During blueberry season I am always looking for new blueberry recipes to try – and even after blueberry season because if it’s been a good year then I have a freezer full of blueberries. The beauty of these bars is they work great with either fresh or frozen berries so they are flexible for any time of the year.
I love the crumbly and buttery mixture that serves as both a crust and a crumble topping – bonus in that you get both in just one step. And the blueberry mixture in the middle sets up just like blueberry pie filling. Yum! These have been a big hit every time I made them.
I took the recipe from Love Bakes Good Cakes and tweaked the directions a bit as well as tried the recipe with frozen berries instead of fresh (although I’ve since done it both ways).
Here’s what you need:
We’re going to start by making the crumb mixture that will serve as both our crust and a crumble topping.
In a large bowl combine some granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, a pinch of salt and flour. Add in some chilled and cubed butter. Now use a pastry cutter and cut the butter into the flour mixture. Next add in a beaten egg and a splash of vanilla and continue to mix in with your pastry cutter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Grease a 9×13 pan. Pour in about half of the crust mixture and pat down.
In a medium bowl gently mix together some blueberries, sugar, and cornstarch.
Pour the blueberry mixture evenly over the top of the crust.
Top with the remaining crust mixture and gently pat down.
Bake at 375 degrees for 45-55 minutes until lightly golden brown. If you use frozen berries instead of fresh it will take toward the longer end of baking and of course all ovens vary. The crust will crack a little bit and you’ll get a peek at the blueberry goodness hiding in the middle.
Cool completely before cutting.
Look at that yummy blueberry filling in the middle!
You should be able to pick these up with your hands although there will be a few crumbs as you bite into them. You can also top these with whipped cream, in which case I recommend a plate and fork.
- Crust:
- ½ c sugar
- ½ c brown sugar
- 1 t baking powder
- 3 c flour
- Pinch kosher salt
- 1 c butter, cubed and chilled
- 1 egg, slightly beaten
- ½ t vanilla
- Filling:
- 4 c fresh or frozen blueberries
- ½ c sugar
- 3 t cornstarch
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.
- In a large bowl mix together the sugars, baking powder, flour, and salt. Cut in the butter using a pastry cutter until the mixture is crumbly and the butter is the size of small peas. Add the egg and vanilla and continue mixing using the pastry cutter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Pat half of the crumb mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan.
- In a medium bowl gently mix together blueberries, sugar, and cornstarch. Pour over the crust in an even layer.
- Top with remaining crumb topping and pat down gently.
- Bake for 45-55 minutes (frozen berries will need the longer range of time) until the top is lightly browned.
- Cool completely before cutting.
- Serve on their own or with whipped cream.
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