Sunday, June 25

Recipe: Easy Blueberry Bonanza Breakfast Bars with an Oat Crust and Streusel Topping


What to do with a blueberry bonanza? Make these easy bars, which are delicious any time of day. There are instructions for a peach and blueberry version below, and an apple blueberry version here.

July 2015 update: This has been one of my most popular recipes since I originally posted it back in 2006. Click here to read a sampling of rave reviews from Farmgirl Fare readers. Thanks so much to all of you who take the time to come back and report on my recipes. And thanks for pinning them on Pinterest too!

I've been known to claim that a culinary wasteland begins just outside the front gate to our farm. This is of course an exaggeration, but when you know you're probably the only one in three counties growing arugula, or that the closest fresh parsley for sale is 40 miles away—and is probably wilted—it sometimes feels true.

The truth is, though, that if you're willing to hunt around and do some driving, it's quite possible to score some wonderful locally produced foodstuffs around here. Throw in some available freezer space, and you can enjoy these scrumptious seasonal specialties all year long.

For example, next week I'll be driving to a farm to pick up ten all-natural, pasture-raised chickens that will have been processed right there on the premises that morning.

And last week I picked up the five gallons of big organic blueberries I pre-ordered back in January from a local grower. They'd been picked right before my arrival, and are, as you might imagine, incredible: plump and juicy, sweet but not too sweet, each one bursting with flavor.

Most of them are already in the freezer, where theoretically they will last until next year, though I doubt that will happen. On more than occasion I've found myself filling up a large bowl with blueberries and popping them into my mouth like they were M&Ms.

But a baker who has nearly five gallons of blueberries in her possession will eventually get a hankering to turn them into something more than finger food.

I'd been planning to finally make my first ever blueberry pie, and we even bought a carton of ice cream to go with it—a task that requires intricate planning, driving slightly above the speed limit, and lots and lots of ice.

But before I could start sifting through all the blueberry pie recipes I've collected over the years, I was sidetracked by a recipe for blueberry bars I created the last time we had a blueberry haul in the house.

After some tinkering, including nearly doubling the amount of blueberries in my original version, I've come up with what I think is a delectable blueberry bar. I've never tasted anything quite like it. With its oatmeal crust and streusel topping, it reminds me of an eat-with-your-hands cross between blueberry pie and blueberry crisp.

There's no particular reason why I decided to call them Blueberry Breakfast Bars, except that doing so allows you to eat them for breakfast without having to make any rationalizations, as with say, a slice of Emergency Chocolate Cake. Although that's a poor example because a chocolate emergency, even one at breakfast time, does not, by definition, ever need to be rationalized.

August 2011 update: I recently came across a Martha Stewart recipe for something called Blueberry Bonanza Bars. Blueberry bonanza! My recipe remains the same, but I've swiped the fabulous word bonanza and added it to the name.

Despite calling for a fair amount of sugar, these blueberry bars, especially if accompanied by a cold glass of milk and perhaps a banana, do make a healthier breakfast than many of the traditional breakfast foods out there, like jelly-filled donuts or highly-processed packaged items whose names include the word fruit but do not actually contain any fruit.

Of course you can break out a Blueberry Bonanza Breakfast Bar any time of day or night. You can put one in a lunchbox, pack some on a picnic, or munch on one in the car on your way to pick up the kids at school.

You can cut them into squares, wrap them up individually, and freeze them for an instant, on-hand snack. Or you can cut into the pan while they're still warm and gooey and serve them up in bowls alongside scoops of vanilla ice cream to your dearest friends who will then love you even more than they already do. Topping the bowls with a handful of fresh blueberries may cause swooning.

Besides being really good for you, blueberries have another wonderful quality; unlike strawberries and raspberries, they freeze individually without special treatment.

How do you freeze blueberries? Just fill up a zipper freezer bag or plastic container with berries and toss it in the freezer.

