Blueberry Crumb Bars
These blueberry crumb bars are crazy easy to make and could, dare I say, rival your favorite blueberry pie recipe. You can pick them up and eat them on the go, which makes them a perfect dessert for picnics and summer parties!
Ahh, sweet blueberries. I am positively obsessed with them right now. I’ve been eating them by the handful… and with cottage cheese… and in a bowl of cinnamon shredded wheat… and in every baked good I can possibly imagine (hello, lemon blueberry bundt cake!). I can’t imagine a day when I’ll ever tire of baking with blueberries.
This past weekend, I decided to combine blueberries with one of my favorite desserts – crumb bars! Give me anything with a crumb topping and I’ll devour it faster than you can say “butter”. Quite a few years ago, I made peach crumb bars, which I successfully turned into blueberry crumb bars. If you can go wrong with fresh fruit and a buttery crumb crust and topping, I haven’t found a way.
I’m sure you could easily adapt these bars to use up whatever type of berry you have in your fridge, but I am definitely partial to the blueberry. It’s my favorite of the berry family, plus I just love that beautiful purple color that baked blueberries exude.
These bars are exceptionally easy (and quick!) to make, so no excuses… grab a big container of plump, juicy blueberries and hop into the kitchen!
Prepare yourself for the fact that you will continue to cut “just a little piece” until half of the pan is gone. It’s unavoidable; just don’t say I didn’t warn you!
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Blueberry Crumb Bars
Ingredients
For the Crumb
- 3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) salt
- 1 cup (227 g) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
- 1 egg
For the Blueberry Filling
- 4 cups (592 g) fresh blueberries, (20 ounces)
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 4 teaspoons cornstarch
- Juice of one lemon, about 3 tablespoons
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking pan.
- Make the Crumb: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Use a fork or pastry cutter to blend in the butter, and then the egg (the dough will be crumbly). Press half of dough into the prepared pan.
- Make the Filling: In a separate large bowl, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice. Gently fold in the blueberries to coat evenly with the sugar mixture. Spread the blueberry mixture evenly over the crust, drizzling any excess juice in the bowl over the filling. Crumble the remaining dough evenly over the blueberry layer.
- Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the top is light golden brown. Cool completely before cutting into squares. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic wrap at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
This recipe was originally published on July 23, 2013.
I made these today using 2 c. blueberries and 2 c. rhubarb. They turned out amazing! I think I may try them with all rhubarb while it is in season.
I just made this after scouring online for an hour to find the best way to prep all of these blueberries and blackberries the market had on sale. Prepped everything to the T, minus a wee bit of sugar in the filling–and then realized I just bought 8 oz of cream cheese and REALLY wanted that to be included–so with the other half of the crust (that goes on top) I cut in the whole 8oz and added 1/4 cup of brown sugar. It looks good, it smells good, it’s in the oven…and my boyfriend is crying in the kitchen because he wants to eat them and has to wait at least an hour for them to finish cooking and cool.
Can I use blueberries preserves? We are in a tropical country no fresh berries available:)thanks
Hi Cali, I think that would work okay, the texture would just be a bit different.
Solid technique just a little too sweet for me.
Substitute the 1 cup granulated sugar in the crust for 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, and a teaspoon of cinnamon whisked together to add a nice spice to cut the sweetness. Also take care to not use berries which have ripened overmuch.
Smells, looks and tastes delicious!! Very simple to make. Made 1/2 in a 9 x 9.
There is not enough cornstarch and this recipe isnt scalable. Mostly you just get an oozing mass and a ton of wasted time.
Hi Diana, I’m sorry you had trouble with this recipe, but I’ve made it countless times and have never had an issue with the filling oozing, and it has only received glowing reviews from other readers. I hope you’ll give it another try!
Great recipe!!! Even more delicious after being refrigeratedvor frozen. Definite keeper!
My children LOVE these bars! I make them, let them cool, and put them in the fridge, and the kids (12 and 15) eat them cold for breakfast/snack. Must have made this recipe 20 times, and it’s always easy and delicious. Thank you!
I have to stop making your recipes. I’m getting fat!! Lol! These bars are easy and out of sight good!!
Wow I love these Blueberry Bars! Defiantly a keeper. I ❤️ blueberries ! I can’t wait to try this with peaches. I know I can count on you for good recipes .
I am making these this week .
Warning! You won’t be able to eat just one!! These blueberry bars are amazingly delicious 😋😋😋 thanks for the recipe I made them for my SIL that just had a baby and I think she’s going to love them!
