This soft homemade blueberry bars recipe is bursting with sweet blueberries. Serve them for a healthy summer dessert, and watch how quickly they disappear.
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Easy blueberry crumble bars
With a buttery shortbread crust, thick blueberry filling, and delicious crumble topping, these classic blueberry pie bars are pretty much impossible to resist.
Each time I serve them at a party or event, people always ask for the recipe.
If you’re looking for a dessert to make for blueberry season, you cannot go wrong with these bars. They are hands-down the best blueberry bar recipe I’ve ever tried.
Also try these Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Blueberry bar recipe ingredients
To make the recipe from scratch, you will need flour, ground cinnamon, baking powder, salt, sweetener, butter or coconut oil, cornstarch or arrowroot, and blueberries.
Flour – Types that work well include white all purpose flour, spelt flour, or oat flour. I have not tried whole wheat flour and do not recommend coconut flour or almond flour.
If you wish to make your own flour with oats from scratch, simply pulse uncooked rolled oatmeal in a food processor or blender. Measure the oats after blending.
Sugar – Go with traditional granulated sugar for the crust and crumble topping. The bars can be refined sugar free if you use coconut sugar, date sugar, or granulated erythritol or xylitol for bars with no sugar added.
In the filling, any neutral granulated or liquid sweetener will do, including pure maple syrup, honey, agave, white sugar, unrefined sugar, or a stevia baking blend.
Cornstarch – This ingredient is crucial because it thickens the berry filling and binds the bars together. If you skip or cut back on the cornstarch or arrowroot powder, the filling will spill out from each bar as soon as it’s cut.
Butter – The crust and streusel dough calls for full fat butter or coconut oil. Those looking for a healthier, oil free option can substitute an equal amount of softened almond butter.
Step by step recipe video
Fresh or frozen blueberries
Use whatever you have on hand, or whichever one is on sale at the grocery store, because either fresh blueberries or frozen fruit work.
If you choose frozen berries, thaw the berries and blot away excess water or ice with paper towels before beginning, so the finished bars do not turn out soggy.
Or for an even quicker and easier option in the recipe, canned blueberry pie filling can be substituted for the blueberries, sweetener, and thickener.
You may also substitute fresh or frozen raspberries, blackberries, pitted cherries, chopped peaches, mango, or strawberries for some or all of the blueberries to change up the flavor.
Here is a variation with apples: Apple Crumble Bars
Lemon blueberry crumb bars
As a fun flavor variation, stir the zest of one or two lemons into the blueberry filling.
Or you can stir the lemon zest directly into the shortbread crust and crumble topping. Add a tablespoon of lemon juice to the filling.
Garnish the old fashioned blueberry lemon bars with thinly sliced and curled lemon peels or fresh sliced lemons and powdered sugar if desired.
How to make blueberry bars
*For a large family or to feed a crowd, double the recipe and bake the bars in a rectangular nine by thirteen inch baking pan for the same amount of time.
- Preheat your oven to 350° Fahrenheit (176° Celsius). Line an eight inch square baking pan with parchment paper, and set the pan aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, stir the flour, cinnamon, sugar, salt, and baking powder.
- Using a pastry cutter, a fork, or a whisk, cut in the chilled butter, almond butter, or coconut oil. Continue to break up the dough until it forms small, even crumbles reminiscent of streusel. This can also be done in a food processor for a quick and easy option, if you wish.
- Press about half of the dough very firmly into the bottom of the prepared baking pan, using a sheet of wax paper or second sheet of parchment to help press more firmly. (Discard this second sheet of parchment paper after use.)
- In a new bowl, toss the fresh or frozen thawed blueberries with the cornstarch or arrowroot and two tablespoons sweetener of choice until evenly mixed.
- Spread the blueberry mixture over the dough in the pan. Then sprinkle the remaining streusel topping evenly over everything. Press down firmly.
- Bake on the center rack of the oven for fifty minutes. The filling should look thick and bubbly, with a golden crust and topping.
- Let the blueberry bars cool fully before slicing, because the fruit filling firms up and continues to set as it cools.
Is the recipe vegan or gluten free?
For dairy free and vegan blueberry bars, use plant based butter (or coconut oil or almond butter) and your favorite nondairy milk. There are no eggs required.
The bars can also be gluten free if you use gluten free oat flour. Some brands of gluten free all purpose flour may also work. Be sure to report back if you try.
While I’ve not yet done a keto version of the recipe, you can make fantastic keto blueberry bars if you use blueberry yogurt in these Keto Lemon Bars.
Baking tips for blueberry pie bars
Refrigerate before slicing. For cleaner slices, I recommend chilling the bars in the refrigerator before cutting them. They should slice easily once cold.
Use a food scale for accurate measurements. If you prefer to measure ingredients with a food scale instead of using measuring cups and spoons, here are the amounts to use in grams:
200 grams flour, 2 grams cinnamon, 130 grams sugar, 150 grams butter or coconut oil, 45 grams milk of choice or additional butter, 360 grams blueberries, 6 grams cornstarch, and 30 grams sweetener of choice. Also add the salt and baking powder.
Choose either butter or oil based on your desired results. The coconut oil version will be a bit more crumbly. Using almond butter or the low fat milk option instead of all butter will result in slightly gummier crumbles before baking. The final results for each option turn out equally yummy, so it is completely your choice.
Follow the recipe to a T. My best baking tip is to make the recipe according to the directions the first time. Once you know how it should turn out, you can have fun experimenting with substitutions or cutting back on certain ingredients.