9/06 Update: Got peaches? Check the end of the recipe for how to make my Just Peachy Blueberry Bars. And click here to read more about them.

8/07 Update: Love apples? Check out my new Apple Blueberry Version of this recipe.

Many thanks to everyone who has taken the time to leave a comment below, telling us how much you enjoyed this recipe and sharing your wonderful variations.

Farmgirl Susan's Blueberry Bonanza Breakfast Bars
Makes one 9"x13" pan — 12 to 16 large bars

**Click here to print this recipe**

Don't let the three separate layers in the recipe scare you off; they come together quickly and you only need to dirty up two mixing bowls.

I've made them with both fresh and frozen blueberries. My blueberries are large and not super sweet. If yours are the smaller and sweeter wild variety, you may want to use less sugar in the middle layer.

Feel free to substitute white whole wheat flour for some or all of the all-purpose flour in the crust and/or the streusel topping. To give the bars another healthy boost, you could mix some chopped walnuts or almonds or pecans into the topping.

As always, I urge you to seek out local and organic ingredients; they really do make a difference. Even organic sugars are becoming mainstream.

Bottom Layer
2 cups organic old-fashioned oats (not quick oats)
3/4 cup organic all-purpose flour
3/4 cup (packed) light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

10 Tablespoons (1 stick + 2 Tbsp/5 ounces) organic butter, melted
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Top Layer
1 cup organic all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (packed) light brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick/4 ounces) cold organic butter, cut into small pieces

Middle Layer
3½ cups fresh or frozen blueberries
1/2 to 1 teaspoon pure almond extract
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg (1/4 teaspoon if freshly ground)

For the bottom layer:
Heat the oven to 425°. Grease a 9" x 13" pan.

In a large bowl, combine the oats, flour, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt. Stir in the melted butter and vanilla until thoroughly combined. Press this mixture evenly into the bottom of the pan with your fingers. I also use the bottom of a stainless steel measuring cup to help make the crust flat and even.


For the top layer:
Place the flour, brown sugar, and butter in a small bowl and use a fork, pastry blender, or your fingers to combine until the mixture resembles large crumbs (some pea-sized clumps are okay). Or you can pulse everything for a few seconds in a food processor. Set the mixture aside.

For the middle layer:
Place the blueberries in the bowl you mixed the bottom layer in and toss them with the almond extract. Pour them evenly over the bottom layer in the pan.

Combine the sugar and flour and sprinkle it evenly over the blueberries. (Even when wet or frozen, the sugar/flour mixture wouldn't stick to my big fat blueberries when I tried tossing it with them. If yours will, just toss the sugar/flour mixture with the blueberries and then pour the whole mixture over the Bottom Layer in the pan.)


Sprinkle the top layer evenly over the blueberry mixture. Bake at 425° for 15 minutes, then lower the oven temperature to 350° and bake for another 20 to 25 minutes, until the top is golden, and the edges are starting to brown.

Let cool in pan on a wire rack. Store in a cool place or refrigerate. Bars may also be frozen.


Just Peachy Blueberry Breakfast Bars:
Follow the instructions above, but substitute 3 cups of small peach chunks (about 2 peaches, no need to peel them) and 2 cups of fresh or frozen blueberries for the 3½ cups of blueberries. Toss the sugar and flour directly with the fruit before spreading it over the bottom layer.

Bake at 425° for 15 minutes, then lower the oven to 350° and bake until the topping looks 'dry' but the edges aren't too brown, about 30 to 40 more minutes.


Still hungry? You'll find links to all my sweet and savory Less Fuss, More Flavor recipes in the Farmgirl Fare Recipe Index.

© FarmgirlFare.com, the blue but happy foodie farm blog where Farmgirl Susan shares recipes, stories, and photos of her crazy country life on 240 remote Missouri acres—and if we're lucky there are always blueberries (or blueberry bars!) in the freezer.

