That includes a juicy blueberry filling and a buttery, crumbly brown sugar streusel, there’s a lot to like about these blueberry pie bars. The filling and streusel come collectively shortly, and the crust and crumble topping are comprised of the identical combination, so there’s no have to soiled an extra bowl. They’re simple to make, transport, serve, and freeze!
If you happen to love blueberry crumble pie, however making pie crust from scratch intimidates you, this blueberry pie bar recipe is the reply. You’ll get the identical scrumptious flavors, however with the welcome ease of creating a single “dough” that turns into each crust and topping—no finicky pie crust chilling, shaping, or latticing at the moment!
These Blueberry Pie Bars Are:
Faster than many fruit fillings—no pitting, peeling, or chopping!
Simpler than pie—crust & topping comprised of the identical 1-bowl combination
Tremendous flavorful, with a jammy blueberry filling between layers of buttery brown sugar oat crust
Straightforward to move, slice, serve, and freeze!
Seize Your Blueberry Pie Bars Components
That is all the pieces you want for juicy blueberry bar perfection:
Crust & Topping Made From Identical Combination
This step actually couldn’t be simpler. You want 1 bowl and a spatula (no mixer required!), and also you’ll use this dough for each the crust and the crumble topping.
All-Objective Flour: Flour is the bottom of the crust/crumble.
Oats: Be at liberty to make use of both complete rolled oats or fast oats right here. Reserve 2 Tablespoons of oats so as to add to the crumble topping earlier than sprinkling it on high of the blueberry pie filling.
BrownSugar: I really like utilizing brown sugar in a dough/crumble like this, due to the moisture and taste it gives.
Baking Powder: Baking powder retains the crust/crumble on the lighter aspect. With out it, the feel could be somewhat too exhausting and dense.
Salt, Cinnamon, & Lemon Zest: Small quantities however undoubtedly vital for flavorful bars. The lemon zest brightens up the blueberry taste, and a contact of cinnamon provides a heat that’s paying homage to selfmade pie, like apple pie.
Melted Butter: Utilizing melted butter makes this a stir-by-hand combination (identical to these chewy chocolate chip cookies!). It binds the elements collectively and gives probably the most scrumptious buttery taste. Y-U-M.
Stir all the pieces collectively till it’s fashioned giant crumbles, with no visibly dry components. Reserve about 1/3 of this combination to make use of because the crumble topping, and press the remaining 2/3 right into a 9-inch-square baking pan lined with parchment paper (which makes the bars simple to elevate out and slice).
Bake the crust for 10 minutes, to provide it a head-start earlier than you high it with the filling. Whereas the crust bakes, make the filling.
Blueberry Pie Bar Filling
Seize these 4 elements:
Blueberries: You want about 4 and 1/2 cups of contemporary blueberries. If utilizing contemporary, give them a rinse. If you wish to use frozen, anticipate a juicier filling. No have to thaw.
Granulated Sugar: Simply sufficient to sweeten the berry filling.
Cornstarch: That is the thickening agent that works to set the filling and make these blueberry pie bars completely sliceable. It’s important in traditional blueberry pie and cobbler, too.
Lemon:Zest it first, after which juice it—you want each zest and juice within the filling. The contemporary lemon brightens up the flavour. With out it, the blueberry filling tastes a bit… meh. (And we don’t have time for meh desserts!)
Stir a lot of the elements collectively on the range for only a couple minutes, to start dissolving the sugar and cornstarch. Cook dinner and stir solely till the berries are coated and look evenly moist. This doesn’t take lengthy—we’re not going for blueberry sauce right here! After you’re taking it off the warmth, stir within the lemon zest.
Pour the filling over the pre-baked crust. Stir an extra 2 Tablespoons of oats into the remaining crumble combination, to provide it somewhat additional quantity. Then sprinkle the topping all around the blueberry filling.
Now comes the toughest a part of this recipe: the ready. The bars have to bake for 45–55 minutes, after which cool utterly earlier than you’ll be able to slice them. I do know, I’m sorry!
One silver lining: this can be a nice make-ahead recipe!
Methods to Reduce Neat Squares
Cool baked bars utterly, identical to you’d let a pie cool utterly. If you happen to lower the bars into squares whereas they’re nonetheless heat, they’ll utterly collapse. If I’m serving these at a celebration or occasion, I put together them the evening earlier than simply so I do know they’ll cool lengthy sufficient to yield neat squares.
