Blueberry Bars

This tender homemade blueberry bar recipe is full of sweet blueberries. Serve it as a healthy summer dessert and watch how quickly it goes away.

easy blueberry crumble bars

With a buttery shortbread crust, rich blueberry filling, and a delicious crumble topping, these classic blueberry pie bars are almost impossible to resist.

When I serve it at parties and events, I am always asked for the recipe.

If you’re looking for desserts to make during blueberry season, you can’t go wrong with these bars. These are definitely the best blueberry bar recipes I have ever tried.

Also try the healthy chocolate chip cookies

blueberry bar recipe ingredients

You will need flour, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, sweetener, butter or coconut oil, cornstarch or arrowroot, and blueberries.

Flour types that work include white all-purpose flour, spelled flour, and oat flour. I have never tried whole grains, nor do I recommend coconut or almond flour.

If you want to make flour from scratch using oats, simply pulse uncooked rolled oatmeal in a food processor or blender. Measure the oats after blending.

Using coconut sugar, date sugar, or granular erythritol or xylitol in a no-sugar bar allows the bar to be refined sugar-free.

The filling can be neutral granular or liquid sweeteners such as pure maple syrup, honey, agave, white sugar, unrefined sugar, and stevia baking blend.

Watch the step-by-step video for the blueberry bar recipe above.

fresh or frozen blueberries

You can use fresh or frozen blueberries, so use whatever you have on hand or available at the grocery store.

If you choose frozen berries, be sure to thaw them and wipe off excess water or ice with a paper towel to prevent the finished bar from getting soggy.

Alternatively, you can substitute canned blueberry pie filling for the blueberries, sweetener, and thickener for an even quicker and easier option for your recipe.

You can also substitute some or all of the blueberries with fresh or frozen raspberries, blackberries, pitted cherries, chopped peaches, mangos, or strawberries for a different flavor.

Here’s a variation with apples: Apple crumble bars

lemon blueberry crumb bar

Mix a lemon zest or two into the blueberry filling for a fun flavor variation.

Alternatively, you can mix the lemon zest directly into the shortbread dough for a crumble topping. Add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to the filling.

Garnish the old-fashioned blueberry lemon bars with thinly sliced ​​and rolled lemon zest, or fresh sliced ​​lemon and powdered sugar, if desired.

how to make blueberry bars

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper and set pan aside.

*If you have a large family or are feeding a large group, double the recipe and bake for the same amount of time on a 9 x 13 inch rectangular baking sheet.

Combine flour, cinnamon, sugar, salt and baking powder in a large mixing bowl.

Using a pastry cutter, fork, or whisk, add the chilled butter, almond butter, or coconut oil. Continue crumbling the dough until it crumbles slightly like a streusel. You can also do this quickly and easily in a food processor if you prefer.

Firmly press about half of the dough into the bottom of the prepared baking sheet. Use a second sheet of wax paper or parchment paper to press more firmly. (Throw away this second cooking sheet after use.)

In a new bowl, mix fresh or frozen thawed blueberries with cornstarch or arrowroot and 2 tablespoons of your favorite sweetener until evenly mixed.

Spread blueberry mixture over dough in pan. Then sprinkle evenly with the remaining streusel topping. Press down firmly.

Bake on center rack of oven for 50 minutes. The filling should be thick and bubbly, with a golden crust and toppings.

Allow blueberry bars to cool completely before slicing, as the fruit filling will continue to harden and clump as it cools.

Are the recipes vegan or gluten-free?

For a dairy-free, vegan blueberry bar, use a plant-based butter (or coconut oil or almond butter) and your favorite non-dairy milk. No eggs needed.

The bar can also be gluten-free if you use gluten-free oat flour. Some brands of gluten-free all-purpose flour may also work. Be sure to report back if you try it.

I haven’t made a keto version of the recipe yet, but using blueberry yogurt for these keto lemon bars makes for a great keto blueberry bar.

Tips for Baking Blueberry Pie Bar

For clean slicing, we recommend chilling the bars in the refrigerator before cutting. It should be easy to slice once it cools.

If you prefer to measure your ingredients on a food scale instead of using a measuring cup or spoon, here are the amounts in grams to use.

200 grams of flour, 2 grams of cinnamon, 130 grams of sugar, 150 grams of butter or coconut oil, 45 grams of your favorite milk or extra butter, 360 grams of blueberries, 6 grams of cornstarch, and 30 grams of your favorite sweetener. Also add salt and baking powder.

The coconut oil version is a little more crumbly. Using almond butter or a low-fat milk option (all in place of butter) will give you a slightly gummy crumble before baking. The end result of each option will be equally delicious.

My number one baking tip is to make the recipe according to the instructions first. Once you know what to expect, experiment with substitutions or cut back on certain ingredients and have fun.

The next thing on my baking to-do list is trying to turn the recipe into a blueberry cheesecake bar by adding cream cheese to the filling.

The recipe was inspired by my peach crisps and these strawberry oatmeal bars.

healthier blueberry dessert

healthy blueberry muffins

Or this keto blueberry muffin

vegan blueberry pie

blueberry crisp

chia pudding

blueberry donut

keto blueberry bread

healthy banana bread

Or this protein banana bread

(Add half a cup of blueberries to make banana blueberry bread.)