74 comments:

  1. We love blueberries here - ask Joe how many he goes through in any given week. I never even liked them as a kid, but when I lived in New Jersey and they were practically free during berry season, I learned to love them!

    These Breakfast Bars looks great - I think I will add "Breakfast" to everything and see if Joe goes for it..."I'll have a Breakfast Ho-Ho, please".... Hee hee.

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  2. LOL
    Blueberries OH MAN
    They look even better than yor description YUM!!!!!!

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  3. Gallons of blueberries? Gallons? Oh my. Blueberries are sold here in tiny green cartons and priced like gold...
    That recipe would cost me around 9 Euro (roughly 7-8 USD) in blueberries alone. ::looks sad::

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  4. Thank you, Susan! I'm going to make some of those. It's blueberry season here, too. Not only are my own blueberry bushes producing, but I plan on supplementing the bounty by going to a U-Pick. :-)

    I have a beyond-wonderful bluberries-and-cream pie that I love to make--I got the recipe from a Penzey's catalog, and will share it, if you like--but a girl's got to have a little bit of variety once in a while.

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  5. Those look great, FG! Gee, not TOO much butter in 'em, hunh? ;-) (Trust me, I'm NOT complaining - it's just the guilty feeling one sometimes gets when contemplating a recipe)

    Been eating blueberries and strawberries on shortcakes this weekend. Maybe it's time to change up what I eat my berries with!?

    And I bet peaches would be good too!

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  6. As soon as my blueberries are ripe, I will be trying these! Thanks.

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  7. My neighbors have beautiful old bluberry bushes and I trade them lettuce and stuff for the opportunity to pick as much as I can take. Most of them end up in a bowl with a little sugar and cream, but I may try this recipe.

    The ice cream planning is funny. I'm one of those people who takes an igloo cooler in the car to the store.

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  8. You guys need your own ice cream maker. We've LOVED the, uh, two we got! ;-) The Cuisinart one is great - and since you have multiple chest freezers from the sound of it, you can easily store the freezer liner until you're ready to whip up a batch of _whatever_flavor_you_want ice cream!

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  9. This looks great! I love to freeze blueberries when they are on sale. I am from MO and love your blog, the scenery is so familiar. Thanks for the recipes

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  10. MMMM... I've gotta find some time to get to the u-pick blueberry farm! Soon...

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  11. These are so getting made this week at my house. Oh they look so good. I have an abundance of black raspberries too. That would also be good. Thanks for the great inspiration!

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  12. I'll definetly have to try your recipe....looks yummy! Love the baby turtle too.:)

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  13. I'm so happy to have found your blog! I was just in a blueberry frenzy myself this weekend! I'll be sure to check back often!

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  14. Oh, my gods but that recipe sounds good. I'm going to have to go find blueberries somewhere and make them ... TODAY! Yum!!

    I'd also love to know the recipe for the blueberries and cream pie jamie posted about. Sounds delicious!

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  15. MMM...blueberries. I'll pick some up at Saturday's Farmers' Market and make these. They look fabulous.

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  16. Thank you for this delicious recipe! I'm in your neck of the woods right now (generally speaking) at a writers' colony in northwest Arkansas. Just went on two blueberry-picking excursions at some local organic farms. So with two gallons of hand-picked berries around, I know this recipe will come in handy for treating the hardworking poets and novelists here! I've also been making double-blueberry shortcake--cornmeal biscuits, quick blueberry jam, honey whipped cream, and lots of blueberries on top!

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  17. I have printed this on a file and I'm sticking in into my book. I hope you don't mind too much! My daughter is starting Kindergarten in August and these might have to be a staple in her lunchbox.

    Thank you so much. Reading your blog really brings a sense of stress relief and relaxation. It is very comforting to read.

    Always,
    Jas...

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  18. We have huckleberries by the gallon here if you know where to look. And for the tourists that come through, yes, they are priced like gold.