Next on my baking to-do list is to try adding cream cheese to the filling, turning the recipe into blueberry cheesecake bars!
The recipe was adapted from my Peach Crisp and these Strawberry Oatmeal Bars.
Blueberry Bars
Ingredients
- 1 2/3 cup flour (200g) (spelt, white, or oat work well)
- 1 tsp cinnamon (2g)
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2/3 cup sugar (130g)
- 3/4 cup butter or coconut oil (150g)
- 3 tbsp milk of choice or additional butter (45g)
- 3 cups blueberries (360g)
- 1 tbsp cornstarch or arrowroot (6g)
- 2 tbsp pure maple syrup (30g) or sweetener of choice
Instructions
- 1. To make the blueberry bars, preheat your oven to 350° Fahrenheit or 176° Celsius.
- 2. Stir the first five ingredients, then cut in the butter or oil. (If using oil or unsalted butter, add an additional 1/4 tsp salt.)
- 3. Press about half of the dough very firmly into the bottom of an 8 inch pan lined with parchment paper. (Or double the recipe for a 9×13 inch pan.)
- 4. Toss the blueberries with the cornstarch and liquid sweetener. Spread this filling over the crust.
- 5. Sprinkle all remaining dough evenly over top and press down firmly.
- 6. Bake 50 minutes on the center rack of the oven, then let cool.
- 7. Chill in the refrigerator before cutting into bars.
Video
Notes
More Healthy Blueberry Desserts
Or these Keto Blueberry Muffins
Or this Protein Banana Bread
(Add a half cup of blueberries to turn it into banana blueberry bread.)
Hello,
What kind of oil to use ? Would coconut oil be ok ?
Thanks !
Looks delicious!
Coconut oil definitely works! Just be sure to use it in liquid form 🙂
Jason
If using frozen blueberries, do I have to wait until they are defrosted to add them to the mix?
Yes do be sure to thaw them first. That way you’re not getting watery or icy results.
Such beautiful blueberry treats were never seen before! I enjoy all of your posts featuring the sweet and colorful little fruit. I have tried Clif bars, and assume these will have a similar texture, but with a much better sugar to nutrient ratio. These are so appealing to look at and I can understand why you were eager to write a new post featuring the photos.
Thank you for sharing the recipe. Have a wonderful Monday.
These oatmeal bars look so yummy! I totally need to give them a try asap!
Paige
I completely agree that most of these bar or similar recipes call for way too much sugar, so your very much lower sugar count in favor of the natural sugars in the blueberry is very much appreciated, thank you
I agree, so often recipes use way more sugar than is needed! These look delicious 🙂
I wonder if it’s blueberry season? I know it’s the season for strawberries! In which case I’d be using strawberries to sub in his recipe.
Prevention magazine has been decrying the overuse of sugar in American “food” products for at least 40 years. You may want to check the following book out of your library. It is about the food industry’s systematic “pushing” of sugar and fats in their products to get Americans addicted to sugar. The book is: “The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Diet” by David Kessler, MD, who was formerly the head of the FDA. Although the book is copyrighted in 2010, it is very well researched and documented. (However, I warn you, it is a bit of a cynicism producing read…)
Can regular old fashioned oats be used as well?
They would probably be a little more crumbly but it would still work.
They came out great!! I used old fashioned oats, subbed organic unsweetened applesauce for the oil, used Lakanto monk fruit sweetener instead of sugar and even reduced the flour to 1/4. I also used half blueberries and half strawberries since this recipe was adapted from the strawberry bars and I just couldn’t pick one! Lol. ?
Love your photo!
Oh Dang!! I’m trying this version!!! Thank U!
You can use old fashioned oats but put them in a food processor and pulse several times to break oats down a bit! Worked great!
If you put regular oats in the food processor or blender you will get oat flour . Process it for a shorter timeframe if you like a little more texture. Oat flour is a very fine powdery texture
I used regular oats with white flour, butter instead oil, granulated sugar throughout, & added some fresh lemon zest to the berries. It is so delicious!!!
I used regular oats with white flour, butter instead oil, granulated sugar throughout, & added some fresh lemon zest to the berries. It is so delicious!!!
***I used unsalted butter instead of oil & I also increased the salt to 1/2 tsp.
Combining oatmeal and blueberries is the best! I think layering some of the oats on top of the blueberries is such a great idea. Glad that you addressed sugar–there is SO much refined sugar in pre-packaged nutrition and granola bars nowadays! What a shame!
I loved this! I think I’m going to use less sugar in it because the honey I mixed with the blueberries added a lot of sweetness already. Can’t wait to make it again!
I love these. Used old fashioned oats and a bit less sugar than 1/3 cup. What I found, however, is that I wanted more oat mixture….so doubled the recipe. A bit “thicker” bar. Took a bit longer to bake.
I made this 3 times already, about to make it again, but with blackberries instead of blueberries. This thing is delicious and super easy to make. I always cut the sugar down about half, and it’s still sweet and yummy. I’ve also mixed in vanilla protein powder and chopped nuts and it still turned out delicious. Like this recipe. Thanks. .
Can apple sauce be an oil substitute and honey a substitute for sugar?
Edible experiments are the best kind. Be sure to report back if you experiment 🙂
I used applesauce in place of the oil and they turned out great!
What’s the healthiest sugar you can use ?
Thanks
Coconut sugar is good in these, and it’s lower glycemic than regular sugar, so maybe try that? https://amzn.to/2Q4I3Ur
Jason