Healthy blueberry flapjacks are chewy oat bars with delicious jammy blueberries through the centre. Flapjacks with fresh blueberries are easy to make, gluten-free and lower in sugar and fat than most flapjack recipes.
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What you'll love about the recipe
- Made with wholegrain oats, these healthy blueberry flapjacks are satisfying and good for you.
- Sweet blueberries make these very popular with children and they are a great choice for lunchboxes and after-school snacks. They also make delicious energy bars for adults! Or even breakfast bars...
- This easy traybake recipe is quick and simple to make. There's just 5 ingredients and 10 minutes prep time.
- Gluten-free, egg-free, nut-free and can also be made vegan.
Ingredients
Oats. Porridge or rolled oats work best in this recipe. Use certified gluten free oats to make gluten free blueberry flapjacks.
Bananas add sweetness and help to stick the flapjacks together. It's not very dominant in flavour, but if you don't want to use banana you can switch it for unsweetened applesauce.
Honey. There's only 2 tablespoons of honey in the whole recipe but it adds just enough sweetness alongside the fruit. You can substitute maple syrup if you prefer.
Butter. Or you can use vegan butter or coconut oil for vegan blueberry oat bars.
Blueberries. You'll need fresh blueberries for this recipe. Frozen blueberries will add too much liquid and you'll end up with soggy flapjacks.
(Got some blueberries left over - you might like these coconut flour blueberry muffins, or healthy blueberry muffins made with spelt flour!)
Variations
You can also make these flapjacks with other fresh fruit - see strawberry flapjacks recipe
How to make healthy blueberry flapjacks
Line the base of a 20cm by 20cm baking tray with baking paper. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees (160 fan).
Gently melt the butter and honey together in a pan over a low heat.
Meanwhile, mash the bananas in a bowl until the texture is quite smooth. Stir in the melted butter and honey.
Add the oats to the mixture and stir together.
Spoon half of the mixture into the lined baking tin and firm down with the back of a spoon.
Sprinkle over the blueberries, spreading them over the whole surface.
Top with the remaining flapjack mixture and firm down again.
Bake for 30 minutes. The cooked blueberry flapjacks should be lightly golden and set.
Cool in the tin, then remove and cut into 12 squares or bars.
Expert tips
- Remove the butter and honey from the heat as soon as they are melted otherwise the mixture could turn to sticky caramel.
- Ripe bananas are better as they will add more natural sweetness to the recipe.
- Leave the flapjacks to cool in the tin so that they set firmly and don't fall apart.
- If you are really pushed for time, try these no-bake flapjacks!
Serving and storage
Blueberry flapjacks are quite robust so they are great snack bars for picnics and lunchboxes. And as they are healthy and low in added sugar, they are a great at any time of day, including a breakfast bar on the run. (If you think about it, these oat bars are no less healthy than a bowl of porridge with blueberries and honey!)
I store fresh blueberry flapjacks in the fridge - they'll keep for 3 or 4 days. You can also freeze them in an airtight container.
Frequently asked questions
This healthy blueberry flapjack recipe has just 146 calories. It is lower in calories than a traditional flapjack recipe as there is much less sugar and fat.
Like most fruits, blueberries contain natural sugars, which is why they taste so sweet and delicious. However, these natural sugars which are combined with fibre in the berries have much less effect on your blood sugar levels, and are therefore healthier.
Other healthy flapjack recipes
I love healthy flapjacks, and there are a lot of alternative flapjack recipes on Cinnamon and Kale. They are an easy gluten-free traybake, and with wholegrain oats and much lower levels of sugar and butter, they are a healthy choice.
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Recipe
Healthy Blueberry Flapjacks
Equipment
- 20 x 20cm baking tin
- baking paper
- saucepan
- mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 60 g butter or can use vegan butter or coconut oil
- 2 tablespoon honey
- 2 ripe bananas
- 240 g porridge oats
- 125 g blueberries
Instructions
- Line a 20x20cm baking tray with baking paper. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees (160 fan).
- Gently melt the butter and honey together in a saucepan over low heat. Remove from the heat as soon as they have melted.
- Mash the bananas in a mixing bowl until smooth. Stir in the melted butter and honey.
- Add the oats and stir together to mix well.
- Spoon half of the mixture into the lined baking tray. Press down firmly with the back of the spoon which will help the flapjacks to hold together.
- Spread the blueberries evenly over the top of the mixture.
- Add the remaining half of the oat mixture on top of the blueberries. Spread the mixture over and press down.
- Bake for 30 minutes. The cooked flapjacks should be lightly golden and set.
- Leave to cool in the baking tray. Then remove and cut into 12 squares.
Notes
- Ripe bananas are better as they will add more natural sweetness to the recipe.
- Leave the flapjacks to cool in the tin so that they set firmly and don't fall apart.
Nutrition
Please note nutritional information is per serving and is provided for guidance only.
Dawn says
Disappointed with result, chewy rather than crunchy. I tried this recipe as healthier than traditional flapjacks but I think it needs the butter and sugar for crunch and taste so I’m going back to Mary berry’s next time.
Wendy Faulkner says
Hi, these flapjacks are chewy rather than crunchy. You can bake them for slightly longer at a slightly higher oven temperature for a little more crunch if you'd prefer, but they are never going to be an exact match for a buttery, sugary flapjack.
Heather Stride says
Hi can you freeze these?
Wendy Faulkner says
Hi, yes you can. Wrap them well and defrost at room temperature.
Phil says
How long do they keep for?
Wendy Faulkner says
Hi, they'll keep for 3 or 4 days. Store them in the fridge as they contain fresh fruit.
Fiona says
Can I use peanut butter instead of coconut oil??
Wendy Faulkner says
Hi, yes you can. I use peanut butter as a substitute for oil in a few of my recipes.
Alex says
Hi, how much applesauce should I use as a substitute for bananas? Thanks!
Wendy Faulkner says
Great question thank you. Use 240ml of applesauce (one measuring cup full) in place of two bananas.
immi says
Hi can i use olive oil instead of butter?
Wendy Faulkner says
Hi yes you can. Substitute 50ml of olive oil in place of the butter in the recipe. Of course you won't need to melt the olive oil so you can simply stir the flapjack ingredients together.