    Hopefully your blog encourages Californians to move to Missouri rather than my neck of the woods. :)

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  19. Thanks for the recipe. I just found your blog and am in love. Your animals, garden, recipes ..... Oh so cool.

    Do you sell your wool to anyone?

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  20. S- What do you think of trying the recipe with raspberries ? Believe it or not I don't like blueberries. I know, I know ! Albert, one of the Boston Terriers, loves blueberries an picks them off the bushes himself.

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  21. What an awesome blog! I just happened upon it from the blogger "blogs of note" section. Love this blueberry recipe, I'll have to try it (and make it vegan).

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  22. I've been lurking for a while, and I've run across a number of your recipes that sound just WONDERFUL! This one, today, is making my mouth water just reading over the ingredients. The photo has done me in! :)

    I hope you don't mind, but I passed it on to my mom, sister, and aunt, who all love to bake. :)

    I can't wait to see what else you post.

    Thank you!
    Megan :)

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  23. I hardly ever try recipes that I see, but when I read this and realized I have all ingredients on hand (including some delicious frozen organic blueberries), I thought - I gotta do it! Thanks for a tasty one! :-)

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  24. YUM! I have to get me some blueberries!

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  25. Since Tygher Knits wants it, this is how you make the blueberries-and-cream pie. It is so easy, and absolutely amazingly good. The only tricky part is that you generally have to use a pie shield or a ring of aluminum foil to keep the crust from over-browning.

    Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

    Place 4 c. blueberries in an unbaked pie shell.

    In a large bowl, whisk together:
    2/3 c. sugar
    1/4 c. flour
    1/2 tsp. cinnamon
    1/4 tsp. salt
    1/2 c. milk
    1/2 c. heavy cream

    Pour this mixture over the berries and bake for about 40 minutes. Yep, that easy. It's great warm, or cold from the fridge for breakfast the next morning. :-)

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  26. YUM! I am printing your recipe right now. Blueberries are my absolute favorite.

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  27. We won't be having blueberries until next week, but I am overcome with Blackberries, so I substituted. It was wonderful. Husband ate it in a bowl with milk on it. Daughter loved them warm out of the oven last night.

    Of course, I will make it again next week with the blueberries too!!

    THANKS so much for the recipe

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  28. Greetings Farmgirl. I live in the same general geographic area as you and was wondering where you got all those beautiful blueberries. Is it someplace the general public can use? I enjoy your photos of the day, and your stories. Thanks for sharing.

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  29. Hi Everyone,

    First of all, a warm welcome to all the new readers (and to the delurkers)!

    I'm thrilled that this recipe has received such an enthusiastic response. And I even managed to put it up in a timely manner--blueberries are still in season in many places.

    I always love to hear back from people who have tried one of my recipes--even if it was a failure. Particularly if was a failure! So if you make these, please let me know--especially if you used a different kind of fruit. Peaches sound lovely; I'm wondering if they would work or not.

    Jeff,
    I'm stealing your idea and adding the word "breakfast" to everything chocolate from now on.

    Jamie,
    Thanks for the pie recipe. It sounds fabulous.

    Steven,
    I take multiple coolers (full of ice packs) EVERYWHERE all year round. Food shopping long distance in the summer is such a pain, though, even with the coolers.

    Jeph,
    I think I actually have a little ice cream maker somewhere. Now if I just could find it--and the time to make some ice cream. : ) Shortcakes? YUM.

    Stephanie,
    I'm drooling all over the keyboard. Those are some lucky fellow writers you're with. : )

    Craig,
    Oh I haven't had huckleberries in years. They are wonderful. I'm envious.

    Colorslut,
    Several people have been asking about our wool. I'm going to have to write up something about it. The bottom line is that we raise meat sheep who tromp through the woods so they have coarse wool full of VM (vegetable matter--just learned that term from a spinner asking about our wool).

