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Chewy, crisp Blueberry Yogurt Granola Bars. The granola bars that everyone loves! Chewy and crisp, sweet and salty, these oats n’ honey granola bars are layered with thick blueberry jam, then drizzled with a tangy, sweet vanilla Greek yogurt icing. All made with simple, wholesome ingredients. Oats, brown rice crisps, honey, blueberry jam, yogurt – there’s a little powdered sugar too. Gluten-free and truly delicious.
I might be pre-mature with my thinking, but I have back-to-school at the top of my mind these days. Mid to end of August is the time I start to picture kids heading out for back-to-school shopping. Gathering school supplies, trying on new clothes, and getting either excited for the new school year or anxiously waiting for it to start.
I was always the anxiously waiting kid, who was not the happiest to head back to school. But I loved everything that came with the days leading up to a new school year, especially the shopping.
This was the time of year my mom would stock up on snacks, and easy lunch bag foods. Back then, she’d buy all the packaged stuff and not think twice about it. Today it’s a million times different.
But I grew up with snacks, lots of them. Chewy chocolate chip granola bars were a staple, fruit roll-ups, maybe even a pop tart or two.
Mom would sometimes buy those yogurt-coated granola bars. They were always my favorite. Very sweet, probably with no hints of real yogurt, but I thought they were delicious nonetheless. These are kind of my take on those bars. Similar, but healthier, and way tastier.
Details
To make the granola bars. I use a simple mix of oats, brown rice crisps cereal, cornmeal, and a touch of baking soda. Then add honey, coconut oil, and some vanilla.
Mix it all up and press it into a square baking dish. Press hard into the pan, you really want to pack the mixture in there TIGHT.
Then bake. Once the bars are golden, spread on the blueberry jam. Use a thick blueberry jam for best results. Then bake a little longer and done. Really simple.
The trick to cutting these is to let the bars cool for about an hour. Then cut using a super sharp knife.
For the yogurt glaze, use plain greek yogurt mixed with honey and vanilla. And then a little bit of powdered sugar.
I like to add meringue powder to help the glaze stiffen up quicker.
You can dip or drizzle each bar into the glaze, but just use a thin layer. You don’t want the glaze to be thick or it will be too heavy for the bars.
The KEY is to let the bars really dry for 1-2 hours at the very least. I’ve found that overnight works best. Once the glaze has really stiffened up, the bars are less sticky and will be less delicate.
Great for back-to-school, great for general snacking, and easy to pack up for end-of-summer pool days too!
Everyone really does love these more wholesome blueberry yogurt bars. They’re very chewy, but with a nice crispiness to them. They’ve got awesome blueberry flavor and just the right amount of tangy sweetness from the glaze. Pretty darn delicious!
Looking for other homemade back-to-school recipes? Here are a few ideas:
Healthier Homemade Nutter Butter Cookies
Frosted Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop Tarts
Lastly, if you make these Blueberry Yogurt Granola Bars be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Blueberry Yogurt Granola Bars
Servings: 12 bars
Calories Per Serving: 248 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
- 1/2 cup brown rice crisps
- 3 tablespoons cornmeal
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon ground flax (optional)
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup blueberry jam
Yogurt Glaze
- 3 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons meringue powder (optional)
Instructions
- 1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a 9×9 inch square pan with parchment paper2. In a bowl, mix the oats, brown rice crisps, cornmeal, salt, baking soda, and flax, if using. 3. in a small pot melt together the honey and coconut oil over medium heat. Bring to a boil. Boil 30 seconds. Remove from the heat. Stir in the vanilla. Pour over the oats. Mix well to coat. 4. Dump the oats into the prepared pan. Using the back of a 1/2 cup measuring spoon, firmly press the mix into an even layer, really packing it tight. 5. Bake 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and carefully spread the jam over the bars. Bake another 10 minutes. Let the bars cool 10 minutes then remove from the pan. Let cool another 30 minutes, then cut into the bars.6. To make the glaze. Warm the yogurt and honey together for 15 seconds in the microwave. Add the vanilla, then whisk in the powdered sugar and meringue powder, if using. 7. Dip or drizzle each bar with the glaze. Let dry at least 1 hour, ideally overnight. The bars will be sticky if you don't let them really dry. Store in an air-tight container.
Hi, Tieghan. We had fresh blueberries in the house, so I made my own jelly. In spite of my best efforts to pack the mixture – both before they went in the oven and again when they came out to spread the jelly on top – they were prone to falling apart. Would you add a little more honey/coconut oil to prevent that from happening? Everyone loved the flavor!
