Take full advantage of blueberry season with this easy recipe for Blueberry Bars! With a buttery shortbread cookie base, jammy blueberry filling, and a deliciously textured crumb topping, they will certainly become a summertime favorite!
If you love baking with berries as much as I do, you’re going to absolutely love this easy blueberry cookie bar recipe. These bars are unbelievably delicious, and packed with sweet, tangy blueberries.
Sometimes don’t think that blueberries get a fair shake when it comes to dessert recipes. There’s certainly way more recipes out there that call for strawberries and raspberries, but I am on team blueberry all the way this summer!
These bars will be a huge hit when you bring them to a party or pot-luck, or they’ll be a well-loved afternoon snack for your family. No matter the occasion, blueberry crumble bars will fit right in.
I love how blueberries turn a delicious deep purple color when they’re baked into these shortbread bars, and how flavorful they are, combined with buttery shortbread, flavored with hints of vanilla and lemon.
Looking for more dessert recipes featuring blueberries? Try my Lemon Blueberry Cookies, Banana Blueberry Muffins, and Blueberry Cheesecake Bars next!
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Easy Blueberry Bars Recipe Highlights
- Simple Ingredients: Aside from the berries, this recipe is made entirely with common pantry and fridge ingredients that you probably already have! These bars can be made with fresh or frozen blueberries too, so you can use whichever is more convenient for you.
- Juicy Berries: The flavorings used in this recipe are fairly plain, but there’s a reason for it. The bright, juicy flavor of the blueberries can really shine here!
- Buttery Shortbread: The crust and topping for these bars is a simple shortbread that you can whip together in your food processor in just minutes. The main ingredient is unsalted butter, which means that these bars are rich, buttery, and crispy on top and around the edges.
Key Ingredients
Here’s everything you’ll need to make these tasty blueberry squares, and some details about the most important ingredients.
Complete list of ingredients with quantities and instructions is located in the recipe card below
- Butter: For this recipe, you will want to use fresh, unsalted butter. Cut the butter into cubes and keep it cold, in the fridge, until you’re ready to use it. Cold butter equals flaky, delicious shortbread.
- Sugar: I like to use both granulated sugar and brown sugar in this recipe. The brown sugar helps to keep the shortbread moist and adds a rich flavor.
- Baking Powder: Baking powder gives the shortbread just a little bit of a lift, creating the perfect crust texture.
- Blueberries: I like to use fresh, sweet blueberries for this recipe whenever possible. Taste your berries before you start. If they are particularly tart, you can add a bit more sugar to them before baking. You can also make this recipe with frozen blueberries.
- Lemon Juice: Add the juice from one lemon to the berries to enhance their sweet-tart flavor.
- Cornstarch: This helps to thicken the juices that will release from the berries as they bake, creating a jammy texture.
How To Make Homemade Blueberry Bars
The crust and topping for these bars is made entirely in your food processor! If you don’t have a food processor, you can technically make the shortbread by hand, using a handheld pastry blender to mix the butter into the flour.
Top Recipe Tips
- Line the pan with parchment paper. If you use enough paper so that it overhangs the sides of the pan, you’ll be able to lift the bars out of the pan once they’re cool. This will make slicing them super easy!
- Add more flavor. A pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg would be delicious in this recipe. You could also try grated ginger!
- Press down on the crust. Use your hands to really press the shortbread crumbs down into the pan to create a firm, sturdy crust.
- Let them cool. While you will certainly be tempted to eat these sooner, it’s best to let the bars cool down fully before trying to cut them into squares. If you try to cut them while they’re still warm, they could fall apart.
Storage Tips
Blueberry bars are best when they are fresh, but you can store any leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Keep them tightly wrapped in an airtight container for best results.
You can also freeze blueberry bars for up to 3 months!
Other Bar Recipes You Should Try
- Strawberry Oatmeal Bars
- Easy Lemon Bars
- Golden Oreo Cheesecake Bars
- S’Mores Cookie Bars
- Millionaire’s Shortbread
Recipe FAQs
Can I Make Cookie Bars with Frozen Blueberries?
Absolutely! Use frozen berries to make crumble bars in exactly the same way as you would fresh berries. Add them to the recipe while they are still frozen.
Can I Make This Without Eggs?
I add an egg to the shortbread dough to hold it together. Without the egg, you will end up with a crumbly dessert that will be difficult to cut into bars.
Can These Be Made Gluten Free?
While I haven’t tested it, I do suspect that this recipe will work well if you replace the all-purpose flour with a gluten free all-purpose flour blend that is meant for baking.
Will This Recipe Work with Other Berries?
Sure! Try replacing the blueberries with fresh strawberries, blackberries, or even sweet cherries.
You won’t be able to get enough of these delicious and simple old-fashioned blueberry bars! Be sure to Pin the recipe to save it.
Blueberry Bars
Equipment
- Parchment paper
Ingredients
Crust:
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter cold and cubed
- 1 large egg cold
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Filling:
- 4 cups fresh blueberries or frozen berries
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- Juice from half a lemon about 2 tablespoons
Instructions
For the crust:
- Preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C (170°C fan oven), and line a 9×13" (23×33 cm) baking pan with parchment paper, set aside
- In a food processor, pulse together the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder and salt until mixed. Add the cold butter, egg, and vanilla and pulse again until the mixture looks sandy with pea sized pieces of butter remaining. It should hold together when pinched.
- Place half the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan, and press down to form a crust. Reserve remaining crust mixture for the crumble topping.
For the filling:
- In a large bowl, stir together the blueberries, sugar, cornstarch, and lemon juice until blueberries are evenly coated.
- Pour the blueberries into an even layer over the crust
For the topping:
- Pinch together the remaining crust mixture into larger chunks and sprinkle over the top of the blueberries.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, or until the blueberries are bubbling and the topping is a light golden brown. Allow to cool completely before slicing into 24 squares and serving.
Notes
- Line the pan with parchment paper. If you use enough paper so that it overhangs the sides of the pan, you’ll be able to lift the bars out of the pan once they’re cool. This will make slicing them super easy!
- Add more flavor. A pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg would be delicious in this recipe. You could also try grated ginger!
- Press down on the crust. Use your hands to really press the shortbread crumbs down into the pan to create a firm, sturdy crust.
- Let them cool. While you will certainly be tempted to eat these sooner, it’s best to let the bars cool down fully before trying to cut them into squares. If you try to cut them while they’re still warm, they could fall apart.
Nutrition
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
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