
Hi Sue,
Thank you for pointing that out. It should be uncooked. I will fix that. I hope you enjoy them as they are one of my favorites to make 🙂
You put baking soda in the ingredient list, and Baking powder in the directions. I caught it too late, but hopefully they will turn out 🙂
Hi Elissa,
Whoops thank you for letting me know. I fixed it. It should have said baking powder all around. I hope you enjoyed them 🙂
Great soft peanut butter blueberry oatmeal bars! Not too sweet like some of the other recipes. I did like adding the extra 1/4 cup blueberries on top before baking. Frozen blueberries worked great (stirred them in last just in case it would make the whole batter bluish - it didn't.) Used honey instead of maple syrup and didn't have chia seeds. Thanks! When one batch was done, I made another after tasting to share with others.
Thank you so much Crystal! I’m so glad you enjoyed them 🙂