Comment on Healthy Berry Streusel Bars by Michelle @ Sally's Baking
These easy combine 2 layers of almond oat streusel and 1 thick layer of berry filling. They’re made with wholesome ingredients like oats, almond butter, applesauce, berries, and maple syrup. By skipping the butter, egg, and other dairy ingredients, these dessert bars are vegan. If using certified gluten-free oats, they’re gluten free as well! Use your favorite berries like blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries.
and have since added new photos and more success tips. I also made 2 slight adjustments to the recipe: the bars are now vegan and by pulsing the oats into a finer cut, they hold their shape MUCH better.
This dessert recipe has been a consistent favorite for many years. They’re flavored with almond, cinnamon, maple syrup, and have plenty of berries in each bite.
“Oh wow! These are AMAZING! Every time I try a new recipe I think it’s my favorite, but THIS one is now my favorite. I used fresh picked blueberries. What an incredible bar that’s not too sweet and packed with flavor. Thanks for another winner recipe! ★★★★★”
Plus, they freeze easily AND they’re adult and toddler approved. They remind me of these blueberry banana breakfast cookies, which are equally easy and healthful. (Another favorite!)
It only takes a few minutes. It needs to cool completely before using, so you can make it ahead of time.
Pulsing the oats breaks them up, which helps guarantee the bars will hold their shape. (Very necessary with a juicy filling.) I actually started doing this with my peanut butter trail mix bars and it made all the difference—tight, compact bars!
Spread cooled berry filling on top. Add some sliced almonds to the rest of the crust/streusel, then sprinkle on top.
For neat squares, it’s best to let these bars cool completely before slicing.
Here are some ingredient substitutions I’ve tested:
Are These Healthy?
I say this a lot with the lightened-up recipes I publish, but “healthy” is a relative term. In my eyes, these are perfectly healthy dessert bars. They’re made with whole foods like almond butter and fiber-filled oats, plus there’s no white flour or refined sugar. However, they may be too sugary for someone who needs to watch their sugar intake and they’re obviously not ideal for anyone allergic to nuts.
These bars are among great company as one of my favorite healthy dessert recipes. Browse more of my healthier recipes, like peanut butter oatmeal bars, bran muffins, and no-bake Greek yogurt fruit tart.
And for additional gluten free sweet treats, see my complete list of 40 favorite gluten free dessert recipes.
These easy healthy berry streusel bars combine two layers of almond oat streusel and one thick layer of berry filling. These dessert bars are vegan. If using certified gluten-free oats, they’re gluten free as well!
Berry Filling
Crust + Streusel
- I recommend using creamy almond butter, but you can use crunchy instead if needed. You can also replace with peanut butter (natural or non-natural), cashew butter, or another nut butter of your choice. Sunflower seed butter is a great nut-free alternative.
- I’ve made these bars countless times with all sort of ingredients substitutions. See all successful ingredient substitutions in the blog post above.
- I mix sliced almonds into the topping, but you can use any chopped nut (or sunflower seeds/pepitas) instead. I don’t recommend skipping this addition because it helps bulk up the topping. If you don’t have any nuts, add 1/4 cup (20g) of whole or quick oats to the topping mixture in step 5. No need to pulse them first and no need for that extra 1 Tablespoon of oats.
