Healthy Blueberry Crumble Bars

4.06

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Healthy blueberry crumble bars made with wholesome ingredients and fresh berries. You’ll love juicy blueberry flavor paired with the sweet oatmeal crumble crust and topping!

I have been on such a blueberry kick this summer. I guess that’s what happens when your husband goes blueberry picking and brings home pounds on pounds of fresh blueberries. We actually let the berries sit out on the counter for about 24 hours, grabbing handfuls whenever we felt like it. Then I decided to turn a few into a healthy treat and ended up with these healthy blueberry crumble bars.

Stack of four blueberry crumble bars.

Goodness gracious, I’m so glad I did because I’m not kidding when I say that these little bars turned out to be one of the best things I’ve made all summer!!

They’re filled with sweet blueberry goodness, have a delicious crumble topping and taste sooo good. Plus they cut and hold together really well… as long as you let them cool before removing them from the baking pan. <– I know it’s crazy hard to wait for baked goods to cool, but it’s imperative for this recipe.

A square glass baking dish with blueberry crumble bars cut into 9 squares. A spatula, dish cloth, and blueberries are around the dish.

Seriously I can’t get over how good these are. I served them to Isaac and his brother for breakfast and they loved them! I had one for breakfast and one as a pre-workout snack two days in a row. They’re good warm, but I honestly like them even better cold straight from the fridge!

Fresh or Frozen Berries

I love making these blueberry crumble bars with fresh and juicy seasonal blueberries, but frozen should definitely work just as well if you don’t have fresh berries on hand.

Close up of blueberry crumble bars sliced in a pan. The bars are topped with an oat and hemp crumble.

They’re definitely a treat because they do have a bit of sugar, but they’re also loaded with good-for-you ingredients like fresh blueberries, coconut oil, oats and hemp hearts so you can feel good about indulging.

Side by side photos of the oat crumble for the bottom of the blueberry bars. The second photo is of a spatula spooning the blueberry mixture onto the crust.

I’ve used hemp hearts in recipes here on EBF before, but just in case some of you are new to them, hemp hearts are raw, shelled hemp seeds.

Here’s what I love about these little seeds: 

  1. They taste great — they have a nutty flavor and soft texture almost like a pine nut.
  2. They’re easy to use — you can sprinkle them on smoothies, salads, cereal or yogurt, eat them on their own or add them to recipes.
  3. They’re really good for you — Hemp Hearts are a complete protein. Per serving hemp hearts contain 10g of easy to digest protein and 10g of omega-3 + 6 fatty acids. They also have a good amount of magnesium, fiber and iron.

A square glass baking dish with blueberry crumble bars cut into 9 squares. A dish cloth is around the dish.

Like I mentioned, the bars are good at room temperature, but I think they’re best cold. If you’re taking these somewhere to share I recommend letting them chill in the fridge a bit before serving.

Stack of blueberry crumble bars. Close up of the top of the bar with an oat and hemp seed crumble.

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4.06 from 18 votes

Healthy Blueberry Crumble Bars

These healthy blueberry crumble bars are made with fresh blueberries and have a delicious oat crumble crust and topping. They're vegan, gluten-free and the perfect summer treat!
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 12

Ingredients  

Crumble

Blueberry Filling

  • 2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen
  • zest of one lemon
  • 2 Tablespoons water
  • 1 Tablespoon arrowroot powder or cornstarch

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a square (8x8) baking dish with parchment paper.
  • Add blueberries, lemon zest, water and arrowroot powder into a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to a simmer and stir constantly for about 3-5 minutes or until mixture has thickened and some of the blueberries have started to pop. Remove from heat and set aside.
    Blueberries in a large saucepan.
  • Combine oat flour, rolled oats, coconut sugar and sea salt in a medium mixing bowl.
    Dry ingredients for blueberry crumble bars in a mixing bowl.
  • Add coconut oil to the mixture and using your hands or a spoon combine mixture until it forms into a crumble.
    Dry ingredients for blueberry crumble bars in a mixing bowl.
  • Measure out ⅔ cup of the oatmeal crumble mixture for the topping into small bowl and stir in the hemp hearts.
    Dry ingredients for blueberry crumble bars in a mixing bowl.
  • Add remaining oatmeal crumble mixture to the prepared baking dish and evenly press into down using your hands to form the crust.
    One layer of blueberry crumble bar in a square baking pan.
  • Pour blueberry filling on top of your crust.
    Blueberries on top of one layer in a square baking pan for the blueberry crumble bars.
  • Sprinkle the oatmeal + hemp crumble on top.
    The blueberries topped with the crumble part in a square baking pan for the blueberry crumble bars.
  • Bake for 35-40 minutes until the bars are golden brown on top and the blueberry filling is bubbling and sticking to the edges of the pan. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely. Be patient, if you don’t let them cool before removing them from the pan they will fall apart.
  • Once cool, cut into 12 bars and enjoy right away or chill in the fridge before serving. I personally like the bars chilled, after they've been in the fridge for a bit.

