Blueberry Bars
24 Bars
These easy blueberry bars feature a buttery shortbread crust, jammy blueberry filling, and light crumb topping. They are delicious and perfect for summer!
Equipment
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" (23x33 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
Serving: 1bar | Calories: 132kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Trans Fat: 0.001g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 81mg | Potassium: 55mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 40IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 1mg