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Stack of three blueberry crumble bars
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4.95 from 18 votes

Blueberry Crumble Bars

A buttery shortbread-like base, juicy blueberry filling & crumbly crumble topping - these Blueberry Crumble Bars are so easy & delicious!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time50 minutes
Cooling2 hours
Total Time3 hours 5 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Blueberry Crumb Bars, Blueberry Crumble Bars
Servings: 9 large squares
Author: Fiona Dowling

Equipment

  • 8x8 inch (20x20 cm) pan

Ingredients

Blueberry Layer

  • 2 cups blueberries (about 250-300 grams if using fresh) fresh or frozen
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch use 4 teaspoons if using frozen berries
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice freshly squeezed - do not use lemon juice from a bottle
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar (50 grams)

Shortbread Base & Crumble Topping

  • 1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (188 grams) spooned & leveled
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar (100 grams)
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter (170 grams) cold, cut into cubes
  • 1 large egg yolk just the yolk - discard the egg white
  • 1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350F (180C) degrees. Line an 8x8 inch square baking pan with aluminium foil or parchment paper so that there's an overhang around the edges. 
  • In a medium bowl toss together the ingredients for the blueberry layer (blueberries, cornstarch, lemon zest, lemon juice & sugar). Set aside.
  • In a separate large bowl whisk together the 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, baking powder and salt.
  • Cut the cubed butter and egg yolk into the flour mixture using a pastry cutter or 2 forks (a pastry cutter will be easier). When finished, the mixture will be slightly crumbly, but
  • Reserve 1 cup of the butter mixture for the crumb topping. Press the remaining shortbread mixture into the prepared pan to form the base layer of the bars.
  • Spoon the blueberry mixture over top of the shortbread base. You want all of the shortbread to be covered with an even layer of berries. If there's a lot of liquid at the bottom of the bowl (this is more likely to be the case if using frozen berries) do not add the excess liquid to the pan.
  • Add the 1 cup of reserved shortbread/crumble mixture back to the bowl. Add in the 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon of brown sugar. Use a fork or pastry cutter to incorporate the additional ingredients into the mixture. It will be even crumblier.
  • Crumble the remaining dough over the blueberry layer by squeezing it in a fist with your hand, then crumbling it over top.
  • Bake in the oven for about 40 minutes, until you see the blueberries bubbling and the crumble layer starting to turn golden. If you used frozen berries, it may need a bit longer to bake.
  • Cool bars fully until the pan is room temperature (about 3-4 hours). Then lift the bars out of the pan using the overhang of the parchment paper/aluminum foil. Place on a cutting board and slice using a sharp knife.

Notes

  1. Nutrition: Details provided are an estimate only and based on 1 bar, assuming the pan is sliced into 9 large squares. You can definitely get 12 smaller bars with this recipe. 
  2. Storage: Store bars in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. 

Nutrition

Calories: 316kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 61mg | Sodium: 69mg | Potassium: 82mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 518IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 1mg