Search This Blog

Search This Blog

Blueberry and Lemon Oaty Breakfast Bars

Easy blueberry and lemon oaty breakfast bars. These delicious oaty bars or flapjacks as they are known in Scotland, are perfect for breakfast on the go or a mid-morning or afternoon energy boost. 

Suitable for vegetarians and vegans. Free printable recipe.

A stack of blueberry and lemon oaty bars on a wooden board with blueberries and lemon halves.




UPDATE: I have included freezer tips as readers have asked. Scroll down for more info.

Breakfast on the go


You've probably heard me say this before. I'm not the person who eats breakfast every morning.

I know I should but I'm just not ready for anything until mid morning.

It's fine eating breakfast late on days off, but on mornings where I'm heading to work I'm just not ready to eat before I leave the house.

That's where a portable snack like these blueberry and lemon oaty breakfast bars come in. 

I can enjoy these later in the morning with a cuppa and I'm content until lunchtime rolls around, even if it's a late lunch.


Are Breakfast Bars Healthy?



These breakfast bars are not health bars. They contain both fat and sugar.

They do contain fresh blueberries and oats, which are healthy ingredients and they are only 266 calories per bar.

They may be lower in calories and fat than your general breakfast and as these breakfast bars are made with fresh ingredients there are no preservatives or added nasties.

Look on these as an energy bar to get you up and going on those mornings when you don't have time for a sit down breakfast.

If you're eating a fairly healthy diet, a breakfast bar like this is fine.

Everything in moderation. 





Close up of blueberry and lemon oaty breakfast bars


Hamlyns Oats Recipe Leaflet




I created these oaty breakfast bars for Hamlyns who are just a couple of hours up the road from me in Banff. 

They wanted a recipe to include in a leaflet to hand out at shows and fairs over the summer months that would show off their oats.

The last time I contributed a recipe to one of their leaflets I created a tomato gnocchi bake with a cheesy oat crumble. This time I wanted to create something sweet.  

You can find my recipe and some fabulous oaty bars from Janice (Farmersgirl Kitchen) and Claire (Foodie Quine)  which were also created for this leaflet on Hamlyns recipe page.




Hamlyn's oat bars recipe leaflet



Who are Hamlyns of Scotland ?



In case you haven't heard of Hamlyns of Scotland, they're part of a family food business owned by a family with 14 generations in the oat business, including milling. 

They've been on the go for over 50 years now and sell porridge oats, oatmeal and oats with bran. 

You can pick up Hamlyns Scottish oats in Tesco, Asda, the co-op, Sainsbury's, Whole Foods Market, Morrisons and Waitrose.




oaty bars topped with blueberry jam and blueberries

BLUEBERRY AND LEMON OATY BREAKFAST BARS


Tips for making oaty breakfast bars



  1. This recipe is baked in 2 x 20 cm/8 inch square brownie tins. You can use a rectangular brownie pan, but the bars will be thicker and may need a little longer in the oven. 
  2. Two tins produces 18 breakfast bars.
  3. Line and grease the brownie tins. You can use foil-backed greaseproof paper or non-stick baking paper to line the tins.
  4. Do grease the greaseproof paper or baking paper as an extra precaution, as it can stick like glue to your bars. 
  5. Melt dairy-free spread (you can use butter) with the sugar and syrup, then poured it into a bowl with that oats and mixed well before dividing it into the two tins and pressed the mixture down well before topping the oats with blueberry jam and fresh blueberries.

Storing Breakfast Bars


Once cool, homemade breakfast bars or oat bars can be stored in an airtight tub or cake tin for 5-6 days. 

Place greaseproof paper or baking paper between the layers to stop them sticking.



How to Freeze Breakfast Bars


These bars can be frozen  (for up to 3 months) and taken out when you get up in the morning. They will defrost in about an hour while you are having your shower and getting ready.

Ideally they should be wrapped individually in cling film (also called plastic wrap, cellophane or saran wrap) and frozen so you can take out individual portions.

If you are trying to cut down on plastic, you could freeze the bars well spaced on a tray and then pop in a zip-lock freezer bag (which you can re-use), which will help keep them as individual bars, but there may still be some sticking.

I've not tried wrapping them in baking paper, so I'm not sure if that would work. If you try this and it works well let me know.

If you have freezing tips, share them in the comments at the bottom of this post.