Notes

Recipe adapted from these Raspberry and Pine Nut Bars.

Nutrition

Serving: 1bar | Calories: 178kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 9g | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 11g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: blueberry crumble bars
Did you make this recipe?Mention @eatingbirdfood and tag #eatingbirdfood!

This post is sponsored by Manitoba Harvest. As always, opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make EBF possible.  

About Brittany

Hey there, I’m Brittany, the creator of Eating Bird Food, cookbook author, health coach and mama of two littles. Here you’ll find quick and easy recipes that make healthy fun and enjoyable for you and your family!

More about Brittany
Chicken fajita filling on a sheet pan with a wooden spoon. Tortillas are resting on the bottom of the sheet pan.
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102 Comments

  1. I’ve been adding hemp seeds to smoothies a lot lately. I can’t wait to try these bars though! I think I will make them today!

  2. I would use it in yogurt, oatmeal, sprinkles on cereal, or just eat spoonfuls right out of the package.

  3. I’m from Manitoba (Canada) and just thought it was so cool that you were using one of our local products! Love your blog and your recipes 🙂

  4. I’ve never had hemp seeds before so I’d have to discover some new recipes, but this one looks like a great place to start!

  5. I love Hemp Hearts! Thanks for a good recipe that incorporates them into the batter rather than sprinkling on top (my usual protocol).

  6. My favorite use of hemp hearts is in brownies — they add a great nutty flavor! And when you add hemp protein…

  7. I would make these bars if I win them! They look so yummy. I wonder if they would work if you replaced half the brown rice flour with brown rice protein powder?

  8. These seriously look so great! I just started using hemp hearts and can’t get enough!

  9. I do add hemp hearts to smoothies, and I sometimes put them in my coffee grinder. I love to use them in no-bake energy bars with nut butter, honey and protein powder, and other add in’s. I love to sprinkle them before baking mac ‘n cheese! I love to use them in meat loaf!

  10. I am obsessed with hemp hearts! I eat them every day — on nut butter toast. I even sprinkled them on pasta last night!!

  11. Yum, blueberry bars are my favorite so I’ll have to try making a batch of these bars!

    I would put hemp seeds into smoothies and salads!

  12. My favorite way to eat hemp hearts is to slice up an apple (granny smith is my favorite) and press the apple slices into a pile of the hemp hearts. Delicious!

  13. I have had hemp protein before, but not hemp hearts!! I would make baked goods with them (like brownies), or make my own own nut butter with hemp, flax, and chia 🙂

  14. As a fan of yogurt, I’d love to add these to my daily one, or toss in a smoothie, or granola bar recipe!

  15. They look great. But I must tell all that once you heat the blue berries their is no nutrition left so this is truly a dessert

  16. I discovered your blog a few days ago and I can’t stop going through every entry, I love it!!
    Thank you for the giveaway 😀

  17. There are so many recipes that call for hemp hearts that I am dying to try from salad dressings, to smoothies, to baked goods. I have to have some!

  18. I would love to make these blueberry bars with hemp seeds! I use them in smoothies, and in granola bar recipes frequently.

  19. I LOVE hemp seeds!!! I sprinkle them on everything… salads, smoothie bowls, soups, you name it. I love how it adds crunch and protein 😀

  20. I love using hemp seeds in place of nuts when I make pesto and right now my basil plant is overflowing! I need to make a few batches before fall time.

