This blackberry traybake is a delicious way to enjoy the fruit from those heaving bramble bushes, whether you’ve picked them from a nearby field or lane, or a pick-your-own farm or even just from the nearest park.

Late summer with its bountiful harvest of rich blackberries, plums, and all kinds of soft fruits.
In a way this time of year makes me sad, sad that summer is nearly over, with that bittersweet yearning you get for missing out on something, the sense that summer is coming to a close.
But also there is the excitement of the new (school) year to come as well.
Oozing with blackberry juice, this blackberry traybake or sheet cake is perfect sliced into squares and packed up for a picnic or added to a lunchbox.
Using oats in a cake makes it feel much healthier than your usual cake, in fact it would also work well for breakfast. Cake for breakfast = winning!
Not quite the same as a flapjack which is denser and more chewy, this is a light oaty cake with a layer of mashed blackberries through it.
As you slice through the deep red of the blackberry layer inside is revealed, it makes the cake juicy and soft.
That deep red juice just oozes out, yum!
Recipe inspiration
I tried this combination of ingredients after picking up some lovely blackberries at the supermarket.
An open packet of oats was calling out to be finished off in my cupboard, and knowing that oats can be made into flour using a food processor, I thought I would see how it would turn out.
Not having a food processor to hand, I used them whole in my blackberry oaty traybake.
How happy my children were to see I had been baking!
They love picking blackberries if we spot brambles down at the park as well as at our local pick-your-own farm.
Those juice-stained faces and hands are always a dead giveaway that they’ve been trying a few samples!
Ingredients
Here’s what you will need for this recipe. Grab the quantities from the recipe card further down.
- butter or sunflower spread – if using butter, I prefer unsalted.
- caster sugar
- runny honey
- eggs – I prefer free-range
- vanilla bean paste or extract (avoid vanilla essence)
- self-raising flour
- porridge oats
- blackberries
Method
It’s a lovely bake to make as you want it to look rustic, so you don’t need to spend too much time on spreading the mashed blackberry layer too carefully.
I just dolloped it in, spread it round and then topped with the rest of the oat mixture.
Here are the step by step instructions.
- Cream together the butter or sunflower spread and caster sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the honey, eggs, and vanilla bean extract. Mix well.
- Pour in the flour and oats and mix well.
- Line a square baking tin (approx 20 cm) with baking paper. Preheat the oven to 180℃ (fan) / 350℉.
- Spoon half the oaty mixture into the tin and spread into an even layer.
- Mash half of the blackberries in a small bowl with the back of a fork until you have a runny consistency.
- Spoon the mashed blackberries over the oaty mixture and spread around using the back of the spoon.
- Roughly spoon the rest of the oaty mixture over the blackberry layer and spread it gently.
- Scatter the remaining (whole) blackberries on top and press them in gently.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown on top and cooked through (check with a skewer).
- Allow to cool and then slice into squares and enjoy.
Blackberries are also a big favourite here in that autumn and winter staple, the fruit crumble.
I’ve found that the flavour of blackberries is enhanced by the addition of rose water, as shown in my blackberry and rose crumble.
My oaty traybake is almost a tidier way of eating a crumble, in bar form.
The good thing about the traybake though is that the fruit is unsweetened and really shines on its own.
If the tart flavour of blackberries is a favourite with you, you must try this recipe.
Get the recipe below and also make sure you check out my Recipe Index for loads more baking (and slow cooker!) recipes.
Pin this blackberry oaty traybake for later!
Recipe
Blackberry oaty traybake
Ingredients
- 100 g butter or sunflower spread
- 100 g caster sugar (superfine sugar)
- 2 tsp runny honey
- 2 medium eggs free-range
- 2 tsp vanilla bean extract
- 100 g self-raising flour
- 180 g porridge oats
- 250 g blackberries
Instructions
- Cream together the butter or sunflower spread and caster sugar until light and fluffy.100 g butter or sunflower spread, 100 g caster sugar (superfine sugar)
- Add the honey, eggs, and vanilla bean extract. Mix well.2 tsp runny honey, 2 medium eggs, 2 tsp vanilla bean extract
- Pour in the flour and oats and mix well.100 g self-raising flour, 180 g porridge oats
- Line a square baking tin (approx 20 cm) with baking paper. Preheat the oven to 180℃ (fan) / 350℉.
- Spoon half the oaty mixture into the tin and spread into an even layer.
- Mash half of the blackberries in a small bowl with the back of a fork until you have a runny consistency.250 g blackberries
- Spoon the mashed blackberries over the oaty mixture and spread around using the back of the spoon.
- Roughly spoon the rest of the oaty mixture over the blackberry layer and spread it gently.
- Scatter the remaining (whole) blackberries on top and press them in gently.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown on top and cooked through (check with a skewer).
- Allow to cool and then slice into squares and enjoy.
Caroline says
Lovely simple but super tasty recipe, fun to make. Delicious to eat.
Julie Pickard says
Delicious- thank you
bakingqueen74 says
Great Julie so glad you enjoyed it
Julie McPherson says
Love, love love this Lucy. it’s perfect for this time of year making use of those gorgeous seasonal blackberries. Commenting as BritMums Baking Round-up Editor. 🙂
Kat (The Baking Explorer) says
What a yummy way to enjoy those fabulous juicy blackberries! Thanks for linking up to #TreatPetite
bakingqueen74 says
Thanks Kat, love your Eton Mess cookies!
Corina Blum says
These look incredible! We’ve been picking lots of blackberries in the park too as well as getting them from the supermarket. My kids would also love this and they are definitely happy too if I bake!
Jacqui Bellefontaine says
Tray bakes- blackberries – Oats – Yum!!!
jenny paulin says
ooooh this looks so delicious Lucy. Such a perfect way of using up blackberries and I love the sound of a chewy flapjack.
thank you for linking to #Bakeoftheweek x
angela / Only Crumbs Remain says
I absolutely love this Lucy! The wild blackberries near us aren’t quite ripe yet (or atleast they weren’t when I last looked), but I know as soon as they are I’m going to be giving this a try! Looks adsolutely amazing especially with that squidged layer through the middle! Thankyou too for joining in with #BakingCrumbs 🙂
Angela x