Gluten-Free Breakfast Bars


These breakfast bars can be made gluten-free if you use gluten-free oats instead of standard oats. If you are not sure or need more information about gluten-free oats, check out this page on gluten-free oats on Coeliac UK.




oaty bars topped with blueberries and a crumble topping



Crumble topping


I made the crumble topping by reserving some of the oaty mixture and crumbling it over the top, leaving some gaps to let the blueberries and jam shine through.

These oaty bars look great and taste fabulous!


Readers Oat Bars


In fact Louise from Hamlyn's couldn't resist whipping up a batch herself and loved them. You can see her oaty bars below. Don't they look fabulous?


blueberry and lemon oaty bars made by louise from Hamlyns




Oat Bars or Flapjacks?


These oaty bars are called flapjacks here in Scotland.

We went for oaty bars as there is confusion over the word flapjack.

A flapjack is a pancake in America. Very like our Scotch pancakes. Which is a small pancake with a high rise. 


The history of flapjacks


Flapjacks have been made in Scotland since the Middle Ages.

Oats have always been a staple crop in Scotland and crofters would make big batches of porridge in the morning and eat it for breakfast.

The rest  of the porridge would go into a porridge drawer, which was also known as a kist.

The porridge would set as it cooled down. Once it was set it was cut into bars, what we now call flapjacks in Scotland and oaty or oat bars elsewhere in the world.

For more Scottish recipes have a look at my recipe index of Scottish Recipes for Vegans and Vegetarians



Easy blueberry and lemon oaty breakfast bars. These delicious oaty bars or flapjacks as they are known in Scotland, are perfect for breakfast on the go or a mid-morning or afternoon energy boost. Suitable for vegetarians and vegans.



Oat Bar Variations & Tweaks


A good flapjack recipe is really versatile. You can add all sorts of flavours.

To add variety to your flapjacks make these small changes:


  1. Use honey instead of golden syrup
  2. Add fresh fruit or dried fruit
  3. Add jam between layers or spread it on top
  4. Add grated carrots and banana for sweetness then cut down on the sugar and butter (or dairy free spread) for a healthier flapjack 
  5. Add chocolate chips or generous chunks of chocolate
  6. Finish them with a drizzle of icing on top



Oat Bar (Flapjack) Flavours


Oat bars can come in so many different flavours. Here are a few flavours for you to try. Click on the links below for the recipe.

You should also try flapjack cookies.



pin it for later

Easy blueberry and lemon oaty breakfast bars. These delicious oaty bars or flapjacks as they are known in Scotland, are perfect for breakfast on the go or a mid-morning or afternoon energy boost. Suitable for vegetarians and vegans. #breakfastbars #flapjacks #oatbars #blueberryflapjacks #blueberrybreakfastbars #blueberryoatbars #blueberryrecipes #blueberries




If you are looking for an special breakfast for a lazy Sunday morning, try my traditional Scottish Potato Scones.


Nutrition card for oaty breakfast bars - 266 calories per bar

Scottish flapjacks, Scottish oat bars, oaty bars, snack bars, blueberry bars, blueberry traybake, blueberry flapjacks, blueberry oaty bars, oaty traybake, oat bars
snack, breakfast
Scottish
Yield: 18 barsAuthor: Jacqueline Meldrum
Easy blueberry and lemon oaty breakfast bars. These delicious oaty bars or flapjacks as they are known in Scotland, are perfect for breakfast on the go or a mid-morning or afternoon energy boost. Suitable for vegetarians and vegans.

Blueberry and Lemon Oaty Breakfast Bars

Easy blueberry and lemon oaty breakfast bars. These delicious oaty bars or flapjacks as they are known in Scotland, are perfect for breakfast on the go or a mid-morning or afternoon energy boost. Suitable for vegetarians and vegans.
prep time: 10 minscook time: 40 minstotal time: 50 mins