  21. I’ve never tried hemp hearts, so I’d try them in some oats or a smoothie first. Thanks for the giveaway!

  22. First I’d make these bars – they look delicious! Then, I’d use the hearts on yogurt & smoothies 🙂

  23. Earlier this summer I was looking to make a recipe EXACTLY like this. Sweet and satisfying, but healthy too, BUT I couldn’t find one. I think there are berries still at the market to get a batch of these going before the season ends. Brittany, these are PERFECT! xx

  24. Our team supervisor at work is vegan. So for our team meeting, I decided to make the Blueberry Hemp Crumble Bars. I had all the ingredients in my kitchen except for the brown rice flour, but I had almond flour so I used this as a substitute. Other then this change, I followed the recipe exactly.

    Our team supervisor really enjoyed the bars as well as our non-vegan team members. In fact there were no left overs by the time the meeting ended. I got wonderful compliments on the dish.

    You may even get a few new followers since I posted a picture of the finished product on Facebook and some of my friends asked for the recipe. I did credit you and told them to go to your site to get the recipe.

    Thank you Brittany!!

  25. I made these to give to a friend and they were excellent! She loved them too. Thanks for the recipe.

  26. In the Healthy Blueberry Crumble could you swap hemp seeds for Chia seeds? If so, do the Chia seeds need to soak first and what would the substitution ratio be for this recipe? Thank you!

    1. Hey Crista! You can swap the hemp seeds for chia seeds. No need to soak them prior and you can use 2 Tablespoons!

  27. 5 stars
    We swapped the hemp seeds with Chia seeds and these crumble bars were a HUGE hit. Gone within 36 hours with only our family of 4 eating them.Not sure what this says about our family, but the blueberry crumble bars were delicious.

    1. Ahh yay!! I think that just says they were a hit with your family and I’m so happy to hear that. 🙂 Thanks for trying my recipe and for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. I really appreciate it!

  28. 5 stars
    This was my FAVORITE dessert I’ve ever made and what a plus that it’s healthy! The whole pan is gone and I just made them today (the family loved it)!

    1. Ahh that makes me so happy to hear, Carly!! I’m so glad these crumble bars were a hit. 🙂 Thanks for trying them and again for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. I so appreciate it!

    1. Hey Hannah. You could certainly try it with the dried blueberries but I’m nots sure it would turn out because the juice from the berries helps to make the filling. If you’re looking for a recipe to use those dried berries, you could try my blueberry muffin energy balls. They’re SO good!!

    1. Frozen should work just fine, you might just need to cook them longer because the frozen berries will release more liquid.

  29. 5 stars
    Was excited to try this after making your blueberry crisp recipe recently. These are SO good! I love the hemp seeds. I didn’t have any lemons so substituted a tablespoon of lemon juice and it worked great. We’ve been eating them as a dessert with some dairy free ice cream. Yum!!

    1. Ahh that makes me so happy to hear, Alissa! I’m glad you enjoyed these bars. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment + star rating. The reviews are super helpful for other readers, so I appreciate it. 🙂

  30. I haven’t made these yet. They look delicious. Just had a quick question, can you sub the coconut sugar with monk fruit sweetener? And would the amount be the same?

    Thank you,

    Tina

    1. Hi Tina! Great question! I definteily think you can use monk fruit sweetener instead of the coconut sugar, but it’s hard to know if the amount would be the same. That said, if you’re using powdered or granulated monk fruit I would assume it’s a 1:1 sub! Always read the packaging to be sure.

  31. I want to make this, but am wondering where the cup of oat flour goes. I read and reread the instructions and cannot find it 😊

    1. Hey Debbie, I used one cup of oats to make oat flour and then you add it with the remaining crumble ingredients. 🙂

  32. 5 stars
    Wow wow wow!!!! Huge winner in our house! Love the simple recipe with only a few ingredients! Made them for a road trip and we al love them, they may not make it far. This may be my favorite EBF recipe to date. Thank you!

    1. Woo!! This makes me so happy to hear, Jennifer! I’m so glad everyone’s been loving these crumble bars! Thanks for the review. I so appreciate it!

    1. I bet that would work great, Carrie. You might have to bake them a little longer using frozen fruit, but let me know how it turns out for you.