    Leigh,
    I think raspberries would probably work. If you were willing to use that many raspberries in one recipe! The blueberries in this recipe basically bake themselves into a thick jam, so I suppose any soft fruit that wasn't super watery would work.

    Julie,
    I was wondering if blackberries would work in these as I hope to be deep in the wild brambles and briars very soon. Thanks for letting me know they do! I absolutely love blackberries.

    Anonymous,
    I'm pretty sure my blueberry connection has all of their berries pre-sold each year. But I did a little online research for you and found a fabulous website that lists dozens of U-Pick farms all over Missouri! (I've found that many u-pick places also sell picked fruit as well.)

    It's called PickYourOwn.org. Click here to go to the site.

    Oh, oh, oh! Okay, I was linked directly to the Missouri page because I used "Missouri" in my google search. But I just realized this site lists pick-your-own farms (not just blueberry farms) all over the U.S. and beyond! What a fabulous resource. Click here to go to the homepage.

    And thanks for asking about the blueberries because it led me to this great new site!

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  30. Good morning! These bars look wonderful, and I just bought several quarts of blueberries to freeze...maybe most won't make it to the freezer!
    I was wondering if you ever make your own yogurt? I do all the time and it's wonderful, so much better than store bought.

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  31. Do you need to defrost the blueberries? Dumb question, but for some recipes you do, others you don't. thanks!

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  32. Hi Tree,
    I know a whole gallon of my blueberries didn't make it into the freezer. : )

    As a matter of fact, I do make my own yogurt. I've been making it since I moved to Missouri 12 years ago, and pretty much always have some in the fridge. Which reminds me--I need to make yogurt today. I use it for so many things, especially salad dressings and in baked goods. Yes, it definitely tastes better than storebought (especially if you use real organic milk--NOT Horizon, Costco, Safeway, or Wild Oats brands). Click here to read the scary truth about some so called "organic" milk. I highly recommend Organic Valley brand.

    If anyone is interested in making their own yogurt (so easy!), click here to read my article "Chives & Herbed Yogurt Cheese," in which I talk about making yogurt and yogurt cheese. It also includes a link to a yogurt maker similar to mine and a nifty little yogurt cheese "maker" that I finally broke down and bought--and am so happy I did.

    Hi Susan,
    No question is a dumb question! I used blueberries straight from the freezer. If yours have some little ice chunks on them, you'll want to rinse those off. Happy baking!

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  33. Doll, you may never read this since I'm like one millionth on the comment list, but I made these over the weekend and they are AWESOME! I even put up a photo on the blog to show off how good they came out. Thanks for sharing your recipe and I'm loving your blog.

    I read it daily. DDD, Cary, Farm Boss Patchy Cat, Doodlemonster, Bear, Robin, llamas, the turtles -- better than a daytime soap opera.

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  34. I have been craving blueberries and now that I've run across this recipe, I'm off to the market to track down some of these lovely blue treasures! Thanks so much for recipe :-)

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  35. It is so cool to hear from fellow b. berry lovers! I have frozen 22 lb.s and have 36 more to go! I live in the city but am fortunate get a good price, so I freeze them and live off them all year. Your breakfastbars sound great, I suspect it's the almond extract keeping the flour from sticking. When I try the recipe I'll leave it out. Instead of doing a pie, many times I do what we call "Blueberry Business", it's like a pie but easier, and it's healthy if you use wholewheat flour. Here it is and I hope this makes sense!
    Blueberry Business
    *1 1/2 c. flour (i use wholewheat)
    *1/3 c. margarine (put in
    freezer to get really cold (I use Smart Balance brand -no trans fats)
    *some ice water (5 T. more or less)
    *about 2 cups blueberries tossed with some flour and cinnamon then add brown sugar to taste 1/4 cup-1/3 (depends on sweetness of berries and your taste)
    Put the flour in the food processor/add dallops of margarine
    *pulsate a few times/add water quickly/pulsate a few more til doughy
    *take dough out, roll around quickly in your hands add more flour if needed, spread on counter
    *roll out quickly between 1/8 to 1/4 in. thick in a rectangle shape
    *use spatula dipped in flour to get under it/ place it in baking dish with 1/2 the dough in the dish and the rest hanging over the dish on your counter
    * place your b. berries on the dough (your going to flap the crust over like a large turnover) pinch the edges/cut a slit or two on top/bake at 425 til golden
    I hope you find this as easy as I do- it works well in the food processor because dough gets tough if you handle it too much- I use walnuts on everything so I sprinkle walnuts and more cinnamon on top 5 min before it's done YUM!

