Blackberry Pie Bars
93 comments » 
It seems crazy to think that with over three years worth of recipes here on Brown Eyed Baker, that this the first-ever recipe for something involving blackberries. I’m seriously astonished. You’d think that I had cast them off into the land of unfit berries. Do you remember the Land of Unfit Toys from the classic Rudolph movie? Always disturbed me – they cast off ”broken” toys to some iceberg island? What kind of message does that send to kids? Anyway, off of my tangent and back to blackberries… As far as berries go they are probably my 3rd favorite behind blueberries and strawberries. But still, a 3rd favorite out of all summer fruit isn’t a bad position to be in, and they certainly deserve more space here than I have given them. These Blackberry Pie Bars are a fabulous place to start.
This is a fabulous dessert that consists of a shortbread crust, a creamy blackberry pie filling and topped with crumbles of the same wonderful shortbread crust. The result is an almost custard-like pie filling bursting with blackerry flavor, all encompassed by a buttery shortbread crust and topping. Although I didn’t have any in the house at the time, this could only be made better with a supersized scoop of vanilla ice cream sitting on top of it. It makes for the perfect summertime dessert.
A few notes on this recipe:
♦ I like to make shortbread and pie-style crusts in the food processor, but if you don’t have one you could easily use a pastry blender, two knives or forks, or your fingers to incorporate the butter into the flour/sugar mixture. Just remember to work it as little as possible and if the butter has warmed up by the time you’re done, just pop the bowl into the refrigerator for 10 minutes or so to give it another chill.
♦ The 6 cups of blackberries called for in the recipe comes out to a little less than 2 lbs of fresh blackberries. If you find it easier or more economical to use frozen fruit, substitute two 16-ounce packages of frozen blackberries, defrosted and drained.
♦ It’s important to give this the full hour to cool before slicing it; in that time the dessert finishes baking and sets up so that when you slice it the filling doesn’t ooze out all over the place and it stays together.
♦ Blackberries don’t quite do it for you? Are you more of a raspberry or blueberry fan? Substitute your favorite berry in place of the blackberries!
One year ago: Coconut Chocolate Chunk Blondies
Two years ago: Lighter Chicken Parmesan
Three years ago: Taco Rice Salad
Blackberry Pie Bars
Yield: 18 bars
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 55 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Ingredients:
For the Crust and Topping:
Zest of 2 lemons
1½ cups granulated sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
1½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, cubed and chilledFor the Blackberry Filling:
4 large eggs
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup sour cream
¾ cup all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt
6 cups fresh blackberriesDirections:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan with butter; set aside.
2. In a small bowl, combine the granulated sugar and the lemon zest. Using your fingers, rub the zest into the sugar until all of the sugar has been moistened. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the lemon sugar, all-purpose flour and salt. Pulse a few times to combine. Add the butter and continue to pulse until the pieces of butter are no larger than the size of peas, about 10 to 12 pulses.
3. Measure out 1½ cups of the crumb mixture to use for the topping and put it in the refrigerator until needed. Press the remaining mixture into the bottom of the pan. Bake the crust until golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool for about 10 minutes while you prepare the filling.
4. To make the filling, whisk the eggs in a large bowl. Whisk in the sugar, sour cream, flour and salt until thoroughly combined. Gently fold in the blackberries. Spoon the mixture evenly over the crust and make sure all of the blackberries are in one layer and not sitting on top of one another.
5. Sprinkle the reserved crust mixture evenly over the filling. Bake until the top is lightly browned, about 45 to 55 minutes. Let cool for at least 1 hour before cutting.
(Recipe adapted from Joy the Baker)
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Looks delicious!
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Thanks for highlighting blackberries so beautifully in this recipe. I often times get sad because they are so delicious but don’t get nearly as much love as their other berry brothers and sisters.
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I swore off blackberries as a child…my mom would send us to go pick them so she could make tarts, and it took forever in the heat to get enough!! As an adult, I have started loving them again!! This looks so good!!
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Those blackberries are so plump! Love this dessert!
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my mouth is seriously watering right now…the photos are stunning and the recipe sounds like it’s to die for! you’d have to roll me out of the room if i had a pan of those babies
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These look WONDERFUL!!!! I love blackberries too, in fact, they might be my third favorite berry behind strawberries and huckleberries.
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Mmmmm, wish I could grab a piece through my computer!!
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…You just made my day with this recipe! I have some frozen blackberries; I’ll try the recipe later this week and let you all know how it goes(today I’m baking blackberry scones!)…
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These bars look absolutely beautiful! I’ll have to add them to my “to bake” list since they look so delicious!
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Blackberries grow like weeds by my in-laws (Seattle area). I need to see about stocking up when we visit this summer. Those bars sound delicious.
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This is one of my go-to recipes. My husband requests it for his birthday treat, and it makes wonderful use of the pounds and pounds of blackberries I get from my MIL every summer. It’s without a doubt one of my favorite baked goods…EVER.