I had the same problem…. Despite using jarred blueberry preserves. The whole thing fell apart. It was still delicious.
Hey Susie,
Wonderful! Thanks so much for making these bars and sharing your feedback, I love to hear that they were enjoyed! Yes, you could totally add some more honey to prevent them from breaking next time. xTieghan
Can I use less powdered sugar?
Hi Lynne,
You could, it will just be runnier, so be careful with that! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xx
Hi! Is there any substitute for rice crisps? I cannot eat rice at all. And, I am not sure what rice crisps are anyway. Lol! Maybe I could use corn based things, like corn chex? I love jam squares! And I have an extra large jar of blueberry jam that I would love to open. I have to be gluten free, so a lot of your recipes don’t work for me. But I admire your creative recipes and can sometimes convert them. Thank you.
Hi Alene,
You could try using an equal amount of oats. I hope this recipe turns out amazing for you! Please let me know if you give it a try:) xx
Any substitution for brown rice crisps?
They are not in my local grocery store or can I use a half cup more of oats
Hi Karen,
Just use regular rice crisps:) I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xx
Disappointed. Mine bombed big style. Not sure what I did wrong. The granola layer crumbled and was soggy despite the drying for an hour and it was too thin despite the 9×9” pan and packing tight. Regardless, it was delicious even as just a crumble.
Hi Adriana,
Thanks for giving this recipe a try, so sorry to hear you had some issues. Did you make sure the bottom layer was really packed into the pan tightly? Is it possible you boiled the honey and coconut oil for too long? Let me know how I can help! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan, Thanks very much for your reply. I am willing to try this again. I definitely packed it in but the layer was really think. So does overboiling ruin the adhesive nature of the oat mixture. I actually didn’t set a time for 30 seconds, so it’s possible. Willing to try it again and will advise you!
So over-boiling can cause the honey to become hard like candy, so you do want to make sure to only boil for 30 seconds:) I hope this helps!
Just made these bars last night and they are so so good! Love how simple the ingredients are and that the recipe was mostly made from things that are commonly found in the pantry.
Thanks for another stellar recipe Tieghan!
Hey Megan,
Happy Friday!? Thanks a lot for trying this recipe out, I love to hear that it was a winner! xx
Mine crumbled into granola. I guess I didn’t pack it tight enough ??♀️. Flavor was delicious though!! Definitely will try again.
Hey Kylie,
Thanks for trying the recipe! Try using the bottom of a measuring cup to really pack it tightly! I hope that helps for next time! xx
Not really being a fan of blueberry, would another jam flavor work? Thanks Tieghan!
My kids like different things. I did apricot on half and strawberry on half and they were both delicious!
Such a great idea!!
Hey Robin,
Absolutely! Really any jam that you enjoy would work well for you:) I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xx
These look like a great snack for post baseball game treats! Can’t wait to try!
Thanks so much Gloria, I hope you love the recipe!! xx
So these are okay at room temp. even with the yogurt drizzle/coating?
These look amazing, I can’t wait to try!
You bet! I hope you love the recipe!!
Any substitution option for the Greek yogurt?
Hi Amy,
What kind of substitute option are you looking for? You could use a non-dairy yogurt! Let me know if I can help in any other way! xx
Is there something that could be substituted for the cornmeal like almond meal/flour or another flour? Or something else?
Hi Lexie,
I would try using an equal amount of almond flour. Let me know how the recipe turns out, I hope you love it! xTieghan
I want to make these for a back to school snack! Do they freeze well?
Hi Jane,
Sure, you could totally freeze these! I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
Hi! How long will the bars stay fresh and tasty stored in an airtight container? Can they be refrigerated or will they get soggy? t
Thanks, they do look Yum!
Hey Jen,
These are good for about 1 week in an airtight container on the counter. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
Hi! These look yummy! When you say old fashioned oats…do you mean rolled or quick oats?
Thanks!
Hi Tammy,
For this recipe you will want to use rolled oats, not quick oats. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
These were so delicious! The only issue I had is that I couldn’t get them to harden up..I’m wondering if it was bc I used a glass casserole dish to bake them in. I’m going to give it a second try with a tin pan!
Hi Katie,
Happy Tuesday!! Thanks a bunch for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback! I am so glad it was enjoyed:)
I can’t wait to make these! My kids and myself are going to love them! Major bonus to being gluten free too!!
I hope you love the recipe Molly! Let me know how they turn out! xT