Blackberry Oatmeal Bars

These Blackberry Oatmeal bars have an extra buttery crust and are loaded with homemade blackberry jam! They’re so delicious and easy!

(This recipe was originally published in December of 2017, but I just updated it with fresh photos and more precise directions!)

These bars. Wow. Buttery, crunchy on the outside, deliciously smooth and gooey on the inside. These are the perfect crumbly, sticky sweet bars that will transport you back. To butter. And jam. And carbs. Aka all the good things in life.

I don’t know when people stopped eating jam on the reg for breakfast. I feel like for many past decades, people always ate eggs, toast (with butter and jam) and bacon for a healthy, hearty breakfast. Now people grab a cup of coffee and go. 

Or they make an upscale avocado toast (which don’t get me wrong, I love)….but I am nostalgic for the simplicity of toast and jam. Which is where these bars come in.

Why You’ll Love These Bars

I think the first time I made these for Benjamin is the first time he knew he loved me. Ha! They’re that good. 

They have such a tasty buttery crust, filled with brown sugar and rolled oats (that sounds like my love language). Inside, the filling of the blackberry jam just oozes out, getting all over your fingers but filling your heart up with so much love.

Did I mention the blackberry jam that you fill these with is completely homemade and only requires 3 ingredients?!?! Oh my gosh. It’s amazing and the perfect balance of sweet and tart. Get the full recipe for that deliciousness HERE.

I think the thing I like most about these bars is how versatile they are. Seriously, you want to eat one for breakfast? Do it! Pair it with a creamy cup of coffee and you’re set. 

Or hey, you’re hungry at 2 PM? Warm that baby up and eat it as a snack! Lastly (my fave), do you have a hankering for dessert at around 9 PM after Taco Tuesday? Okay, might as well heat one up and then add a dollop of vanilla ice cream. Why not!?

Ingredients you need for Blackberry Oatmeal Bars:

• old fashioned rolled oats
• all purpose flour
• salted butter
• baking powder
• blackberry jam
• brown sugar

How to make Blackberry Oatmeal Bars:

The deliciousness of these bars starts with simplicity: rolled oats, flour, a little salt, brown sugar and baking powder. Super easy. Mix these babies together in a large mixing bowl.

Next involves one of my favorite things: BUTTER. The salted kind. I made sure it was cold and cut it into small pieces. After that, I added it to the bowl of my dry ingredients and used my pastry cutter to incorporate them.

It may take some time but you want the butter to be fully incorporated into the dry mixture in almost pea sized crumbs. You can also mix the butter in with your hands.  There’s just something about getting your hands dirty while baking though, right?! Either way, make sure you get it mixed in super well. It should look something like this: 

Also – pro tip, you HAVE to use salted butter in this recipe. It gives it just the slightest salty-sweet vibe and it’s to die for. Salted butter plus the sweetness of the brown sugar and the blackberry jam. SO MUCH YUM.

Next, make sure you grease your pan (or you can use parchment paper!) and you place half of your mixture firmly patted down in the bottom of the pan. Add a few dollops of blackberry jam and spread it all over the oat mixture.

Then carefully add on the other half of the mixture and gently pat it to where it sets up. Place it in the oven, bake it for around 35-40 minutes and you’re done-zo!

Let the bars cool for at least 30 minutes or so before you slice them. 

Now you can sit back and enjoy one (or three) of these delightful little treats. Disclaimer: Make sure to have a napkin around – these babies sure are oooey gooey and sticky. Enjoy!

How to Store Bars: 

If you have any leftovers, store them in a tightly sealed tupperware container at room temperature. Warm one up in the microwave if desired as leftovers!

Did you like this recipe? Here are a few others you might like:

Zesty Lemon Blueberry Bread 

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread 

Carrot Cake Pancakes

Ricotta French Toast

Thank you so much for following along here, friends! Want to see more? Be sure to follow ourbalancedbowl on Instagram and tag me with your photo if you end up making a recipe! You can also post a photo of your recipe to the Our Balanced Bowl Facebook page! Like a recipe that you saw? Follow me on Pinterest here! I always love to see your re-creations! If you do make a recipe, it would make my whole day if you were to rate and comment so I can get your feedback! Lots of love! – Haylie