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5-Ingredient Blackberry Pie Bars (Gluten-Free, Vegan)

Vegan Blackberry Pie Bars with a shortbread crust, jammy blackberry filling and a delightful crumble topping make for an amazing dessert (or breakfast!). This 5-ingredient dessert recipe is so easy to make and always receives rave reviews!

White plate with a blackberry crumb bar and fresh blackberries to the side and a gold fork.

These vegan Blackberry Pie Bars are a riff off the Strawberry Oatmeal Bars I shared last month, because what can I say? We’re addicted.

You take one bite, and all of a sudden you’re three bars in. Fair warning!

Blackberry bars are just so rambunctious with their bright berry-blasted flavor, rich and buttery between the shortbread crust and the crumble topping, and oddly enough, when drizzled with glaze, they remind me of donuts.

You’ll just have to taste them to prove me wrong. 😉

Loved by all who try them, these easy oatmeal bars recipes are not only fun to make, but they are health-conscious enough to enjoy for breakfast. 

Just five basic ingredients, a square baking dish and zero baking experience is all you need to fabricate this delightful treat.

Plus, they are gluten-free, egg-free, dairy-free, involve minimal sugar, and can easily be made refined sugar-free.

slices of blackberry crumb bars on parchment paper with glaze drizzled on top.

Let’s discuss the five simple fresh ingredients needed for these blackberry oat bars.

Ingredients for Blackberry Pie Bars:

Blackberries: Fresh blackberries are cooked into a jammy filling mixture on the stove top with a touch of sweetener. This blackberry pie filling has a fresh and tangy flavor with a nice gooey texture with some pop from the blackberry seeds. When combined with the buttery oatmeal flavor from the crust and topping, these bars are simply irresistible. To mix up these blackberry breakfast bars, use different fruits such as blueberries, peaches, juicy strawberries, etc.

You can also use frozen blackberries instead of fresh blackberries if you don’t have access to fresh fruit.

Pure Maple Syrup or Cane Sugar: The sweetener for both the blackberry filling and the crust mixture! Use either pure maple syrup, cane sugar, maple sugar, coconut sugar, or sugar-free sweetener depending on your sweetener preference. You can also use brown sugar. 

Note that if you use pure maple syrup to sweeten the bars, you will need to add about 3 more tablespoons of flour to the crust to offset the addition of liquid.

Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour: A gluten-free flour blend is used in the crust and topping in combination with oats to create a flaky, delicious shortbread crust and crumble. It is also used to thicken the blackberry jam mixture, although you can also use corn starch or tapioca flour to thicken the filling as well. Use your favorite gluten-free blend or regular all-purpose flour. I use Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Baking Flour, but King Arthur and Pamela’s gluten free flour blends will work too.

If you’re looking for a grain-free recipe using almond flour, make my Paleo Blueberry Crumb Bars (replacing the blueberries with blackberries if desired).

Oats: Old fashioned rolled oats make these bars taste like everyone’s favorite breakfast and brings a light flakiness to the texture Plus, they taste healthy enough to eat for breakfast or snack in addition to dessert. As is the case with all of my recipes involving oatmeal, I use sprouted gluten free oats. For the best result, use old-fashioned oats for that lovely texture rather than using quick oats or instant oats.

Coconut Oil or Butter: The liquid and fat portion of the crust and topping mixture. Use melted coconut oil to keep the bars vegan or melted butter if you aren’t dairy-free. Either one produces a rich, naturally sweet and inviting flavor. Note that coconut oil is greasier than butter, so if you’re using butter, decrease the amount of flour you use to 1 cup. You can always add more if need be.

Sea Salt: A pinch of sea salt in both the blackberry filling and the crust ensures enhances all of the flavors in the bars and makes them taste sweeter without the need for extra sweetener.

Optional Additions:

For a sweeter bar that has a bit of a donut vibe, whip up a simple powdered sugar glaze using just 1 cup of powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons of water or lemon juice. 

If you prefer your desserts on the sweeter end, be sure you don’t skip the powdered sugar glaze, as the bars themselves are not remarkably sweet on their own.

