Description

A simple, rustic dessert featuring a buttery shortbread crust and topping with a sweet-tart blueberry filling. These bars are easy to make, make-ahead friendly, and stay moist for days.

Ingredients

Scale

2 cups all-purpose flour (divided)
1 cup unsalted butter (divided, cold for topping, room temp for crust)
1/2 cup granulated sugar (divided)
3 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon cornstarch (optional, recommended for frozen berries)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13 inch baking pan and line with parchment paper if desired.
In a large bowl, combine 1 ½ cups flour, ¼ cup sugar, and ½ cup cold cubed butter. Mix until coarse crumbs form. Press firmly into the bottom of the pan.
Bake the crust for 15 minutes until lightly golden. Remove from oven.
While crust bakes, toss blueberries with remaining ½ cup flour, ¼ cup sugar, lemon juice, vanilla, and cornstarch in a medium bowl.
In a small bowl, combine remaining ½ cup flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, and ¼ cup cold cubed butter. Mix until coarse crumbs form.
Spread the blueberry filling evenly over the hot baked crust.
Sprinkle the crumb topping generously over the fruit.
Bake for 30-35 minutes until topping is golden brown and fruit is bubbling.
Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack for at least one hour before cutting.

Notes

Do not skip blind baking the crust to prevent sogginess. Use cold butter for the crumb topping to ensure a crunchy texture. Let bars cool completely before cutting to allow the shortbread to set. Frozen berries can be used without thawing but require cornstarch to thicken juices.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45-50 minutes
Category: Dessert
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 square bar
Calories: 220
Sugar: 16
Sodium: 120
Fat: 10
Saturated Fat: 6
Carbohydrates: 32
Fiber: 2
Protein: 2

Keywords: blueberry crumb bars, shortbread bars, easy dessert, 3 ingredient recipe, make ahead dessert, berry bars