Homemade Blueberry Bars with a buttery crumble topping and an ooey-gooey blueberry filling are a busy mom's saving grace on those grab-and-go kind of mornings! Make-ahead, freezer-friendly, and requiring less than 20 minutes of prep, these bars are checking all the breakfast boxes.
Love blueberry breakfast treats? Be sure to check out this easy (yet scrumptious) recipe for perfectly moist Lemon Blueberry Pound Cake!
BLUEBERRY BAR INGREDIENTS
Blueberry Bars consist of simple pastry dough that serves as both the bottom and the crumble topping for your bars, and, of course, a gooey blueberry filling.
To make the dough, you will need flour, sugar, butter, and shortening. In addition to the flour and fats, the dough also calls for an egg, which helps the dough to stay together, baking powder (a leavener), along with vanilla and salt for added flavor.
The blueberry filling consists of blueberries, sugar, salt, lemon juice and zest, and cornstarch. The cornstarch and sugar meld with the blueberries to create a flavorful filling that holds together perfectly. Don't skip out on the lemon, especially if you're using ripe blueberries. The lemon adds a necessary burst of acid to the Blueberry Bars and heightens the overall flavor profile.
HOW TO MAKE BLUEBERRY BARS
- Prep | Position rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat oven to 375°. Have ready a greased, 9x13" baking dish.
- Make the Crust | If you've ever made a homemade pie crust, then you know it's seriously easy to make pastry dough from scratch. You can use either the food processor or a pastry blender to do it. Mix the dry ingredients, cut in the butter, add the egg, and stir to combine!
- Make the Filling | The Blueberry Bar filling is a simple matter of adding blueberries, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice and zest to a bowl and stirring to combine.
- Assemble the Bars | Once the crust comes together, the majority of it gets transferred to a 9x13" casserole dish. Be sure to leave some for the topping though! The bottom portion is gently patted down to create a solid layer of dough. Then, the blueberry mixture is poured over the solid layer of dough, and the dough that remains is crumbled over the top.
- Bake | The Blueberry Bars are off to the oven and baked until the filling is a beautiful, bubbly mess, and the crust is a perfect golden brown.
5 MORE BREAKFAST TREATS YOU'LL LOVE
- Blueberry Muffins made from scratch using the cake method rather than the muffin method, produce a perfect muffin and a tender crumb!
- Apple Strudel with layer upon layer of flaky crust is a dessert that could conjure the whole family just by scent alone!
- Cinnamon Rolls from scratch may seem intimidating, but with this step-by-step tutorial (with pictures), you'll have everything you need to make perfect made-from-scratch cinnamon rolls.
- Baked Cinnamon Apples are simple, easy to make, and only require a few ingredients!
- Apple Crumble Muffins are full of diced apples and come equipped with a perfect buttery crumble topping.
Blueberry Bars
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 2 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 8 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter cut into cubes
- 8 tablespoons cold shortening (regular, not butter-flavored), cut into cubes
- 1 egg slightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 4 cups fresh blueberries washed and dried
For the Blueberry Filling:
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 4 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- Juice of 2 lemons
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
Instructions
- Position rack in the lower third of the oven, and preheat oven to 375°. Have ready a greased, 9x13" baking dish.
For the Crust:
- Add the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder to the bowl of a food processor fitted with a paddle attachment. Pulse to mix. If you do not have a food processor, use a large mixing bowl and a whisk.
- Add the cold, cubed butter and shortening and pulse until the mixture resembles small peas speckled throughout the dry ingredients. Or, you could use a pastry cutter to cut in the fats.
- Add the egg and vanilla, and pulse combine. If you're not using a food processor, stir with a wooden spoon until evenly incorporated. Set aside until ready to use.
For the Blueberry Filling:
- In a large mixing bowl, combine blueberries, sugar, cornstarch, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt. Stir to combine.
- Add about ⅔'s of the dough to the bottom of the greased casserole dish. Gently use your hands to pat the dough out evenly across the dish. Pour the blueberry filling evenly across the dough, and crumble the dough that remains over the top.
- Bake for 45 minutes, or until the crust is golden-brown. Place on a wire rack and allow to cool 15 minutes before cutting. Serve and enjoy.
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Danielle says
I love how you make the blueberries really shine in this, awesome recipe!
Kelly Anthony says
Thank you so much, Danielle!
Valentina says
I REALLY want this for breakfast tomorrow with my coffee. YUM! I can't get enough blueberries during the summer. 🙂
Kelly Anthony says
Same! Thanks, Valentina!
Natalie says
I love blueberry bars! These look absolutely gorgeous and so delicious! The perfect summer treat ♥
Kelly Anthony says
Thank you so much, Natalie!
Jillian says
These Blueberry Bars are just what my breakfast needs! Don't judge me - blueberries are a breakfast food! 😉
Kelly Anthony says
No worries 😉 This is a judgment-free zone!
Kavita Favelle says
Blueberry and lemon is one of those flavour marriages made in heaven, I think, so I know I'd adore these lovely bars. They look so good!
Kelly Anthony says
Thank you! I completely agree about the match-making 😉
Suzanne says
This looks so good! Its so nice to have a blueberry recipe handy when you don't have time to make a pie!
Vanessa says
Thanks for sharing! Do they keep long?
Kelly Anthony says
They can be frozen, so absolutely!