Add ½ teaspoon of almond extract or 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract to either the glaze or the crust mixture if you have it on hand to add more warm buttery flavor.

Let’s bake a batch of fresh blackberry bars!

top down photo of a plate with a slice of blackberry crumb bar and slices on top of parchment paper

How to Make blackberry Oatmeal Bars:

Make the Crust & Topping:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line an 8” x 8” square baking dish with parchment paper.

The crust and topping are both made using the same ingredients, so thankfully, we stir once and use twice. In addition, there is no need to separate the dry ingredients from the wet ingredients – everything gets mixed at the same time.

Add all of the ingredients for the crust and topping to a large mixing bowl and stir well until everything is combined and a thick dough forms. The dough should be somewhat crumbly and not over oily. 

Measure out ½ cup of the mixture and set it aside for later to reserve as the crumble topping.

Transfer the remaining crust mixture to the parchment-lined prepared 8-inch pan and press it into an even layer.

Use a fork to poke several holes into the crust, allowing the crust to bake evenly.

Bake the crust for 15 to 20 minutes, or until it is just slightly golden brown.

Finished oatmeal bar crust in a baking dish.

Make the Blackberry Pie Filling:

While the crust is baking, prepare the blackberry pie filling mixture. To do so, transfer the blackberries, 2 tablespoons of water, and the granulated sugar (or pure maple syrup) to a saucepan. Cover the pan with a lid and heat it on the stove top over medium-high heat.

fresh blackberries in a saucepan

Allow the mixture to come to a full boil, stirring occasionally, and cook until the blackberries are very soft and much liquid is seeping out, about 8 to 10 minutes. Mash the blackberries using a spoon or fork until they reach your desired texture.

Stir in the gluten-free all-purpose flour (or tapioca flour or cornstarch) and continue cooking without the lid until the blackberry filling is nice and thick, about another 2 to 3 minutes.

Make the Bars:

Once the crust is out of the oven, pour the blackberry jam filling over it and spread it evenly over the crust to form the blackberry layer.

Pouring blackberry jam filling over the baked crust

Sprinkle the reserved oatmeal crumble mixture on top. Bake for 25 to 32 minutes, or until the filling is thick and jammy and the topping is slightly golden-brown.

Remove the blackberry oatmeal bars from the oven and allow them to cool completely before slicing and serving. If desired, make the optional glaze for the crumb bars and drizzle on top.

horizontal photo of blackberry crumb bars on parchment paper drizzled with glaze

Serve the blackberry crumb bars with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and fresh berries for an even more decadent dessert.

Store any leftover oatmeal bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can also freeze the bars in a zip lock bag for up to 3 months.

These easy Blackberry Oatmeal Bars can easily serve as a base recipe for all your crumb bar endeavors, as you can use almost any fruit as the filling! Peaches, plums, berries, cherries, and more! Anything that can be cooked into a jammy fruit sauce works!

Also try my Keto Strawberry Crumb Bars for a low-carb strawberry bar recipe or 5-Ingredient Low-Carb Cherry Pie Bars

More Healthy Dessert Recipes:

Make these berry crumble bars during blackberry season for a warm weather treat! I hope you find these healthy blackberry oatmeal bars and scintillating as my family does!

slices of blackberry crumb bars on parchment paper with glaze drizzled on top.

Vegan Blackberry Oatmeal Bars

Easy 5-Ingredient Blackberry Oatmeal Bars made vegan, gluten-free, refined sugar-free, and healthy enough for breakfast! A fun healthier dessert for berry season.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
9 Bars

Ingredients

For the Blackberry Filling:

Shortbread Crust and Topping:

Optional Glaze:

  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 Tbsp water or lemon juice

Instructions

Make the Crust & Topping:

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line an 8” x 8” square baking dish with parchment paper.
  • Add all of the ingredients for the crust and topping to a large mixing bowl and stir well until everything is combined and a thick dough forms. The dough should be somewhat crumbly and not over oily. Measure out ½ cup of the mixture and set it aside for later to reserve as the crumble topping.
    Crust and topping mixture for strawberry crumb bars in a mixing bowl
  • Transfer the remaining crust mixture to the parchment-lined prepared 8-inch pan and press it into an even layer.
    Shortbread crust in a baking dish with a measuring cup of dough off to the side.
  • Use a fork to poke several holes into the crust, allowing the crust to bake evenly. Bake the crust for 15 to 20 minutes, or until it is just slightly golden brown.
    Finished oatmeal bar crust in a baking dish.

