Homemade Blueberry Nutri-Grain Bars (Soft Whole Wheat Breakfast Bars)

Homemade blueberry Nutri-Grain bars: a childhood favorite, made from scratch.

As a kid, I loved Nutri-Grain bars. I was never much for sugary candy, chips, or other "kid" foods, but I loved Nutri-Grain bars. They were full of fruit, and unlike other snack bars they were soft, almost like they were freshly baked. Sometimes I ate them as a quick breakfast, sometimes as an after-school snack.

As I got older I slowly stopped eating them out of the box, but that does not mean I do not crave one every now and then. Do not lie, you know you crave an Oreo sometimes too.

In the first year of the blog I made strawberry Nutri-Grain bars (check out the strawberry version, I have updated that recipe too) and then completely forgot about them.

Until now.

With everything going on with my Nonnie, I have been craving childhood favorites. Sometimes when you are feeling a little down, what you really need to feel happy again is to go back to being a kid.

I know it sounds silly, but trust me, it works.

Thankfully I have this magical recipe, and my brothers, to bring the kid out in me again, and I am so grateful for that. Speaking of brothers, one of mine has been a total lifesaver lately. He lives at my parents' house, right next door to mine, and helps with all the animals, hello eight goats, thirteen chickens, and two cats. Without him there is no way I could get everything done and keep up with work (and life in general). Family really is the best, and I love that mine is always there for each other through the ups and downs.

Anyway, with school starting soon (little Miss Asher goes back on August 24), the timing for homemade Nutri-Grain bars could not be better. They are perfect for breakfast on the go or for the school snack box.

You might think making these bars at home is difficult, but it is quite the opposite.

They are actually very quick and easy to make. Yes!

Okay. Here is how the recipe works.

The dough is made with two of my favorite Bob's Red Mill ingredients: whole wheat flour and old-fashioned rolled oats. If there are two baking ingredients I use most, it is probably those two.

But the secret to the dough? Greek yogurt. It keeps the bars from turning crumbly and instead makes them soft and moist. I know it sounds a little odd, but trust me, after testing this recipe many times, the key is Greek yogurt.

For the filling I made a simple homemade blueberry jam, because I had a few pints of blueberries starting to wrinkle, and that is what jam is for. You can of course use store-bought jam, in any flavor.

These are delicious warm from the oven, or packed up as a snack any time of day. You can even freeze them and thaw one whenever you need something super fast.

Lastly, I will just say that I made these again on Sunday simply because I wanted to bake something comforting, and it made my whole mood happier.

Bottom line? Bake a childhood favorite, smile, and maybe do something silly too. Sometimes we all just need to be carefree kids again.

Homemade Blueberry Nutri-Grain Bars

Prep time: 15 minutes | Cook time: 15 minutes | Total time: 30 minutes | Yield: 10 bars | Calories: 248 kcal per bar

Nutrition information is an estimate only and is not guaranteed to be accurate.

Ingredients

• 1 cup (120 g) whole wheat flour
• 3/4 cup (70 g) old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 6 tablespoons (85 g) cold unsalted butter, grated
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup (320 g) blueberry jam, homemade (below) or store-bought
• Buttermilk, for brushing

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). In a large bowl, mix together the flour, oats, cinnamon, and salt. Add the butter and mix until combined. Add the egg yolks, yogurt, honey, and vanilla and mix until just combined, adding cold water 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough comes together into a ball.
2. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and roll it out to 1/8 inch (3 mm) thick. Cut the dough into rectangles of about 4 x 4 1/2 inches (10 x 11 cm). Place a heaping tablespoon of jam in the center of each rectangle, leaving a 1/4-inch (5 mm) border. Brush the border with buttermilk. Fold one side up over the filling and pinch the ends of the dough together. Do the same on the other side, pressing the dough together at the seam with your fingers to seal. Carefully flip each bar over and place it seam side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough.
3. Cover and chill the baking sheet in the fridge for 10–15 minutes. Once chilled, brush the tops of the bars lightly with buttermilk and bake on the middle rack for 15–20 minutes, or until the tops are lightly golden. Do not overbake.
4. Cool for 5–10 minutes, then carefully transfer the bars to a lidded glass container, layering them between sheets of parchment paper. This traps the heat and moisture and gently steams the bars, keeping them soft. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days, or longer in the fridge. The bars can also be wrapped in plastic and frozen; thaw for 1 hour.

Quick Blueberry Jam

Prep time: 5 minutes | Cook time: 15 minutes | Total time: 20 minutes | Yield: 1 cup jam | Calories: 468 kcal per cup

Nutrition information is an estimate only and is not guaranteed to be accurate.

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups (370 g) fresh or frozen blueberries
• 1/3 cup (115 g) honey
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 pinch kosher salt

Instructions

1. Combine the blueberries, honey, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt in a medium pot over high heat. Bring to a boil, then use a potato masher or fork to break up and mash the blueberries. Continue to cook for 5–8 minutes, or until the jam has reduced by half and thickened. Remove from the heat and let cool. Store in a glass jar in the fridge for up to two weeks.

A fruity Nutri-Grain bar in hand. Obviously.