Raise the bars out of the pan utilizing the sides of the parchment paper lining and place the entire thing on a chopping board. Slice squares with a pointy knife and wipe the knife clear between every lower.
Serving Blueberry Pie Bars
I really like the hand held nature of dessert bars, however bear in mind, these are blueberry pie bars. They’re gooey, juicy, crumbly, and a bit messy. So I do suggest a fork and plate… or at the least a plate and a serviette. Except you’re prepared to danger purple-stained fingers and clothes! *Sally’s Baking Recipes just isn’t responsible for blueberry stains.*
These bars are scrumptious served chilly or room temperature, or heat one up and high with vanilla ice cream for an à la mode expertise! You can too high them with whipped cream, or a drizzle of lemon glaze from this recipe for lemon strawberry crumb bars.
Complete Time:4 hours, quarter-hour (consists of cooling)
Yield:16 bars
Class:Bars
Technique:Baking
Delicacies:American
Description
That is blueberry pie with out the effort of creating a selfmade pie crust! To organize these simple blueberry pie bars, layer a buttery brown sugar crust, jammy blueberry filling, and a crumbly oat topping. The crust and crumble topping are comprised of the identical combination, so there’s no have to soiled an extra bowl. Cool utterly earlier than chopping.
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a 9-inch sq. baking pan (I really like this one and this one) with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the edges to simply elevate the bars out of the pan. Put aside.
Make the crust: Whisk the flour, 1 cup (85g) oats, brown sugar, baking powder, lemon zest, cinnamon, and salt collectively in a medium bowl. Add the melted butter and stir till the combination resembles moist crumbly sand and no dry spots stay. You’ll have somewhat greater than 3 cups of crust combination, or about 520g. Press 2/3 of the combination (about 2 cups/345g—doesn’t should be actual) into the ready baking pan. Press it into the pan along with your palms, a big spoon or spatula, or the underside of a measuring cup to type a crust. Bake for 10 minutes, after which take away from the oven to barely cool.
Make the filling: Place the blueberries, sugar, cornstarch, and lemon juice in a saucepan over medium warmth on the range and stir gently to mix. Cook dinner and stir for two–3 minutes till the cornstarch and sugar start to dissolve and the berries look evenly moist. Take away from warmth and stir within the lemon zest.
Pour/unfold the filling over the nice and cozy crust. Stir 2 Tablespoons oats into the remaining crumble combination, then sprinkle it all around the filling, and evenly press it down with the again of a giant spoon or flat spatula.
Bake for about 45–55 minutes, or till the highest is evenly browned and the blueberry filling is effervescent across the edges.
Take away from the oven and permit the bars to chill utterly within the pan set on a wire rack. Be at liberty to cowl and refrigerate the cooled bars for as much as 1 day earlier than chopping into squares.
Raise the cooled bars out of the pan utilizing the overhang on the edges and lower into squares.
Cowl and retailer leftover blueberry pie bars at room temperature for as much as 2 days or within the fridge for as much as 1 week.
Notes
Make Forward & Freezing Directions: You’ll be able to refrigerate the cooled bars earlier than chopping into squares, see step 6. Baked and cooled bars freeze effectively as much as 3 months. Thaw in a single day within the fridge and produce to room temperature, if desired, earlier than serving.
Can I Bake This in a 9×13-inch Pan? You’ll be able to, however I’ve had higher outcomes baking a smaller batch, as written, within the 9-inch pan. If you wish to make a bigger batch, double every ingredient (solely use 8 cups of blueberries) and bake in a 9×13-inch pan. Enhance crust pre-bake time to 18 minutes. Enhance the bake time after including the filling & crumble topping to 1 hour, or till filling is effervescent.
Contemporary Blueberries: It’s greatest to make use of contemporary blueberries on this recipe. If you happen to’d like to make use of frozen, comply with the recipe as written and sub in frozen blueberries (don’t thaw). Remember that the filling will likely be a lot juicier.
Replace in 2023: This recipe used to name for 3 cups (about 525g) of blueberries within the filling, and 1 peeled and sliced apple. To make the blueberry apple model, comply with the recipe directions above via step 3. After spreading blueberry filling onto the nice and cozy crust in step 4, high evenly with sliced apple, after which sprinkle remaining crumble combination on high. Proceed with the recipe as written.
