Filled with a delicious fresh blueberry layer with a dash of lemon and then topped with a delicate sweet buttery crumble these Blueberry Bars are an amazing tasty sweet treat! It’s a super simple recipe and an easy dessert that your whole family will love!
The Best Blueberry Bars
Summertime is blueberry season! It’s a time of year that I love and look forward to buying fresh juicy and plump sweet blueberries to make some of my favorites like Homemade Blueberry Muffins, Blueberry Coffee Cake, and Berry Pie! But this year I wanted to try something a little different.
So I took all the best parts of a delicious blueberry pie and all the best parts of a blueberry crumble to create these scrumptious blueberry bars! The recipe only requires the most basic pantry ingredients that you likely already have on hand and fresh blueberries. That’s it! It’s so easy! Just 15 minutes to make and 45 minutes to bake!
The bars bake up so buttery and light, oozing with a yummy fresh blueberry filling that is both perfectly sweet and tart. They are fantastic with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for an after-dinner dessert or alongside a cup of coffee at breakfast.
Why We Love This Blueberry Bars Recipe
- Fresh Blueberry Deliciousness! Fresh plump juicy blueberries just make everything better with their perfect balance of sweet but tart flavor! And these bars are loaded with them.
- Easy to Make! This recipe is super easy even for the most beginner bakers. You don’t need any special equipment and there are just a few simple steps.
- Pantry Staple Ingredients! Everything you need to make these blueberry bars is likely already in your pantry. The crumble layer is made with basic ingredients. So you just need some fresh blueberries and you’re all set!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Crumb Layers
- Flour – Simple all-purpose flour is all you need.
- Sugar – I used granulated white sugar, but you can also use cane sugar.
- Brown Sugar – Light brown sugar sweetens the bars like the white sugar, but naturally has a little bit of molasses in it.
- Baking Powder – Used as a leavening agent.
- Salt – Balances the sweetness of the bars as well as enhances the flavor of the blueberries.
- Butter – Always use unsalted butter in baking and it needs to be cold for this recipe.
- Eggs – You need a large egg to help bind the crumb topping.
- Vanilla – Use pure vanilla extract if you can to add another layer of flavor.
Blueberry Layer
- Blueberries – Fresh blueberries are ideal for this recipe. Yet, frozen will work if you don’t have any fresh on hand.
- Cornstarch – Just a tad is used to thicken the blueberry filling. You can also use arrowroot starch if you are avoiding corn.
- Sugar – Simple granulated sugar or cane sugar is perfect.
- Lemon Juice – For the best flavor use freshly squeezed lemon juice. It’s used to brighten the filling and boost the natural blueberry filling.
How To Make Blueberry Bars
- Preheat the oven and prep the pan: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Then spray a 9×13-inch baking pan with cooking spray and line it with parchment paper that is hanging off the sides so that the bars are easy to lift out once baked.
- Begin the crumble dough: Whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Now, add the cold cubed butter and use a pastry cutter or fork to blend until it’s well combined and crumbly. The butter must be cold for this step.
- Add the egg and vanilla: In a small bowl, whisk the egg together with the vanilla extract. Then add it to the flour mixture and blend it in using a pastry cutter, wooden spoon or fork until the dough is crumbly. Try not to over blend. The butter needs to stay chunky for the crumble to have texture.
- Form the crust: Transfer half of the dough to the prepared baking pan and press it firmly into the bottom to form the crust of the bars.
- Make the blueberry filling: In another bowl, combine the fresh blueberries, cornstarch, lemon juice, and ½ cup of sugar in a separate bowl.
- Add the blueberry layer: Evenly spread the blueberry mixture over the bottom crust layer in the baking pan.
- Top with the crumb layer: Sprinkle the remaining crumb mixture evenly over the blueberry mixture using your fingers to crumble it up if necessary.
- Bake the blueberry bars: Put the baking pan into the oven and bake the bars for about 45 minutes to an hour or until the top is golden brown in color.
- Cool and serve: Once baked, allow the bars to completely cool in the pan before lifting them out to cut into blueberry squares to serve.
When Is Blueberry SEason?
Blueberry season is typically in the summer between June and August of every year. But you can make these yummy blueberry crumb bars any time of year and even use frozen berries if you can’t find any fresh in the store.
Can I Use Frozen Blueberries?
