These blueberry crumble bars are easy to make and taste fantastic. A shortbread crust is topped with blueberry pie filling and an oatmeal almond crumble topping for the perfect dessert!
If you’re looking for a great dessert that’s super easy to make, these blueberry crumble bars fit the bill. They are super easy to make, and taste fantastic!
Blueberry pie without all the work of blueberry pie.
These bars have a shortbread crust, a sweet blueberry filling, and a crunchy oatmeal and almond crumb topping. They’re easy to make, and everybody loves them!
They are best the day that they’re made, as the crumble topping tends to soften over time. They will still be tasty for a couple of days, but are definitely best when they’re fresh.
Enjoy one of these blueberry crumble bars with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for an amazing dessert!
How long do blueberry crumble bars last?
These bars are best the day that they’re made. This is because after the first day, the crumble topping and the shortbread crust tend to soften, especially if the bars are stored in an airtight container.
For this reason, I don’t cover these bars tightly. I leave them loosely covered at room temperature for 2-3 days. They are still tasty on the third day, but the topping will be softer. You can reheat the bars in the oven for 5-10 minutes at 350F to crisp up the topping a bit if you like.
Do you need to refrigerate blueberry crumble?
I do not refrigerate these bars. Blueberry crumble doesn’t need to be refrigerated, and the crumble topping will get soggy in the fridge.
These are best the day they’re made. If you have leftovers, keeping them at room temperature is best so the crumble topping doesn’t get super soft.
How to make Blueberry Crumble Bars:
- The best way to make the shortbread crust is with a food processor. You want to process the ingredients until the butter is fully incorporated and the mixture resembles damp sand.
- You can make these bars with fresh or frozen blueberries. However, with frozen berries you need to cook the filling before spreading it on the crust. See my notes on the recipe if you want to use frozen blueberries.
- I like to put a foil sling in my baking dish before making these bars so that they can be lifted out easily and sliced up. If you’d prefer not to, just spray the baking dish with non-stick cooking spray first.
Here are some more great fruit desserts for you:
Blueberry Crumble Bars
These blueberry crumble bars are easy to make and taste fantastic. A shortbread crust topped with blueberry pie filling and a crumble topping!
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened and cut into 8 pieces
For the crumble:
- 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons reserved crust mixture
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar, lightly packed
- 1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
For the filling:
- 3 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen, see note for frozen berries)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375F.
- Line an 8x8 inch baking dish with tin foil, leaving an overhang on all sides, and lightly grease the foil. Set aside.
Make the crust:
- In a food processor, combine the flour, sugar, and salt.
- With the food processor running, add the butter, one piece at a time.
- Process until the butter is incorporated and the mixture resembles damp sand.
- Remove 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons of this mixture and set it aside in a medium bowl for the crumble topping.
- Press the remaining crumb mixture into the prepared pan, packing it down as tightly and evenly as possible.
- Bake for 14-16 minutes, or until it is just beginning to brown on the edges.
Make the crumble:
- While the crust is baking, prepare the crumble.
- Add the brown sugar, rolled oats, and sliced almonds to the reserved crumbs, and stir to combine.
- Add the butter and use your hands to rub the butter into the crumb mixture, squeezing handfuls of the crumbs together so that it clumps into hazelnut sized lumps. Set aside.
Make the filling:
- In a medium bowl, stir together the blueberries, sugar, flour, and lemon juice until combined (see note if using frozen blueberries).
- Spread the filling on top of the hot crust.
- Spread the crumble topping evenly across the filling.
- Bake the bars for 25-30 minutes, or until the crumble is golden brown and the filling is bubbling around the edges.
- Allow the bars to cool completely in the pan (1-2 hours) before lifting them out by the foil overhang and slicing them.
- Store, loosely covered, at room temperature for up to 3 days. The bars are best the first day, after that the shortbread crust and the crumble starts to soften.
Notes
If you’re using frozen blueberries, the filling will need to be cooked on the stove before spreading it on the crust. Combine all the filling ingredients over medium heat on the stove and cook, stirring, for 4-5 minutes or until the berries have broken down and the sauce has thickened. Spread this filling on the warm crust and continue with the recipe as written.
Source: Adapted from my Apple Pie Bars.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1 barAmount Per Serving: Calories: 223Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 23mgSodium: 47mgCarbohydrates: 31gFiber: 2gSugar: 15gProtein: 3g
Nutrition Information is estimated based on ingredients used and may not be exact.