Mixed Berry Oatmeal Bars for #NationalOatmealMonth

Jolene from Jolene’s Recipe Journal invited the Festive Foodies to join her in celebrating National Oatmeal Month! She said: "January is #NationalOatmealMonth! Oats are so delicious. good for you, and can be prepared so many different ways, sweet or savory."

We love oatmeal in this house - we go through a lot of it! I bake oatmeal for breakfast, or serve it hot and creamy with various mix-ins. I love it in crisps and crumbles, and incorporate it into muffins from time to time. And variations of oatmeal bars are definitely a dessert favorite!

I happened to have a good sized bag of mixed berries in the freezer, and knew they would be delicious in a sweet dessert bar. These are very reminiscent of a crisp or crumble in flavor, and are delicious warmed and served with some vanilla yogurt, or ice cream. You can chill them if you'd like them to be firmer in texture. They're delicious either way!

Come see all of the ways we're celebrating oatmeal today with all of these delicious recipes!

National Oatmeal Month

• Blueberry Pecan Baked Oatmeal from Kate's Recipe Box
• Overnight Maple Oatmeal from Jolene’s Recipe Journal
• Banana Bread Baked Oatmeal from Cheese Curd In Paradise
• Low Carb Oatmeal Raisin Cookies from Palatable Pastime
• Masala Oats from Magical Ingredients
• Yellow Cake Baked Oatmeal from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Sour Cream & Raisin Oatmeal Squares from Savory Moments
• Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal from Kathryn's Kitchen Blog
• Chocolate Chip Pecan Granola Bars from Family Around the Table
• Cranberry Orange Baked Oatmeal from Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
• Oatmeal Kiss Cookies from A Little Fish in the Kitchen
• Mixed Berry Oatmeal Bars from Making Miracles
• Overnight Slow Cooker Ice Cream Oatmeal from The Spiffy Cookie
• Leftover Oatmeal Muffins from A Day in the LIfe on the Farm
• Lavender Blueberry Chia Seed Oatmeal from Our Sutton Place

Mixed Berry Oatmeal Bars

Ingredients

2 ½ cups mixed berries, fresh or frozen (thawed if frozen)

1 TBS lemon juice

2 tsp corn starch

3 TBS sugar

1 ½ cup oats (I used old-fashioned, quick work well)

1 ½ cup flour

1 cup brown sugar, lightly packed

1 cup butter, melted

1 ½ tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 ½ tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 2-quart baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a medium sized bowl, combine the berries with the lemon juice, cornstarch and granulated sugar. Stir to coat and set aside.
3. In another medium bowl, melt the butter, and then add in the oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, baking powder, and stir. Stir gently to combine.
4. Spread 2/3 of the oats mixture in the base of the prepared baking sheet, pressing firmly to form the bottom layer. Spread the berry mixture over the top and drop the remaining oats mixture in small clumps around the top of the berry layer.
5. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until the oats are golden, and mixture is thick and bubbly.
6. Allow to cool completely before slicing and serving.

Recipe adapted from Lemons and Zest