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  36. I just HAD to make this recipe after looking at the wonderful picture and reading through the recipe. It was *to die for*!!! I have just made a big 9 x 13 pan of it this morning and I'm making another 9 x 13 pan tonight to freeze. This was sooooooooooooooo wonderful - thanks for sharing this one with us FarmGirl!

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  37. I also made this and it was sooo good! I would have never thought to add the almond extract and nutmeg but the flavors are perfect with the blueberries! Here's a photo. As you can see, we couldn't wait for them to cool completely! We've been eating them as a dessert with vanilla ice cream. This recipe is definitely a keeper, thanks!

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  38. Made these for some friends and they loved them. Thanks for the great recipe!

    Gordon from Portland, OR

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  39. these look absolutely divine! my son and husband LOVE blueberries....i'll have to try this recipe when they are in season....

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  40. Yummy!!!! Those bars look divine!

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  41. Made these yesterday and yummo. I had some stewed apricots in the fridge to use up so I made one half with apricots and the other half with blueberries. Yummo

    I can not fathom gallons of blueberries. Living in the sub-tropics we either pay through the nose for a tiny punnet of fresh berries or stock up one the frozen ones go on sale.

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  42. i saw your post from barbara's blog and i would like to say thank you for saving me how to use up my blackberries. yes, i used blackberries instead of blueberries as we don't grow blueberries. perhaps one day. thanks a lot!

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  43. gosh, those look good! but 3-1/2 cups of blueberries would cost me $10+. i bet these are worth it though.

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  44. I had to tell you I tried this recipe fell in love! I wish I had had more room in my freezer during blueberry time.

    I felt the topping tasted a little floury so, when I get a few pennies together during the next blueberry season, I'm going to try almond flour (a bit expensive) in the topping.

    The trick to getting the sugar to stick is to put the blueberries in the fridge for a couple of hours first.

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  45. YUM! I have another suggestion-if it's been suggested already I apologize, as I didn't take the time to read *every* reply! :D

    Add about 2 tablespoons of lavender flowers to this recipe-gorrrrgeous!

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  46. Hi: Just thought I'd share my experience with these Blueberry Breakfast Bars. I have a small catering business, mostly catering corporate events. Recently, a local orthodontist asked me what I could do with "blueberries" that could be packaged and distributed as marketing gifts. I went searching the internet and came across your recipe. It sounded delicious, so we went with it. Initially, they ordered 25 dozen to be distributed to dentist's offices all over town. Four days after that delivery, they contacted me and asked if I could do another 18 dozen for deliveries to a sister office in another city. In the interim, I decided to try the blueberry-peach bars as the dessert for a Luau-themed training lunch I was catering. In a nut shell, RAVE reviews from everyone!! Hope you don't mind that I'm taking the credit for such a fantastic recipe. Oh, yea -- after the first delivery, we had a few extras. I brought them home and offered one the next morning to my six-year-old for breakfast. I made the mistake of turning my back, and when I looked he had polished off all but one on a plate of eight. He loved them!! I'll be watching for more recipes on your site. My catering business is themed around the "taste of home," so I love using real, homemade, recipes.

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  47. Wow! We just love these breakfast bars. Seriously delicious! Thanks so much - they are now a regular in our home (at least until we run out of our frozen blueberry stash :-)

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  48. Mmm...I made these with fresh black cherries and blueberries. So yummy! This is one of my new favorite recipes! I will try it with the peaches next!