Yes, you can totally make this recipe using frozen blueberries. However, I suggest letting them defrost and then draining as much liquid as possible to prevent a soggy crust.
Can I Mkae Gluten-Free Blueberry Bars?
Probably yes, but I’ve not tried. However, make sure to use a 1-to-1 gluten-free flour that has xanthan gum in it, which acts as a replacement for the gluten that is naturally in all-purpose flour and the recipe should work perfectly.
Can I Make Vegan Blueberry Bars?
Yes, simply use vegan butter or shortening in place of the cold butter. Just remember that you want the dough to have chunks of fat to produce that light crumbly texture.
Expert Tips
- Cold butter is a must. Be sure your butter is cold to get that amazing crumbly texture that makes the topping so yummy. You can even put the cubed butter in the freezer for about 5 minutes before you begin the recipe.
- Use parchment paper. Line the baking pan with parchment paper to ensure that the bars don’t stick. Also, make sure you use enough so that it hangs over the edges. Doing this makes it so much easier to remove the bars.
- Use fresh blueberries. For these simple bars, use fresh blueberries if they are in season. You can use frozen, but the fresh blueberries are a treat and burst in your mouth with each bite.
- Bake until golden brown. Check your bars after 45 minutes of baking, but depending upon your oven it could take up to an hour to get a lovely golden brown color on the crumble.
Storage
Homemade blueberry bars can be stored in an airtight container for about 1 to 2 days at room temperature or for about 5 days in the fridge. To reheat, you can put them in the microwave for about 15 seconds or in the toaster oven for about 2 to 3 minutes.
Other Delicious Desserts To Try
- Blueberry Lemon Rolls
- Blueberry Buckle
- Bakery Style Blueberry Muffins
- Blueberry Coffee Cake
- Lemon Blueberry Scones
- Blackberry Cobbler
- Apple Pie Bread Pudding
Craving More? Follow Along:
Blueberry Bars
Ingredients
Crumb Layers
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup butter unsalted, cold and cut in cubes
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Blueberry Layer
- 5 cups fresh blueberries
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice freshly squeezed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven and prep the pan: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Then spray a 9×13-inch baking pan with cooking spray and line it with parchment paper that is hanging off the sides so that the bars are easy to lift out once baked.
- Begin the crumble dough: Whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Now, add the cold cubed butter and use a pastry cutter or fork to blend until it’s well combined and crumbly. The butter must be cold for this step.
- Add the egg and vanilla: In a small bowl, whisk the egg together with the vanilla extract. Then add it to the flour mixture and blend it in using a pastry cutter, wooden spoon or fork until the dough is crumbly. Try not to over blend. The butter needs to stay chunky for the crumble to have texture.
- Form the crust: Transfer half of the dough to the prepared baking pan and press it firmly into the bottom to form the crust of the bars.
- Make the blueberry filling: In another bowl, combine the fresh blueberries, cornstarch, lemon juice, and ½ cup of sugar in a separate bowl.
- Add the blueberry layer: Evenly spread the blueberry mixture over the bottom crust layer in the baking pan.
- Top with the crumb layer: Sprinkle the remaining crumb mixture evenly over the blueberry mixture using your fingers to crumble it up if necessary.
- Bake the blueberry bars: Put the baking pan into the oven and bake the bars for about 45 minutes to an hour or until the top is golden brown in color.
- Cool and serve: Once baked, allow the bars to completely cool in the pan before lifting them out to cut into blueberry squares to serve.
Tips & Notes:
- Cold butter is a must. Be sure your butter is cold to get that amazing crumbly texture that makes the topping so yummy. You can even put the cubed butter in the freezer for about 5 minutes before you begin the recipe.
- Use parchment paper. Line the baking pan with parchment paper to ensure that the bars don’t stick. Also, make sure you use enough so that it hangs over the edges. Doing this makes it so much easier to remove the bars.
- Use fresh blueberries. For these simple bars, use fresh blueberries if they are in season. You can use frozen, but the fresh blueberries are a treat and burst in your mouth with each bite.
- Bake until golden brown. Check your bars after 45 minutes of baking, but depending upon your oven it could take up to an hour to get a lovely golden brown color on the crumble.
- Homemade blueberry bars can be stored in an airtight container for about 1 to 2 days at room temperature or for about 5 days in the fridge. To reheat, you can put them in the microwave for about 15 seconds or in the toaster oven for about 2 to 3 minutes.