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whoa…these look amazing!
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Blackberry is my favorite berry! This dessert looks heavenly!
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Yum! These look great. The little blackberries on top really make the photo nice
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I am almost swooning just looking at this! I love blackberries and can’t wait to make this. Just by reading the recipe I know it is yummo! TFS
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I don’t think I’ve ever seen a pie bar! So clever AND delicious looking. YUM!
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These look absolutely amazing! I love cookie bars with a shortbread base.
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These look absolutely amazing! This is going on my summer to-make list once my sister shares some of her garden’s blackberry bounty with me!!!
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I, for one, am glad that you posted a blackberry recipe because they are one of my favorite berries. These look fantastic!
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After the sugar cookies I think these will be the next thing I try…I reviewed your White Chocolate Macadamia Nut cookies on my blog this morning check it out http://bit.ly/9CJ5R4 THANKS AGAIN!
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Yummi ! It looks sooo good ! thanks a lot for this wonderfull summer receipe !
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This looks delicious! Blackberries are my favorite!
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a diet cheat-worthy recipe
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I want these right now! WOW, love this recipe! I might just make it this weekend, just hope berries are on sale!
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it looks delicious!! The shortbread crust is perfect for this dessert!
thanks for sharing!
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Sometimes I think blackberries are the forgotten fruit. They are deep, dark and delicious. Beautiful!
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Beautiful! I adore blackberries!
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I want one now!
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These look amazing and I am sure they taste even better!
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Blackberries do it for me…lol These bars look wonderful!
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LOVE blackberries!!
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This is heavenly!
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I have to weigh in to defend the toys, they were misfits, not unfit! lol, seriously these look SO delicious!
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You’re a goddess! I love these bars..they’re so pretty! Again.. bookmarked!
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Wow, these look so yummy:)
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I made these yesterday and it is a most delicious, beautiful dessert. THANKS!!
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Michelle on June 1st, 2010 at 12:03 pm
So glad you liked these Kim! I’m craving more of them!
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Yuuuum! I love blackberries! And I feel so healthy eating them…even if it is in pie form!
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Mmm. I love shortbread crusts. This looks so delicious!
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Those bars look so good!
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Wow! This looks so refreshing and yummy! I have a blackberry bush in my front yard, so I suspect this recipe will come in handy soon!
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Your Blackberry Pie Bar looks so moist and delicious. Now I feel inspired to bake something with berries.
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These look so good. Man… I want a piece. I love blackberries but not their seeds. They get stuck in my teeth. I can buy them in July at the farmers markets. I am going to save this and make a pan in July.
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Hiya! Well, I am eating this as I type (Be Jealous!)
This is an excellent recipe! One of the few that actually turned out the way it looked! I made two changes, both were out of necessity though. I only had 4 containers of blackberrys and I used a soft whole wheat flour (I picked it up thinking it was all purpose white,) which worked fine. The amount of berrys worked out really well too.
I can see this recipe being absolutely perfect with blueberry’s and even peaches! It is awesome and I am definitely making it again! Thank you, Thank You!
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Michelle on June 18th, 2010 at 4:05 pm
Hi Jeane,
Awesome! So glad you are enjoying these! Thanks also for the tips on the subs, and I agree that blueberries, peaches and many other fruits would be great in this recipe.
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I wanted to bake my blackberries into something and I was originally torn between pie and cobbler but these bars were a happy medium. They were so so sooo GOOD. That lemon sugar really makes the crust/topping even better. I used two 12 oz containers and that was enough. I let the bars sit for a couple our hours to cool and set before I cut into them. I know it’s a desert but they taste great for breakfast with some milk.
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Michelle on June 18th, 2010 at 4:18 pm
Hi AJ,
So glad you liked these; I am also guilty of having them for breakfast (multiple days in a row!).
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These look amazing. Found you through the recipe roundup at How to simplify. Love your site!
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I just made this and oh, is it good!! The crust is buttery and flaky and the blackberry layer is creamy and wonderful. We used 4 cups of blackberries and 2 cups of blueberries just because that’s what we had and it was great!! Thanks for the recipe!
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Just got my blackberries from my “supplier” (retired blackberry picker/fisherman) Tried out this recipe last night. My crust however did not turn out “flaky”. It looked wonderful and pressed nicely but took at least 20 minutes to bake. Perhaps too much butter? Or do I need a larger pan for a thinner crust? Was also thinking of sub-ing cream cheese for the sr cream in the filling. Any thoughts? btw-i live just down the road in wv. Would love to come to your house and gorge on anything choc & peanut butter. I am also an addict.
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Hello!
I just tried this recipe with blueberries as they were buy one get one free at the giant eagle. I have to say I loved it, my boyfriend loved it and my coworkers!! I added 1/4 cup less sugar as my berries were already really sweet.
