Description
Delight in these homemade Blueberry Crumb Bars featuring a buttery crumbly crust topped with a luscious, thickened blueberry filling and finished with a golden crumb topping. Perfect as a sweet breakfast treat or a satisfying dessert, they combine the tartness of lemon and juicy blueberries with a tender, buttery base baked to perfection.
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ¼ tsp salt
- Zest of one lemon
Wet Ingredients & Base
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened but cooler than room temperature
- 1 egg
Blueberry Filling
- 4 cups frozen blueberries
- ½ cup sugar
- 4 tsp cornstarch
- ¼ cup water
- Juice of one lemon
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and prepare a 9-inch cheesecake pan by setting it aside.
- Make Crust Dough: In a medium bowl, combine ¾ cup sugar, 2 ¾ cups flour, ¼ cup cornstarch, salt, and lemon zest. Using a fork or pastry cutter, blend in the softened butter and egg until the mixture becomes crumbly dough. Press half of this dough evenly into the bottom of the cheesecake pan to form the crust base.
- Prepare Blueberry Filling: In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, warm the frozen blueberries until they begin releasing juice. Reduce heat to medium, then add ½ cup sugar and lemon juice, stirring to combine. In a separate small bowl, mix 4 teaspoons cornstarch with ¼ cup water to make a slurry, then stir this into the blueberry mixture. Continue heating until the filling comes to a boil and thickens. Remove from heat.
- Partially Bake Crust: Place the cheesecake pan in the preheated oven and bake the crust base for 10 minutes to set it slightly.
- Add Filling and Crumble Topping: Remove the pan from the oven and pour the thickened blueberry filling evenly over the partially baked crust. Crumble the remaining dough over the blueberry layer as the topping. To catch any drips, place the pan on a baking sheet before returning it to the oven.
- Bake Final Bars: Bake the assembled bars for an additional 20-25 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and cooked through.
- Cool and Serve: Allow the bars to cool completely in the pan before slicing into squares to serve.
Notes
- Using cold, softened butter cooler than room temperature helps create a crumbly, tender dough.
- Placing the cheesecake pan on a baking sheet prevents potential drips and oven messes.
- For easier slicing, refrigerate the bars after cooling.
- Frozen blueberries can be used directly without thawing; they release juice as they cook.
- Lemon zest and juice brighten the flavor of the blueberry filling and complement the buttery crust.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
