Blueberry Bars

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Blueberry bars take blueberry pie and make it portable! Made with a press-in crust and crumble topping, this sweet dessert is perfect for any summer celebration or backyard cookout.

I love making pie into bars. There’s no worry about rolling out and shaping the crust, and bars don’t need a fork and knife to eat.

They still have all the flavors I love from pie though, especially if you’re a fan of crumble toppings. They’re great for every season too, so you can make raspberry pie bars in the summertime or apple pie bars in the fall.

Summer is the time to double down on fruit desserts, in my opinion, so I absolutely had to share my blueberry bar recipe as well.

With fresh blueberries and a buttery crumb topping, they’re so good for bringing to a picnic or even enjoying with breakfast.

These blueberry pie bars are a great option if you need a summery sweet treat that’s bursting with juicy flavor!

Ingredients for blueberry bars

You’ll need:

Blueberries – This recipe needs a full pint of blueberries. Make sure yours are plump and not wrinkled or molding. Remove any stems that might remain on the blueberries, too.

I recommend tasting the blueberries before making the recipe, as each box can vary in flavor. If your blueberries are extra tart, you might want to add more sugar to the filling.

Flour – I use all-purpose flour for this recipe. If you want to make the bars gluten free, you can use a gluten-free blend like Pamela’s.

Powdered sugar – Powdered sugar in the crust gives it a more tender texture that is somewhat similar to shortbread. You do not need to sift it before measuring, but make sure to break up any lumps.

Granulated sugar – Granulated sugar sweetens the blueberry filling, and I also use it for the crumble topping. You can use brown sugar if you prefer; it will give the crumble a darker color.

Butter – You’ll need butter for all three components of this recipe. I use unsalted butter.

Salt – Just a pinch of salt for the crust is all you need.

Egg – Egg is the binder for the pie crust. You just need 1 large egg to bring it all together.

Lemon juice – I add lemon juice to the blueberries to brighten them up. You can use lemon zest instead for a bigger punch of flavor!

How to make this recipe

Preheat the oven to 375°F and line an 8×8 square baking pan with parchment paper, or coat with nonstick spray. Parchment paper will make it easy to lift the bars out for cutting.

First, make the crust.

In a food processor, pulse together the flour, powdered sugar, and salt.

Cut the butter into small pieces and add it to the processor, pulsing until it resembles wet sand. It’s OK if some butter pieces are a little larger.

Add the egg and pulse again until mixed in and the dough has clumped together.

Dump the dough into the baking pan and press evenly all the way to the edges and into the corners. A flat-bottomed measuring cup or glass can help make it even.

Prick the bottom of the crust with a fork and chill for 10 minutes.

While it is chilling, make the filling.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, add the blueberries, granulated sugar, and lemon juice.

Stir to melt the sugar, cooking for 5-10 minutes, until the blueberries and released juices and the liquid thickens somewhat. Remove from heat and let cool.

Place the chilled crust in the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Let cool while you make the topping.

To make the crumb topping, mix together remaining flour and granulated sugar. Cut in the butter (or use your hands) until blended and clumps form.

Assemble the bars by pouring the cooled filling onto the crust, making sure it reaches the edges. (If you are using an uncooked filling, simply scatter the berries evenly on the crust.)

Sprinkle the crumble pieces on top of the berries.

Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes, until filling is bubbly around the edges and crumble is golden.

Let cool before removing from the pan and slicing.

FAQ

Can I use blueberry pie filling for this recipe?

To save some prep time, you can absolutely use pie filling! I use my extra homemade blueberry pie filling to make these bars all the time.

Can I use frozen blueberries?

Frozen fruit works great for these bars, because it usually breaks down slightly during thawing.

Make sure the fruit is thawed completely and well drained.

Do I have to cook the blueberry filling?

Cooking the blueberry filling really depends on your preferences for the final bars. 

I’ve made it both ways, with the cooked filling and with just tossing together the blueberries, sugar, and lemon juice. Both are delicious, but cooking the filling will help ensure it completely covers the crust.

Be sure to cool the filling before assembling the bars, or your crumble topping may start to melt before it gets into the oven.

Can I freeze blueberry bars?

Absolutely! Blueberry bars can be frozen after cooling completely. 

I prefer to freeze them after cutting, so I can just grab a single bar to snack on.

Frozen blueberry bars can be thawed overnight in the refrigerator, or microwaved from frozen for 20-30 seconds.

More blueberry recipes

Have extra blueberries on hand? Try these:

• Blueberry White Chocolate Cookies
• Blueberry Pancakes
• Blueberry Biscuits
• Blueberry Bread