For these Blueberry Crumb Bars, fresh blueberry filling is sandwiched between a buttery bottom crust and a crumbly topping, and baked to golden perfection, giving you a summertime dessert fitting for anything from a backyard barbecue to a picnic in the park.
I am such a fan of dessert bars. You know, easy to hold in your hand, no fork required (but you can use one if you like) and oh-so-delicious. And since July is National Blueberry Month, and I am participating in #BlueberryWeek, I definitely had to share some Blueberry Crumb Bars with you!
I absolutely love blueberries, in all kinds of food. But can I tell you something that maybe isn’t so popular? I don’t really like to eat them all by themselves. Something about the texture that just weirds me out. I mean, I’ll eat them in a salad, whole and uncooked, but I can’t just pop them in my mouth and eat them like I do blackberries. But in baked goods, especially, I just love these little berries, bursting with flavor!
And when they are baked to bubbly, soft perfection in between a buttery cookie-like crust, and topped with a crumbly topping, it is just about the best summertime dessert a girl could ask for.
The night I made these, I was also photographing another recipe, and I told J that they were in the kitchen if he wanted to taste test for me. I came back to the kitchen awhile later, and found that he had not only eaten one, but an entire row! I told him, I guess they were good then? Ha! He and Nat are also blueberry fans. J uses them almost every morning in smoothies, and Nat – unlike her mama – is happy as can be to gobble them up in their natural state. Which makes this mama very happy . Eat up those fruits and veggies baby girl, because Lord knows you love sugary treats and I need to know you’ll eat healthy things, too!
Nat helped me make these, actually, and had been waiting oh-so-patiently to try them, but I made her wait until the next day since I still had to take pictures after she went to bed. And lo and behold, the first thing she asked for the next morning was to try one. And, despite it being 7 o’clock in the morning, I let her. Because I had made her wait and I promised her should could have one.
She seemed to love it, but ate about half and then said she wanted to save the rest for later. Say what, now?? An almost-3-year-old with some self-control and forethought, regarding the sugary treats she so loves? J and I are some lucky parents, I tell ya. And also in trouble down the road, because that little stinker is too smart for her own good.
I can’t guarantee that you will have that same willpower.
These little beauties do best when stored in the fridge, otherwise they get soft and harder to eat as a handheld dessert. You can always eat them with a fork, though. Maybe with some vanilla ice cream on top?
Blueberry Crumb Bars
Ingredients
For the Blueberry Filling:
- 2 cups fresh blueberries
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- 1 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice
For the Crust & Crumble:
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened but still cold
- 1 egg
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F, and spray an 8×8 baking pan with cooking spray (one with flour in it works great) and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine the blueberries, sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice for the blueberry filling, toss to coat, and set aside.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachement (or large bowl if using a hand mixer), combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, butter and egg, and mix until the dough is moist but very crumbly. Place a little more than half of the dough into your prepared baking pan and press it down evenly, to create your crust.
- Pour the blueberry filling mixture over the dough and then sprinkle the remaining, crumbly dough over the top. It doesn't need to cover every inch, it's ok if you can see blueberries through it! Bake for 35 – 45 minutes, or until the filling is bubbly and the dough has lightly browned. Let cool completely before cutting and eating!
Notes
Check out the amazing #BlueberryWeek recipes from my friends today!
Thank you to Ellen from Family Around the Table and Christie from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures for hosting #BlueberryWeek. More than 20 top notch bloggers are sharing a variety of blueberry recipes from breakfast to dessert. Follow #BlueberryWeek on social media so you don’t miss one delicious recipe.
Breakfast
Blueberry Cheesecake Crescent Coffee Braid by Palatable Pastime
Blueberry Orange Bread by Family Around the Table
Fluffy Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes by Food Above Gold
Glazed Blueberry Banana Coconut Bread by Jolene’s Recipe Journal
Drinks & Appetizers
Blueberry Peach Lemonade by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
Blueberry Lime Margaritas by The Baking Fairy
Dinner
Bare Knuckle Bourbon Blueberry Barbecue Sauce by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
Summer Salad with Greens, Microflowers, and Berries by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
Dessert
Blueberry Galette by Caroline’s Cooking
Blueberry Goat Cheese Ice Cream Bars by Crumb Top Baking
Blueberry Crumb Bars by Sweet Beginnings
Peachy Blueberry Hand Pies by The Freshman Cook
Rosemary Linzer Cookies with Blueberry Preserves by The Spiffy Cookie
Those big, juicy blueberries are just calling my name! These bars sound wonderful!
I love bar desserts also! They are easy to serve and eat! These look fantastic, and the topping sounds sooo good!
I have a definite weakness for crumb bars! I love the crumbly texture, and they are so versatile. You can fill them up with all sorts of fruit! I’m really loving your blueberry version. That layer of juicy blueberries looks irresistible!
Look at all that crumb and blueberry goodness!! I bet they taste divine!