Simple Blueberry Crumble Bars

These blueberry crumble bars have a soft, buttery shortbread, a jammy blueberry filling and a golden crumble topping that adds just the right amount of texture.  This no egg recipe uses a shortbread base that doubles as the oat crumb topping.  About 10 minutes of prep time and 40 minutes to bake.  You will have this classic homemade dessert ready in under an hour.

Disclosure | This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

As a busy mama and self taught baker, cookie bar recipes save me all the time! The shortbread base comes together quickly, the blueberry layer gets all bubbly and irresistible when baked and the crumb topping?  It gives bakery vibes without much effort!  So whether you are baking for a weekend treat or for sharing with friends, these cookie bars have the best crumbly goodness you want in a homemade treat.

This recipe is essentially my raspberry crumble cookies in dessert bar form. Much like my blueberry blondies and blueberry almond cake, this recipe is a great way to turn fresh blueberries into dessert. If you want to serve them with breakfast, I don't think anyone would complain!

🫐 ingredients notes and substitutions

I wanted the shortbread crumble to be the star in this recipe.  If you wanted to add some lemon, I would add 1 tablespoon lemon juice or zest with the blueberry and cornstarch layer. A drizzle of melted white chocolate would also be delicious over the top of the baked bars.

I also debated having you bake the base first, followed by the blueberry layer and shortbread crumble topping. But I bet you are as busy as I am and want to just put a dessert in the oven and be done, right? Oh, and did I mention the butter is cold from the refrigerator? Perfect for those of us that don't always plan ahead!

Please scroll to the printable recipe card at the end of this post for the full list of ingredients and baking directions.

• Blueberries ~ I used fresh blueberries.  I did not test with frozen blueberries, but suspect it might make the bars soggy.
• Cornstarch ~ the secret ingredient that creates the jam-like blueberry layer.
• Almond extract ~ my taste testers enjoyed the extra flavor with the addition of almond extract. If you don't have it or don't care for it, it can be left out or substituted with vanilla.
• Quick oats ~ making the crumble topping with oats, adds more texture to the crumb topping.  If you don’t have them, they can be left out with no other changes.

🥣 how to make in photos

Preheat the oven to 350°F and line an 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper.

In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, mix together the flour, kosher salt and sugar on low until combined, about 30 seconds. Then add the cold and cubed butter.

Mix on low for 1 minute. Then add the vanilla and almond extracts and mix on low another 2-3 minutes.

The dough will be very crumbly at this point and not actually look like a cookie dough at all.

Now use your (clean) hands to grab the dough and clump it together. You are not going for a fully cohesive dough, but you should have a mixture of larger and smaller clumps of dough.

Press ⅔ of the shortbread dough into an even layer in the prepared pan.

In a bowl, toss together the washed and dried blueberries, cornstarch and granulated sugar.

Then spread the blueberry mixture over the shortbread base.

Place the remaining shortbread dough back in the mixer bowl. Add the quick oats and mix on low about 30 seconds until the oats are dispersed in the dough. Then sprinkle the crumb topping over the blueberry layer.

Bake in the preheated oven until lightly golden, about 35-40 minutes.

Let the bars cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Then place in the refrigerator to cool completely.

👩🏻‍🍳 tips for the best blueberry crumb bars

Line the baking pan with parchment paper for easy removal.

Allow the bars to cool completely before slicing. I recommend letting them cool on a wire rack for 15-20 minutes and then placing the pan in the refrigerator to cool completely.

For the blueberry crumble bars, I recommend baking in a light colored 8x8 baking pan. Dark pans absorb more heat and can cause the edges to burn while the middle is undercooked.  Glass pans also distribute the heat differently and can have similar results to dark colored baking pans.  If baking in glass, it’s recommended to lower the temperature by 25°F and bake for a few minutes longer.

Remember your oven is different from mine and the baking time may be slightly different. I use this oven thermometer to ensure my oven is at the temperature I think it is.  

