Is there anything that screams summer more than blueberry desserts?? I have a Blueberry Tart that I love to make for summer get-togethers, but I wanted something that you can easily eat in the middle of a corn hole game or sitting by the pool. Something you didn’t need a fork, knife, or even a plate to eat! And that’s how these babies came to be. These Blueberry Pie Bars are everything you want in a pie, but in bar form! Bright, juicy berries paired with a buttery shortbread crust and crumble make for the besstttt summer dessert.
I prefer to use fresh blueberries but if you only have frozen you can use those instead! In order to make sure the filling isn’t too watery, defrost and drain your berries before mixing with the other ingredients. Although the filling will thicken up as it cooks, if you feel it is too loose prior to baking add an additional 1/2 teaspoon of cornstarch. I use frozen berries in a pinch but during the summer I try to use fresh. You could even use frozen mixed berries if you’d like!
Blueberry + crumble + shortbread crust = happiness. I know there are multiple steps but overall this is a very simple dessert. You can easily double this and bake in a jelly roll, or cut into smaller pieces to make more. Simple, delicious, and fresh, what more could you want for a summer dessert? 🙂
Blueberry Pie Bars
Ingredients
For the shortbread crust:
- 1 ¼ cup salted butter room temperature
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp kosher salt
For the crumble:
- 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ½ cup butter, cubed cold
For the blueberry filling:
- 5 cups blueberries
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- zest of 1 lemon
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 4 tsp corn starch
Instructions
For the shortbread crust:
- Preheat the oven to 350° and line a 9×13 baking pan with parchment paper. Add all of the ingredients for the shortbread crust into a stand mixer and mix on medium speed until combined. It will look dry, thats okay! Press the dough into the prepared pan (I lightly dust my hands with flour to keep from sticking) until even. Poke a fork into the dough in several places and par bake for 18 minutes.
For the crumble:
- While the crust is par baking, make the crumble! In a large food processor combine all of the dry ingredients. Pulse three times to combine. Pulse in the cold, cubed butter, one piece at a time, until the mixture looks like wet sand. This should take about 1 minute. Add mixture to the refrigerator until needed.
For the blueberry filling:
- In a large bowl add all of the ingredients for the blueberry filling. Use a spatula to stir until evenly incorporated.
For assembly:
- When the crust is done par baking, pull from the oven. Spread the blueberry filling evenly on top. Pull the crumble from the refrigerator and sprinkle on top. Return to the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the crumble is golden on top and the filling is bubbling.
- Let it cool completely before cutting into 12 slices and serve!
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