I have so many emotions about these, just like my strawberry oatmeal bars and raspberry oatmeal bars! But first. Can we agree that you really can only have so many muffins? I think I’ve made them every week for the past forty million weeks. I love ’em to death but I can’t lie; I was in need of a change. A sprucing up of my snack routine, if you will. Way back when I whipped up these Apple Oatmeal Bars, which screamed Autumn and caramel apples and crispy leaves and weather just cold enough to wear my cute new brown jacket. Now it’s so hot outside that we’re all nearly melting. Apple thangs have been swapped out for berry thangs. The berries this season have been reeeeeal good. Sweet, plump, juicy, bloob and strawb perfection. I’ve been adding them to toast with almond butter and cinnamon like it’s my job. LOADED toast. It’s a thing. My current fave is local heritage grain sourdough toasted up, slathered with almond butter (seriously the creamiest and drippiest) and topped with blueberries, strawberries, banana, cinnamon, and cacao nibs for crunch. It’s one heavy piece of toast. Now if you’re not in the mood for said toast, these vegan and gluten-free blueberry oatmeal bars make a fabulous healthy breakfast or snack. They’re just sweet enough to pass as dessert with the kiddos but healthy enough to double as breakfast. They’d be pretty unreal topped with melty vanilla bean ice cream. Not like I’ve tried it or anything. If you want to make these for the Fourth of July, feel free to use some strawberries in place of a portion of the bloobs and sprinkle with coconut. I can’t even with this patriotism. Red, white, and blueberry!