Remember to snap a picture and tag me @twosugarbugs on Instagram if you make these Simple Blueberry Crumble Bars. It warms my heart to see you bring these recipes to life! Thank you for being here and happy baking!

If you make this recipe {or any recipe!} from two sugar bugs please come back and leave a review and a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating.  I read every comment, and I LOVE hearing from you!

📖 recipe

Simple Blueberry Crumble Bars

recipe created and tested by:

Tasia

These blueberry crumble bars have a buttery shortbread crust, jammy filling and oat crumb topping.  A no egg recipe ready in under an hour.

I highly recommend using weight (metric) measurements when available for more accuracy and the best results.

Please note

When using 2x or 3x ingredients, the grams in parenthesis DO NOT adjust, you will have to manually do that.

Print Recipe rate this recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Bake Time 40 minutes mins

Chill Time 1 hour hr

Course Bars and Brownies, Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 16 bars

Calories 235 kcal

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

shortbread

• ▢ 2 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour (292g)
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ ⅔ cup granulated sugar (133g)
• ▢ 1 cup unsalted butter cold and cut in small cubes (226g)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ▢ ½ teaspoon pure almond extract*

blueberry filling

• ▢ 1 pint fresh blueberries (2 cups/290g)
• ▢ 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• ▢ ¼ cup granulated sugar (50g)
• ▢ 3 tablespoons quick oats (21g)

crumble topping

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 350°F and line an 8x8 pan with parchment paper.

For the shortbread:

• In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, mix together the flour (2 ⅓ cups/292g), kosher salt (¼ teaspoon) and sugar (⅔ cup/133g) on low until combined, about 30 seconds.
• Add the small cubes of cold, unsalted butter (1 cup/226g) and mix on low (stir or speed 2 on a KitchenAid mixer) for 1 minute. Then add the vanilla (1 teaspoon) and almond (½ teaspoon) extracts and mix on low another 2-3 minutes. The dough will be very crumbly at this point and not actually look like a cookie dough at all.
• Now use your (clean) hands to grab the dough and clump it together. You are not going for a fully cohesive dough, but you should have a mixture of larger and smaller clumps of dough.
• Press ⅔ of the shortbread dough into an even layer in the prepared pan (it is about 435g dough)

For the blueberry filling:

• In a bowl, toss together the washed and dried blueberries (1 pint/~2 cups/290g), 2 teaspoons cornstarch and ¼ cup granulated sugar. Then spread the blueberry mixture over the shortbread base.

For the crumble topping:

• Place the remaining shortbread dough (about 217g) back in the mixer bowl. Add the quick oats (⅓ cup/21g) and mix on low about 30 seconds until the oats are dispersed in the dough.
• Sprinkle the crumb topping over the blueberry layer.
• Bake in the preheated oven until lightly golden, about 35-40 minutes.
• Allow the blueberry crumble bars to cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then move to the refrigerator to finish cooling, about 45 minutes more.

Notes

*You can omit the almond extract or substitute it with an equal amount of vanilla.

The quick oats can be left out of the crumble with no other changes.  If you only have old-fashioned oats, I would give them a quick blitz in a food processor or high speed blender to make them finer.

I recommend baking in a light colored 8x8 baking pan. Dark pans absorb more heat and can cause the edges to burn while the middle is undercooked.  Glass pans also distribute the heat differently and can have similar results to dark colored baking pans.  If baking in glass, it’s recommended to lower the temperature by 25°F and bake for a few minutes longer.

Blueberry crumble bars should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days.  They can also be frozen for up to two months.  

Nutrition

Serving: 1 barCalories: 235kcalCarbohydrates: 31gProtein: 2gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 31mgSodium: 39mgPotassium: 51mgFiber: 1gSugar: 15gVitamin A: 371IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 9mgIron: 1mg

The nutrition information is based on third-party calculations, is an estimate only and may not be entirely accurate. Actual nutritional values will vary based on brands used and portion sizes.

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?Leave a comment and rating below! I love hearing from you!