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  49. I made the Blue Breakfast Bars this morning and, WOW! These are true comfort food! My husband usually prefers muffins and cobblers that are whole grain, oaty, and not so sweet. He loved these and declared that this is better than any brown betty recipe I've made! Thanks for adding the word "breakfast" to this recipe so we can eat them all day!! :)

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  50. It's acold winter night here in Ontario, but my house is warming up with the smell of the blueberry breakfast bars. I made these for the first time back in the summer and absolutely loved them. When I found blueberries in my freezer today, these bars were the first thing that came to mind. I'm so glad you shared this recipe...although I haven't tried one of your recipes that hasn't be amazing. Thank you for sharing your love of food with the rest of us!
    Amy

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  51. I bet it tasted so delicious :) I'm sure it'll be a big hit with the kids! My son love blueberries a lot! Thank you so much for sharing!!

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  52. Just found your blog, which I love, and am planning to make these for a Memorial Day potluck this weekend. I might get crazy and do blueberries AND peaches.

    I'm just getting started with food blogging, and I'd love to know what you think of mine if you ever have a spare moment.

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  53. since you have nothing else to do this time of year (hardy har har) I thought I'd heads up you I'm about to try the peachy version with apricots since I have several getting too soft in the fridge at this moment! Rare occurrence but happens when I mess up and buy too much fruit at Costco - no decent apricots this year at farmers market here in the boonies . Will let you know but I fear the same mushy thing (which matter NOT under whipped cream - right?) on the top - as if mushy ever stopped a farm foodie!

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  54. OK nobody needs to attempt my version - the apricots were not flavorful enough to add anything but mushy to the blueberries. I added ground almonds to the streusel and even that didn't bring this up to the level of plain blueberries. I think if perhaps I added a touch of lemon to the berries it would have been more tasty. All that being said - I doubt there will be much left this time tomorrow - whipped cream can add enough pizzazz to make up for wimpy apricots! Your recipes Rock Susan

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  55. We have several blueberry bushes also. I tried this recipe to take to our annual fourth of July get together at work. I was afraid it was going to be dry but was surprised to fine it was outstanding! Everyone loved it! Thank you very much. Now I need to find a good apple recipe for our annual Apple Fest. We always have an apple recipe contest. I know I will find the right recipe for that right here. God Bless!

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  56. Thanks Farmgirl! I was looking for new ideas of recipes to make with all the blueberries I have in my freezer! The bars are wonderful and my hubby LOVES them too. They are similar to the "Blueberry Mountain Bars" that Starbucks used to have but these are WAY better!! Thanks!

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  57. Thank you! I never knew what to do with blueberries other than pancakes. I love them and had just purchased a big container full of blueberries. I had a teenager visiting and we made the Blueberry Breakfast Bars. It was simple enough to do and produced a large, beautiful, tasty product. It is something else she can add to her "What I Did This Summer" list.

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  58. Thanks for the recipe, I really enjoyed the bars! I used half whole wheat flour along with the all-purpose, and they turned out fine :)

    http://fuzzykoalacakecompany.blogspot.com/2009/09/start-your-day-off-right.html

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  59. My husband and I just finished off about half a pan of these bars. They are so awesome! I bookmarked the recipe ages ago, and now I'm wondering why I took so long to make them. I used local Michigan blueberries that I bought at our Farmers Market last summer and froze. Yummo!

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  60. These are delicious!!!! :D
    I made these for breakfast and my six siblings and I loved them!! They were gone before lunch! They are really sweet! Even though I only put a 1/4 cup sugar in the blueberry mixture. I think next time I am going to put less sugar in the bottom layer.They would be a great dessert! Thanks for the recipe! Mmmm! :D

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  61. These are delicious!! I used whole wheat flour and you couldn't taste any difference. I think next time I'll use less sugar and try to substitute applesauce for butter and see how that turns out.

