This simple recipe for Blueberry Crumble Bars are made with fresh blueberries and a decadent butter crumble topping made with rolled oats and flour. Serve them at a summer party or keep them around for a satisfying afternoon snack with fresh berry flavor!
Haley here from If You Give a Blonde a Kitchen and I’m so happy to share this blueberry recipe with you. Blueberries are my favorite fruit and I love adding them to bread, salads and desserts. These blueberry crumble bars are just as delicious as they look so they make the prefect treat any time.
The berry filling is made with a mix of fresh blueberries, sugar, and a hint of lemon. It’s then layered with a crunchy butter crust made with oats and flour. These blueberry crumble bars are packed with the freshest flavor and are easy to make!
If you love these bars, you might also love these Peach Bars.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- A great way to use fresh blueberries. Summer means fresh fruit and blueberries are abundant making this the perfect excuse to use them up.
- Made with simple ingredients. All of the ingredients in this recipe are simple pantry ingredients that you may already have on hand!
- They’re the perfect bite-sized treat. These berry bars make the perfect snack and you can also eat them for breakfast on the go.
- Make a big batch to freeze. You can double or triple the recipe and freeze some for later!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Crust & Crumble Topping
- All Purpose Flour – Binds the crust together and helps make up the crumble.
- Old Fashioned Rolled Oats – Adds a great texture to the crumble that has a slightly nutty taste.
- Brown Sugar – Gives the crust a layer of sweetness.
- Cinnamon & Salt – Balances and enhances the flavor of the crumble.
- Cold Butter – Needed to form the topping and give it a rich buttery flavor.
Blueberry Filling
- Granulated Sugar – Adds sweetness and texture to the filling.
- Cornstarch – Helps the filling gain a thick texture.
- Blueberries – The star of this thick and flavorful blueberry filling.
- Lemon Juice & Zest – Balances the blueberry flavor with a bit of acidity and brightness
How To Make Blueberry Crumble Bars
Step 1. Prepare for baking. Preheat the oven to 350F and line a 9×9 pan with parchment paper and coat with nonstick spray. Set aside.
Step 2. Make the crumble topping. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, oars, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Add in the cold butter and using a pastry blender, cut the butter into the mixture until it resembles very coarse sand. Divide the mixture in half and press half into the bottom of the prepared pan to form the crust. Set aside both the pan and bowl with the remaining mixture.
Step 3. Make the blueberry filling. In a large bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar and cornstarch. Add in the blueberries and coat in the sugar mixture. Add in the lemon juice and zest. Stir gently to combine.
Step 4. Assemble and bake. Spread the blueberries on top of the crust. Sprinkle the remaining crust mixture evenly on top of the blueberries and press lightly. Refrigerate the pan for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350° Fahrenheit. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the fruit starts to bubble. Remove from oven and cool completely before cutting
Recipe Tips
- Do not use quick cook oats in this recipe as they will not produce a crumbly texture.
- It’s important to use cold butter to make the crumble as using butter that is warmed, melted, or room temperature will not create a crumbly and crunchy texture.
- A well-greased or pan with parchment paper is necessary to help remove the bars without them crumbling.
- Before serving the blueberry crumble bars, let the bars cool completely to set. You can even chill them in the fridge to help them maintain their shape. If you eat them too warm, they will be messy.
Variations
- Gluten-Free Blueberry Crumble Bars: Adapt this recipe to fit a gluten-free lifestyle by swapping out the flour for a gluten-free 1:1 flour blend that contains xanthan gum.
- To make this recipe refined sugar-free, swap out the granulated sugar for coconut sugar.
- Have extra strawberries on hand? Use a mix of both berries when making the filling or try making Strawberry Crumble Bars.
- Using frozen blueberries. You can use a bag of frozen blueberries for this recipe, just make sure they are thawed out completely before making the filling.
- Top with a heaping scoop of Coconut Milk Ice Cream for a decadent dessert.
If you are looking for more blueberry recipes, try our favorite blueberry dessert recipes!
Blueberry Dessert Recipes
Blueberry Crumble Bars
Ingredients
Crust & Crumble Topping
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
- 3/4 cups light brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup cold butter, ,cubed (2 sticks)
Blueberry Filling
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 1/2 cups blueberries
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
Instructions
Crust & Crumble Topping
- Line a 9×9 pan with parchment paper and coat with nonstick spray. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, oars, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Add in the cold butter and using a pastry blender, cut the butter into the mixture until it resembles very coarse sand.
- Divide the mixture in half and press half into the bottom of the prepared pan to form the crust. Set aside both the pan and bowl with remaining mixture.
Filling
- In a large bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar and cornstarch. Add in the blueberries and coat in the sugar mixture. Add in the lemon juice and zest. Stir gently to combine.
- Spread the blueberries on top of the crust. Sprinkle remaining crust mixture evenly on top of the blueberries and press lightly.
- Refrigerate the pan for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350° F. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the fruit starts to bubble. Remove from oven and cool completely before cutting.
Notes
- Use cold butter.
- Let the bars cool completely. You can even chill them in the fridge to help them maintain their shape. If you eat them too warm, they will be messy.
- Store bars in a sealed container for up to 4 days.
Nutrition
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I absolutely love this recipe. Truly delicious and amazing. Very easy to make as well. I substituted the all purpose flour for gluten free flour and the brown sugar for coconut sugar. It was a hit in my house and finish in no time. Thanks for sharing !
So glad you loved it! Thanks for the feedback.
Just in time for summer! Thanks for sharing!
I hope you loved these, Jennifer!
I love everything about these bars! They’re perfect for summer’s fresh berries!
I’m so glad to hear you love these blueberry bars, Renee! Thanks so much for your feedback.
These were amazing. I made them with blueberries like the recipe calls for twice now. Trying it with rhubarb and strawberries now. We will see how it turns out.
Hi, Kim! I’m so glad that you love these. Thanks so much for your feedback. Let us know if you try it with the rhubarb and strawberries. That sounds amazing!
I have tried it now with strawberries and rhubarb. Same total proportions as the blueberries…1 cup of rhubarb 1.5 cups of strawberries. Everyone in our house liked them.
Just made these and they are delicious! I added a few strawberries and blackberries too.
Hi, Emily! I’m so glad to hear you loved these. I love the idea of adding strawberries and blackberries. You can never have too many berries 🙂 Thank you so much for your feedback.