Make the Blackberry Filling:

  • While the crust is baking, prepare the blackberry filling mixture. To do so, transfer the blackberries, 2 tablespoons of water, and the granulated sugar (or pure maple syrup) to a saucepan. Cover the pan with a lid and heat it on the stove top over medium-high heat.
    fresh blackberries in a saucepan
  • Allow the mixture to come to a full boil, stirring occasionally, and cook until the blackberries are very soft and much liquid is seeping out, about 8 to 10 minutes. Mash the blackberries using a spoon or fork until they reach your desired texture. Stir in the gluten-free all-purpose flour (or tapioca flour or cornstarch) and continue cooking without the lid until the blackberry filling is nice and thick, about another 2 to 3 minutes.
    blackberry jam filling in a saucepan made with fresh blackberries

Make the Bars:

  • Once the crust is out of the oven, pour the blackberry filling mixture over it and spread it evenly over the crust to form the blackberry layer.
    Pouring blackberry jam filling over the baked crust
  • Sprinkle the reserved oatmeal crumble mixture on top. Bake for 25 to 32 minutes, or until the filling is thick and jammy and the topping is slightly golden-brown.
    Blackberry oat bars ready to go into the oven
  • Remove the blackberry oatmeal bars from the oven and allow them to cool completely before slicing and serving.
    Finished blackberry oat crumb bars fresh out of the oven.
  • If desired, make the optional glaze by stirring the powdered sugar and water (or lemon juice) together in a small bowl. Drizzle over the oat bars and enjoy!
    horizontal photo of blackberry crumb bars on parchment paper drizzled with glaze

Notes

*You can replace the GF all-purpose flour in the blackberry filling with tapioca flour or cornstarch.
**If you’re using butter instead of coconut oil, use just 1 cup of GF all-purpose flour instead of 1 ¼ cups.
***If using pure maple syrup to sweeten the crust, add an additional 3 tablespoons of gluten-free all-purpose flour.
Store any leftover oatmeal bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can also freeze the bars in a zip lock bag for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1Bar (of 9) - Calories: 263kcal - Carbohydrates: 35g - Protein: 3g - Fat: 13g - Fiber: 5g - Sugar: 10g
Course: Main Dishes
Cuisine: American
Keyword: blackberry breakfast bars, dairy free desserts, gluten free crumb bars, gluten free desserts, oatmeal bar recipe, strawberry oatmeal bars, vegan blackberry oatmeal bars, vegan dessert recipe, vegan oat bars
Servings: 9 Bars
Calories: 263kcal
Author: Julia
This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission off items you purchase at no additional cost to you.

collage for blackberry pie bars

Recipe Rating




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Cheryl

Sunday 23rd of July 2023

I'm saving this for next year and hope I can pick enough wild blackberries at one time - I missed their peak this year and only found about a cup when I wandered the creek out back.

Wild blackberries are the sort of new house surprise that I can live with - much better than plumbing or electrical problems!

Julia

Wednesday 26th of July 2023

I love that you have wild blackberries growing near your house! What a treat! Hope you enjoy the bars once you make them! xo

Jennifer

Wednesday 21st of June 2023

My son made these with sons fresh blackberries we picked at a local organic farm. He added some juice from the berries to the glaze. Yummy addition and looks pretty too.

Julia

Friday 23rd of June 2023

Love that! Thanks for sharing, Jennifer!

Deborah

Thursday 16th of March 2023

Does one have to use GF flour or oats vs AP flour or standard rolled oats. Thanks

Julia

Sunday 19th of March 2023

Hi Deborah! Regular flour and oats works too! :)

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