    Great recipe!

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  62. i just made this recipe for my boyfriend as a birthday treat and i can't wait for him to try them (he's a big blueberry fan!) i took a little sample for myself and they are FANTASTIC!

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  63. Wow, what a great. I just made these. Scrumptious!

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  64. What a blessing to have blueberries in abundance! They are very pricey in California.

    I agree with the posts on here & a blueberry/peach combo is YUMMY!! It has been done by me.

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  65. I took my boys to the local orchard to pick some blueberries. I was looking for some new recipes. This heavenly, a new family favorite! Thank you!

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  66. Just picked blueberries this 4th of July morning to make this recipe which I have made over and over again , passing the recipe on, and here copying it again! It is lost in my stack of recipes. Bless you for this good taste!

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  67. Hello from Alaska. Enjoy reading your blog and looking at all the wonderful photos you put up there. I printed this recipe out and will surely try it very soon. I know I will love it. I have wild blueberries out in the woods here on my homestead so I have some in the freezer I need to use up. Thank you so much.
    Linda T.

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  68. Yum - these were so good...made them the night before, and they were a delight to wake up to!

    I converted it to metric, as that is my preference - less clean up and less fuss. Here's what I came up with:

    Bottom Layer
    90 g organic old-fashioned oats (not quick oats)
    90 g organic all-purpose flour
    135 g light brown sugar
    1/4 teaspoon (1.25 mL) baking soda
    1/4 teaspoon (1.25 mL) salt
    150 g (1 stick + 2 Tbsp) organic butter, melted
    1 teaspoon (5 mL) pure vanilla extract

    Top Layer
    120 g organic all-purpose flour
    90 g light brown sugar
    120 g (1 stick) organic butter

    Middle Layer
    690 g fresh or frozen blueberries
    1/2 to 1 teaspoon (2.5 to 5 mL) pure almond extract
    150 g granulated sugar
    22 g all-purpose flour
    1/2 teaspoon (2.5 mL) nutmeg (1/4 teaspoon if freshly ground)

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  69. We had fun this weekend picking blueberries with our families and found your recipe looking for ways to use our blueberries. I shared your link in our post called Little Hands that Cook with Books and Blueberries. Can't wait to try your recipe with my daugther. http://theeducatorsspinonit.blogspot.com/2012/05/30-ways-to-eat-blueberries.html

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  70. I went huckleberry picking this weekend and made this recipe. It's cooling right now, I can't wait to try them!

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  71. I made these this weekend with blueberries I'd frozen from earlier in the season. Awesome! Thanks!

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  72. I have done a lOT of baking and gotten a LOT of raving reviews in my young whole 23 years of living .. I don't say that to brag on me but to brag on you! I made your blueberry oat bars and across the board I was told they were the best thing I've ever made :) You've been bookmarked ;)

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  73. The top layer ingredients turned out more like a roux paste than a crumb topping, so I added a cup of oats, and that made the topping perfect.

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December 2015 update: Hi! For some reason I can't figure out, Blogger hasn't been letting me leave comments on my own blog (!) for the last several months, so I've been unable to respond to your comments and questions. My apologies for any inconvenience! You're always welcome to email me: farmgirlfare AT gmail DOT com.

Hi! Thanks for visiting Farmgirl Fare and taking the time to write. While I'm not always able to reply to every comment, I receive and enjoy reading them all.

Your feedback is greatly appreciated, and I especially love hearing about your experiences with my recipes. Comments on older posts are always welcome!

Please note that I moderate comments, so if I'm away from the computer it may be a while before yours appears.

I try my best to answer all questions, though sometimes it takes me a few days. And sometimes, I'm sorry to say, they fall through the cracks, and for that I sincerely apologize.

I look forward to hearing from you and hope you enjoy your e-visits to our farm!