I wanted to ask, since you are nearby, do you know of any good farmers markets in or around the city?
thanks
sam
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Michelle on May 19th, 2011 at 8:17 pm
Hi Sam, This is my first year really trying to do the local thing so I haven’t been to many farmers markets, but I love Soergel’s up in Wexford – they have tons of local produce. http://www.soergels.com/index.html
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OMG that looks so yummy!!!
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My husband requested these for Father’s day. I too love blackberries, after blueberries, they are my favorites.
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I recently found your website and have become obsessed with it! It is fantastic!!! I love all the pictures. So this was my first recipe attempt and it turned out perfect! I also made home-made vanilla ice cream to go with it and WOW! Thank You!!!
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These bars look absolutely beautiful! I’ll have to add them to my “to bake” list since they look so delicious!
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I’m going to make these today so I have them ready tomorrow for the 4th of July. Would you recommend storing them in the fridge overnight? Also, would they be best served chilled, room temperature, or warmed? Thanks for the recipe!
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Michelle on July 6th, 2011 at 12:57 pm
They are best chilled or at room temperature, definitely not warm. I would store them in the fridge overnight. Enjoy!
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MMMmmm…
Made these yesterday morning from some blackberries I picked up at the farmer’s market. I only had 3 cups left (oopsie, guess I ate too many…) so I cut the recipe in half, and put it in an 8 X 11. I still got 18 fairly good sized bars. I brought them along on a picnic, and got RAVE reviews! This is a recipe I’ll be making again!
Also, I didn’t butter up the pan, and everything came out just fine. I think the crust probably has enough butter.
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Oh my goodness. I made these last night and brought them to work this morning. SO. GOOD. Thanks for the recipe. I did discover that you shouldn’t cover them until they are pretty well cooled. I put a lid on mine last night while they were still pretty warm and the heat created condensation on the lid which dripped down onto the bars. So, the top was kind of soggy, but still so delicious!!
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yum yum..I put them in the fridge for 30 mins they tasted great chilled…Must have summer treat
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yumm yumm I love all the spin off ideas others came up with to make them yummier
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Just now posting how delicious these were (last summer!) Kids picked fresh berries while camping and they were just awesome in these bars. thanks!!!!!
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I made these today, with raspberries instead and I didn’t have a grater thingy so I just used the lemon juice instead of zest and it still turned out amazing!! It’s so yummy! Thanks for sharing!!!
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Made these last night and they were AMAZING!
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Blackberries and shortbred in one gooey dessert, what could be better?!
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I made these bars the other day and posted about them on my blog. They were fabulous, one of the best things I’ve made. It would be the best thing ever if you’d come take a look
Here’s the link: http://piesandplots.net/blackberry-pie-bars/
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I think I just died a little bit on the inside, omg. That looks amazing.
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Hi! I’m supposed to bring a dessert to a party this week, and I’m trying to pick between this recipe or your peach crumb bar. Could you please tell me the comparisons/contrasts between the two? And was this crust harder/firmer than the other egg-filled crust? etc.
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Michelle on February 15th, 2013 at 1:06 am
Sarah, The biggest difference is that the peach bars are a true crumb bar – they have a fruit filling with a crumb topping. The blackberry bars have more of a custard texture – the filling is creamy. I’ll be completely honest – I don’t remember which crust was firmer.
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Sarah on February 15th, 2013 at 3:57 pm
Thank you so much for replying and you did help! (except maybe now I’m actually planning to make both… Hehe. The more (desserts), the merrier??). One last question. How do you think these (and conversely, the peach bars) are without the lemon? I don’t like too much tartness with my sweets, but if you feel like it’s essential to help really make these bars more complex/delicious, I’ll trust you!! And can you taste the lemon pretty well or is it just a hint or is it more than that?
P.S. Sorry for the plethora (SAT word, hehe) of questions!
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Michelle on February 16th, 2013 at 10:48 am
Hi Sarah, The lemon is definitely noticeable in these blackberry bars, but not really in the peach bars. You could omit it if you don’t care for it.
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Sarah on February 16th, 2013 at 3:45 pm
Thanks so much for the help! I’ll tell you how they turn out.
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Sarah on February 18th, 2013 at 12:05 am
I just made the peach one (but used raspberries) and they were fantastic!
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I’m making these right now…there in the oven as we speak. Was the filling suppose to be thin? Mine can out really thin. I still used it. Hopefully they turn out OK. Thanks for the great recipe!
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I am NOT a baker, I am NOT a natural, I am NOT known for my baked goodies at potlucks. That being said, I am now KNOWN thanks to this recipe! They were licking the pan! So, here’s the only change: In the frozen north here in NH blackberry season is about 6 minutes long so I used a bag of frozen mixed berries drained, and slightly sweetened with a little powdered sugar, and then followed your recipe exactly. Even the kids were eating this. Thanks so much. And by the way, this was a fun recipe to play with.
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