Easy Blueberry Crumb Bars are a tasty summer treat on the go! Melt-in-your-mouth buttery shortbread-like crust and crumble with a fresh blueberry filling.
With all the fresh berry flavor and buttery crust of a Blueberry Pie that you can take on the go, this is sure to be a new go-to Dessert Recipe during blueberry season!
BLUEBERRY CRUMB BARS
Blueberries are one of the absolute best fruits to bake with! Not only are they naturally sweet and so delicious but they are so easy to use. There’s no peeling, hulling, or slicing, just rinse your berries in cool water and they are ready to go for easy recipes like these Blueberry Crumb Bars!
This tasty dessert could easily be called Blueberry Pie Bars with their double flaky crust and the jammy, homemade pie filling inside. Made with either fresh or frozen berries, you’ll love how easy this recipe comes together with simple pantry ingredients and about 10 minutes of prep time.
You can even make this Blueberry Crumble Bar recipe by hand, no stand mixer or food processor needed. Pulsing the cookie crumble ingredients in a processor makes this step faster, but you can also use a fork or pastry cutter to make the crumb dough. Whatever is easiest for you, that’s what will work for this recipe!
Blueberry Crumb Bars are so simple and are less sweet than many blueberry desserts. You can serve them for breakfast with some greek yogurt on the side. For a summer dessert, try them warmed up with Vanilla Ice Cream or Whipped Cream. If you don’t want to wait for them to cool, you can scoop the crumb bars from the pan like a Blueberry Crisp.
Tips for Blueberry Crumb Bars
- Cold butter is key to getting the crumbly texture that you need for crumb bars. It makes the crust and topping flakier, closer to a pie crust than a typical crumble. Cold butter also adds richness to the dough too.
- Use either fresh or frozen blueberries in this recipe. There’s no need to thaw the blueberries before hand, just add an extra tablespoon cornstarch to absorb the juice. Frozen blueberries will take a little longer to bake, about 10 minutes.
- Cool your Blueberry Crumble Bars completely before trying to cut them. If you cut them while hot, the filling will ooze out and the crumble will fall apart. It can take 1-2 hours, depending how warm the room temperature is.
- If you want to make Blueberry Crumb Bars ahead of time, it’s better to freeze them unbaked and reheat from frozen. The crumble topping softens as baked Blueberry Bars thaw or are refrigerated. They are still delicious though, just less firm up top.
MORE DELICIOUS BLUEBERRY RECIPES
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VARIATIONS ON BLUEBERRY CRUMB BARS
- Raspberry: Swap raspberries for blueberries in equal amounts to make Raspberry Crumb Bars. You can also use diced strawberries or blackberries.
- Oats: Give the topping extra crunch by adding ½ cup rolled oats to the dough. Don’t use quick oats or instant oats, they will dry out the batter.
- Cookie Mix: For the shortbread dough, use one bag sugar cookie mix and a ½ cup cold butter as a super easy hack for Blueberry Bars.
- Lemon: Lemon goes really well with blueberries, enhancing their flavor and adding tartness. Use 2 tablespoons lemon juice in the filling and add lemon zest to the crust dough for Lemon Blueberry Crumb Bars.
- Icing: Another way to add lemon is to do a lemon icing. Combine 1 cup powered sugar with 2-3 tablespoons lemon juice, making thick enough to glaze. Drizzle over cooled bars.
MORE EASY SUMMER DESSERTS
HOW TO STORE BLUEBERRY CRUMB BARS
- Serve: These Blueberry Bars are best served at room temperature and can be kept covered for up to 4 days in a cool, dry place. Line your container with paper towels to help absorb moisture.
- Store: Keep Blueberry Crumb Bars in an airtight container lined with paper towels for up to 1 week in the refrigerator.
- Freeze: Cool bars completely if freezing already baked. Cover baking pan with tightly plastic wrap and aluminum foil and freeze for up to 6 months. Bake uncooked Blueberry Bars from frozen at 375 degrees for 50-60 minutes.
Ingredients
Shortbread Crumb:
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar , packed
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 3 cups flour
- 1 cup unsalted butter , cold, cut into cubes
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Blueberry Filling:
- 4 cups fresh blueberries
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with baking spray.
- In a food processor, combine ½ cup white sugar with brown sugar, flour, baking powder and salt.
- Add the butter and egg to the food processor and pulse until a crumbly dough forms.
- Press half of the dough into the prepared pan.
- In a separate bowl, gently toss the blueberries in remaining sugar and cornstarch until well coated.
- Spread the blueberry mixture evenly over the crust.
- Crumble remaining dough over the blueberry layer.
- Bake for 45 minutes, or until top is slightly brown and blueberry filling is bubbling.
- Cool completely before cutting into squares.
How can I make without using food processor? Thanks in advanced!
You can use a fork or pastry cutter to make the crumb dough. Good luck!
These were so easy to make. Tasted just like summer! And looked so beautiful. That rich blue color is all heart-eyes!! Thanks for this yummy treat recipe.
You’re welcome!
Oh, wow. These bars are incredible! And with the blueberries I can almost justify eating them for breakfast! Maybe I will anyway…without the justification!
Sounds like a good idea to me too, Betsy!
I really can’t wait to make it again! It is so good!
Glad you enjoyed them. I appreciate the 5 star rating.