Blueberry Crumb Bars
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It’s blueberry season so that means one thing, we should all be making these Blueberry Crumb Bars! These are a go-to summer treat for me, I’ve been making them for years and everyone always loves them. They’re easy to make and those fresh blueberries just make them so unbelievably delicious!
Blueberry Bars with Crumble Topping
We recently took a trip to Oregon and went berry picking at the berry farms there and I couldn’t have been happier, there were blueberries for days!
If you are planning a trip to the Portland area, I recommend going mid-summer just so you can go berry picking :) (we went to Columbia Farms U-Pick, but there’s several to pick from so just check your maps app). We went and bought a cooler and brought home 12 pounds of berries (half blueberry and half raspberry) and we were eating handfuls of them on the drive home.
Blueberries are the perfect snack, they make the best pancakes, the make the tastiest most refreshing smoothies, they’re juicy, they’re sweet and they’re just so poppable. And of course they also make the best desserts and these Blueberry Crumb Bars are proof of that! Try them you’ll see what I mean!
These blueberry crumble bars begin with a buttery shortbread-like layer, then atop that there’s a sweet, slightly lemony blueberry layer, then it’s finished with a second sweet crumb layer. In other words, it’s hard to stop at one bar!
I like these best when they are freshly baked and still warm. Of course they are still good the next day but that crisp crumb topping will soften a bit so if you are planning to make them for a get together then I’d definitely try to make them the day of.
We still eat them for a few days after but that fresh baked goodness just can’t be beat!
Blueberry Bars Ingredients
To make this fresh blueberry recipe, you’ll need the following:
- Granulated sugar
- Brown sugar (more granulated can be substituted)
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Butter
- Egg
- Vanilla
- Blueberries
- Lemon
- Cornstarch
How to Make Blueberry Bars
First you’ll whisk together the dry ingredients (flour, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, salt), then whisk together the egg and vanilla in a bowl.
Add the cubed butter and egg mixture to the flour mixture and cut with a pastry cutter until you’ve got pea sized crumbles.
Press half of the crumb mixture into a prepared baking dish.
In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together remaining granulated sugar and cornstarch, then stir in lemon juice. Add in blueberries and toss to coat then pour blueberry mixture over first layer.
Evenly sprinkle remaining half of crumbs over blueberry layer. Bake in preheated oven until golden brown, about 40 minutes. Let cool partially then cut into squares.
Can I Use Frozen Blueberries?
Yes, but you’ll need to thaw and drain the frozen blueberries first so your bars don’t become soggy in the oven.
Can I Freeze Blueberry Bars?
Yes, but note that the texture will change. These fresh blueberry bars have a wonderfully crisp crumble topping, and that crispness is lost once frozen. However, these bars will still taste amazing!
Tips for Making Blueberry Bars
- You could easily change up this recipe by using another fresh berry.
- To make the filling more lemony, add the zest of one lemon.
- You must let these blueberry crumb bars cool a bit before slicing them. If you try to slice the bars while they’re still hot, the filling will ooze out.
More Blueberry Recipes to Try
- Blueberry Buttermilk Cake
- Lemon Blueberry Bread
- Best Blueberry Muffins
- No-Bake Cheesecake with Fresh Blueberry Sauce
- Blueberry Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Blueberry Cobbler
- Blueberry Buckle
Follow Cooking Classy
Blueberry Crumb Bars
Ingredients
- 3 cups (390g) all-purpose flour (spoon and level)
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (100g) brown sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 large egg
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into cubes
Filling
- 1 Tbsp (9g) cornstarch
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 Tbsp (22ml) lemon juice
- 4 cups (538g) fresh blueberries, at room temperature
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a 9x13-inch baking dish (also line with parchment and butter parchment if you'd like to lift them out easier), set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl whisk together flour, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder and salt.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together egg and vanilla until combine.
- Add egg mixture and cold butter cubes to flour mixture and using a fork or a pastry cutter, cut mixture together until it resembles coarse crumbs.
- Press 1/2 of the mixture evenly into prepared baking dish.
- In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar and cornstarch, stir in lemon juice.
- Add blueberries then toss mixture to evenly coat, pour and spread coated blueberries evenly over crust in baking dish.
- Sprinkle remaining crumb mixture over berry layer.
- Bake in preheated oven about 38 - 42 minutes until top is golden brown.
- Allow to cool for about 20 - 30 minutes before cutting into squares.
- Store cooled bars in an airtight container in refrigerator (rewarm in microwave for 10 - 15 seconds if desired).
Notes
- You could easily change up this recipe by using another fresh berry.
- To make the filling more lemony, add the zest of one lemon.
- Recipe Source: adapted from allrecipes.com.