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Blackberry Breakfast Bars Recipe

27 Comments

The BEST healthy breakfast bar! These make-ahead breakfast bars are not only delicious, they’re really healthy and filling! Whip these blackberry and bean breakfast bars up in your blender for a winning family breakfast.

The BEST make-ahead breakfast bars! Healthy and delicious - with a hidden veggie!

I love everything about this recipe. I also love that all its descriptors start with “B”: blackberry and bean breakfast bars made in a BLENDER and then baked. Bam!

These breakfast bars are definitely becoming a regular around here. Why?

  • Packed with good stuff (including beans!)
  • No refined sugar
  • An easy make-ahead breakfast
  • They taste like dessert (without all the bad stuff)
  • Blackberries!!

I grew up in the Pacific Northwest, where blackberries are plentiful. You just stop your car and pick them by the side of the road. Oh how I love blackberries!

Kids love these healthy breakfast bars!
Wait, what? beans?

Though blackberries steal the show, beans are behind the scenes doing some seriously great work. I have become convinced that you can add beans to almost anything for a boost of nutrition and extra moisture. They hide so well!

My inspiration for adding beans came from one of my favorite treats: black bean brownies. If beans could be added to brownies to make them moist and delicious, why not these bars?

Breakfast bars with hidden nutrition -- beans!

What’s the result? A cinnamon-y breakfast bar base that is to die for! With no raw eggs, I may have even tasted the batter… and it was amazing!

Beans are an amazing source of protein and fiber for satiety and heart healthy. They also help balance this meal out by adding some vegetable protein.

Plus, they make the bars extra dreamy. They’re anything but dry and oh-so-filling. And you can’t even tell they’re there — promise!

The black bean brownie's cousin: blackberry bean breakfast bars... and they're to die for!
Healthy breakfast bars

These bars will give you and your family a great start to your day!  What makes these breakfast bars healthy?

  • High in fiber: beans, blackberries, oats, and chia seeds so you stay full and regular.
  • Lots of protein and iron for slow-burning energy and alertness.
  • A little maple syrup, applesauce, and blackberries for a healthier sweetness.
  • Plus, blackberries have lots of vitamin C for growth and healing.
You'd never know there are beans in these delicious breakfast bars!

With so many healthful ingredients, you really can’t go wrong! And trust me, these breakfast bars taste amazing – your kids will gobble them up with no clue that they’re eating something so healthy!

Blackberry and bean breakfast bars Recipe

First, you need to prepare a blackberry “jam.” Don’t worry, no stove-top slaving required. We’re making a no-cook chia jam.

Crunchy almonds and oats top these healthy breakfast bars.

Simply mash 1 6-oz container of blackberries with a fork and stir in 1 tablespoon of chia seeds and 1 tablespoon of maple syrup. I recommend using a high-rimmed bowl because the blackberries tend to squirt (and stain!). Set this mixture aside to congeal a bit.

Now preheat your oven to 325* F and grease an 8×8 inch baking dish. I used coconut oil but you could use spray or butter.

The bean and oat mixture is quickly mixed in a blender.

Next, pour in 1/2 cup applesauce, 1/4 cup melted coconut oil (or butter), 2 tablespoons maple syrup (or honey), 1 cup rolled oats, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/4 teaspoon salt into a blender or food processor.

Rinse and drain a can of cannellini beans or great northern beans, then throw those into the blender as well. If you’re measuring home cooked beans, you need about 1 1/3 cup of beans.

Blackberry breakfast bars with BEANS in them!?

Blend this mixture until it’s smooth. If your blender has a hard time (like mine), then scrape the sides. If you’re really desperate, you can add a tiny bit of applesauce or water to help it along.

Now add 1/2 cup of slivered almonds. You can either mix these in for a bit more texture or blend them up – or anything in between.

Time to Layer the bars

Pour 2/3 of this blender mixture into your greased 8×8 pan. You’ll want about a cup of mixture set aside to put on top later. Smooth the mixture out with a spatula.

A delicious layer of chia seed blackberry jam.

Next, grab the jam and carefully pour it over the smoothed mixture. Try to spread it evenly, but it doesn’t need to be perfect.

Finally, drop teaspoonfuls of the remaining blender mixture evenly across the top of the blackberry jam. The mixture won’t perfectly cover the jam, it’s meant to be more of a crumble on top. If desired, sprinkle a few pinches of slivered almonds and/or oats on top to make it pretty.

Bake for 30 minutes at 325* F. The blackberry mixture toward the middle will still look a little wet, but that’s okay.

Healthy breakfast bars that taste like dessert!

Now cool the bars on the counter for at least an hour before cutting so they have time to set. Ideally, refrigerate these overnight for really solidified bars.

Favorite healthy make-ahead breakfast

This is definitely my family’s new favorite make-ahead breakfast. It’s simple enough for everyday, but scrumptious enough for a special morning too.