ingredients

450g porridge oats

300g butter or dairy free spread

200g brown sugar

4 tbsp golden syrup

Finely grated peel of 2 lemons

6 heaped tbsp blueberry jam

200g blueberries

instructions


  1. Preheat the oven to 150ºC/300ºF/gas 2.
  2. Line and grease two square 20cm x 20cm brownie tins.
  3. In a small pan, melt the butter (or dairy free spread), brown sugar, golden syrup and lemon peel.
  4. Pour the oats into a large bowl, then pour in the melted butter and sugar.
  5. Divide the mixture into the two tins and press down until smooth, leaving some of the mixture in the bowl to add to the top as a crumble.
  6. Spread the jam over the top of the oaty mix, then top with the blueberries and sprinkle the remaining oaty mixture in between the blueberries. Leave some of the jam showing.
  7. Bake for 40 minutes. It will be starting to turn golden at the edges when you take it out and quite soft, but it will firm up as it cools.
  8. Leave in the tins to cool for a while, then remove from the tins and place on a cooling racks until completely cool.
  9. Cut into bars and serve.
  10.         Enjoy!
calories
266
fat (grams)
13
sat. fat (grams)
2.8
carbs (grams)
34.3
protein (grams)
2.9
sugar (grams)
18.1
Created using The Recipes Generator





TRY THESE FLAPJACKS NEXT



Scottish Oaty Walnut and Raisin Flapjacks with a cup of coffee



Scottish Oaty Walnut and Raisin Flapjacks


If you like these blueberry and lemon oaty breakfast bars, you should try my Scottish oaty walnut and raisin flapjacks.

Want to receive my posts by email? Scroll to the bottom of the page and sign up or why not sign up for my newsletter and get my monthly newsletter full of recipes and an update on what I've been doing? My latest newsletter was full of summer picnic recipes.



Disclosure: I created this recipe to be used in a leaflet and promotional materials by Hamlyns of Scotland. I wasn't expected to write a positive review and any opinions expressed are my own.

20 comments

  1. Oh yum! These look absolutely heavenly. Blue and lemon is such a gorgeous combo, thanks for the recipes!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Chris and yes the combination works really well. I hope you try them.

      Delete
  2. Wow, how amazing does that look! I'm sure this is incredibly delicious! yessss! This is the perfect recipe for me. Looks VERY tasty! Oh YUM! Love everything about this recipe!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aww thank you. I do hope you enjoy them. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment. It would be nice you know your name next time if you aren't too shy :)

      Delete
  3. These not only sound delicious, they look it too! Love the generous amount of blueberries in here! What a yummy way to start a Monday :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh yes, loads of big juicy blueberries and blueberry jam, just to make sure it is blueberry enough.

      Delete
  4. I love blueberry and lemon together! These look fantastic!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I can't eat breakfast first thing either! I am up at 6 and leave for work at 7 and it's only when I arrive at work for 8.30 that I'm really ready for breakfast. I would definitely enjoy these oaty breakfast bars, then or as a mid-morning second breakfast, hobbit style!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well I am glad it;s not just me. Also glad I don't have to get up at 6am.

      Delete
  6. Blueberries always look so pretty and I love how they turn into juicy jammy pockets in these flapjacks.

    I am curious about your lining - I have never heard of foil backed greaseproof paper. I always use baking paper which is non-stick. It feels lazy as I remember greased paper lining when I was a kid but it is quick when I am pushed for time.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes they are good with the blueberries and blueberry jam. The foil backed paper is sometimes called foil lined parchment. It's non-stick and moulds into the shape of your tin, which is really handy and much quicker.

      Delete
  7. I love lemon and blueberry in a muffin, but I haven't tried them in a oaty bar like this. Sounds like a delicious breakfast.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Flapjacks are one of my go to bakes. They are so quick and easy to make and so delicious. I LOVE oats. Lemon and blueberries are a great combination and not one I've tried in flapjack form before. Your pictures are gorgeous BTW.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Just spotted your comment now. Yes they are rather fab Choclette. Thanks re the photos.

      Delete
  9. My family love flapjacks and I always try to make them with different fruits .I have not used blueberries before so I am definitely going to make these next week. They look delicious.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh good, I have had a few people make them and get back to me to say they loved them.

      Delete
  10. Oaty bars are popular here. I must make them more often. Love Hamlyns being Scottish too.

    ReplyDelete
  11. We do love a flapjack. These look perfect for breakfast especially as they are packed with super food blueberries

    ReplyDelete

I love reading comments, so thank you for taking the time to leave one. Unfortunately, I'm bombarded with spam, so I've turned on comment moderation. I'll publish your comments as soon as I can and respond to them. Don't panic, they will disappear when you hit publish. Jac x