Do you think frozen blueberries can be used for this recipe? If so, do they need to be thawed first? I bought a bunch of blueberries at the farmer’s market last week but have already frozen them.
Should have read comments first, nevermind.
Wowza. This is everything I love in one dish. YUM!
Just wanted to let you know these were a huge hit at my work. I just made them again today, but used a combination of tayberries and marionberries and oh my! My husband and I can’t quit nibbling at the pan as it cools. Thanks so much for the recipe!
Hi Michelle~LOVE your website and love seeing pics/progress of your sweet kiddos.
I have now made these blueberry bars twice now in the last week and my husband and I LOVE them. However, what do you think I might be doing that’s causing them to be a little soggy/doughy? They’re not that way so much after I take them out of the oven and after they’ve cooled…but the next morning, they are really too moist. I end up putting them in the fridge and we like them like that. The first time I used frozen blueberries b/c I didn’t have any fresh on hand and didn’t want to wait . 2nd time was with fresh. Still doughy. Is that just the way they ARE or do you think I’m doing/not doing something!?
Thank you for all you do!!!
Melissa
Hi Melissa, I’ve found that the crust and topping are definitely crisper when they are freshly baked than after they have been covered and rested overnight. You could bake a little longer to crisp them up more, but I agree – I love them chilled in the fridge!
Thank you so much! :)
Just made these with blueberries from my garden. They are absolutely delicious and my hubby loves them! Thanks for an easy and quick recipe.
can these blueberry crumb bars be frozen???
Hi Donna, Yes, they can! Enjoy!
OMG!!! These Blueberry Crumb Bars are SOOOO easy and even YUMMIER!!! Is that a word?? I made them last weekend and it might have been the 1st time, but can safely say it won’t be the last. Michelle, everything you said about them is true. SUPER easy, SUPER quick, and SUPER yummy!! I had rave reviews when I shared them. Next time, I might not share–they are that good!!! :-) Thanks for another great addition to my cookbook.
BEB, you’ve really started something at our house. My family loves these and have already asked when I will make them again. (They just came out of the oven an hour ago!)
Great recipe! I used half the sugar, and it was still sweet enough! 😀
I love anything blueberry so I had to make this.I just made this but I have a rule that when trying new recipes, I only make half so only half goes in trash rather than the whole thing in case it fails. I used a 8×8 pan with halving this recipe.
My regret now is…why didn’t I make a whole pan of this and why didn’t I see this recipe sooner?! This is super easy and soooo good that I actually…lick my plate! Need I say more? You can use any fruit that is in season or your liking. Thanks for sharing this recipe Brown Eyed Baker. I’ve found you a few months ago and so far, everything I baked from you has been awesome. Gotta go, I need a 2nd piece…
Aww so awesome!
I had sooo many blueberries and couldn’t find a recipe that struck me right this week. While reading Two Peas and Their Pod’s post yesterday there was a link to this recipe! Yay! It was exactly what I was in search of. I made it yesterday and it turned out awesome. Not too sweet. My kids helped. It was crumbly but not too crumbly, moist but not gooey. This recipe is a keeper. I can’t wait to try with other berries.
So glad you found the recipe and even more thrilled to hear how much you loved it!
I made these bars last night they turned out great,not to sweet and the filling didn’t run all over .This is a good recipe by it’s self but I did tweek it a bit. I added oatmeal 2 cups flour and 1 cup quick oatmeal.I did cook the berries first and added 2 tablespoons of instant tapioca to the filling ans 1 teaspoons of almond extract,along with your ingredient. Great recipe {my husband loved it} .
I absolutely enjoy everything with blueberry in it. And the crumb topping…need I say more. You clearly feel the same way about crumb toppings.
These sounded so good in immediately went out and bought some blueberries and made a batch. Just as good as I hoped. Since I love the combination of blueberries and lemon, I went ahead and finely grated the peel from the lemon into the crumb mixture. A great summer dessert!
Sounds delis and I just bought a big bag of frozen blueberries…can I use them?
Thanks for all of your wonderful recipes!
Hi Cheryl, Yes, this will work with frozen blueberries.
Can frozen blueberries be used?
Hi Rick, Yes definitely!
As I’m sitting here eating my bowl of cottage cheese and blueberries (with sliced almonds on top) I was wondering what I could make with my big container of blueberries. Now I know!
Any idea what I might need to do to use my fresh frozen blueberries? Blueberry season here has ended but I have plenty in the freezer! THis recipe looks great and I would love to know how to adapt!
Sorry-didn’t see all the comments before I posted. I will go with the frozen blueberries!