The perfect make-ahead breakfast for a special occasion!

We hope you love these healthy breakfast bars! What’s your favorite healthy make-ahead breakfast?

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3.8 from 78 votes

Blackberry Breakfast Bars

The BEST healthy breakfast bar! These make-ahead breakfast bars are not only delicious, they’re really healthy and filling! Whip these blackberry and bean breakfast bars up in your blender for a winning family breakfast.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Servings: 9 servings
Calories: 240kcal

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup blackberries
  • 1 tablespoon chia seeds
  • 3 tablespoon maple syrup, pure
  • 15 ounce cannellini (white kidney) beans, canned
  • 1/2 cup applesauce, unsweetened
  • 1/4 cup coconut oil
  • 1 cup oats, dry
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup almonds, sliced

Instructions

  • In a medium bowl, squish a 6 ounce package of blackberries with a fork. Stir in 1 tablespoon chia seeds and 1 tablespoon of the maple syrup (the rest will be used later). Set this blackberry jam aside to congeal.
  • Grease an 8 x 8 inch baking dish and preheat the oven to 325* F.
  • Rinse and drain a 15 ounce can of white beans (cannellini or great northern). Add them to a blender or large food processor.
  • To the blender or food processor, also add: 2 tablespoons of maple syrup, applesauce, melted coconut oil (or butter), rolled oats, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Blend until a batter forms.
  • Add 1/2 cup of almonds and blend until combined, or just mix in if you want added texture.
  • Pour 2/3 of the blender bean mixture into the prepared 8 x 8 inch pan. Spread it out evenly. You’ll want about 1 cup of batter set aside.
  • Pour the blackberry jam on top of the bean layer and carefully spread evenly.
  • Drop small spoonfuls of the set aside bean batter on top, covering evenly. Not all the blackberry jam will be covered and that’s okay. Optional: sprinkle extra almonds or oats on top for texture.
  • Bake for 30 minutes at 325* F. Allow to cool to room temperature and then refrigerate overnight. Cut into nine squares and serve cold.

Nutrition

Calories: 240kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Sodium: 208mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 6g
Keyword : bars, blackberries, dairy free, vegetarian

www.superhealthykids.com

Food & Drink | Blackberry and Bean Breakfast Bars | Super Healthy Kids

Natalie Monson

I'm a registered dietitian, mom of 4, avid lover of food and strong promoter of healthy habits. Here you will find lots of delicious recipes full of fruits and veggies, tips for getting your kids to eat better and become intuitive eaters and lots of resources for feeding your family.

Learn More about Natalie

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Recipe Rating




27 Comments

My kids aren’t HUGE fans of blackberries would this recipe work with another type of berries like strawberries or blueberries?

Hi Emily, I haven’t tried it without chia seeds, but I think you could replace them with flax meal. Or you could boil the blackberries on the stove with the maple syrup and some gelatin for a bit to help it congeal. Basically, you just don’t want the blackberry “jam” to be too wet and make the bars soggy.

Good question – I haven’t doubled it so I can’t be sure, but I would assume it would take longer (and you’d cook it in a 9×13? so the thickness would change). Check it after 30 minutes, and if it doesn’t seem done yet add 5 more minutes as many times as needed I would think around 40 minutes.

Wow these are great, I did them with cashews and added back a hemp protein power and a touch of water to help blend better. Awesome.

Hi Shelby, it happens to all of us! What kind of beans did you buy? If it’s another kind of white bean (like navy or great northern) you can still use it in this recipe!

5 stars
I made the filling out of strawberries (i cooked it to make a “jam”). My kids gobbled this up. It was so soft and absolutely delicious!

5 stars
Oh my sweet eight pound, six ounce baby Jesus. These are amazing. And I didn’t even make them per recipe. I subbed red kidney beans (I didn’t have any white prepped), and ended up needing to add some coconut milk so my vitamix could blend the batter, so it ended up more like baked oatmeal, but the results were still scrumptious! I’ll make these with the food processor next time, but let me tell y’all these are fantastic. Toddlers loved them, but probably not as much as hubs and I. 😀 Thanks for yet another wonderful recipe!

5 stars
This is amazing! I was at the store yesterday and they had 11oz containers of blackberries on clearance for $1.99. I’ve never seen them that cheap. I bought 4! I ate one and thought how can I eat all of them before they go bad. I found your recipe and made it last night. Put it in the fridge and just ate my first piece. OMG it’s sooooo Good! I didn’t have any beans, but I’ll get a can for the next time I make this. Thank you for the yummy recipe!

These look amazing, is there anything I can substitute the almonds with? We have a nut allergy in our home

5 stars
Wow ..sooo good. Thank you!! I’m here on Vancouver Island with an abundance of blackberries growing everywhere free for the picking. Will share your delicious healthy recipe widely. I pressed extra berries into the top before baking which worked well too.