These Blueberry Lemon Bars are a delicious combination of tangy lemon and sweet blueberry flavor. With a buttery shortbread crust and fresh berries filling these bars will be a crowd-pleaser at any party or gathering. The best part? They are incredibly easy to make
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Blueberry crumble bars
- These lemon blueberry pie bars make a delicious dessert, but you can also serve them as a breakfast treat along with a cup of your favorite coffee.
- You only need a few simple ingredients so you don't have to worry about spending a lot of money at the grocery store.
- These bars are great for potlucks, parties, or even just when you have a sweet tooth that you want to satisfy.
Not only are these bars the perfect blend of sweet blueberries and tangy lemon. But, they are also super easy to make so you don't have to worry about spending a lot of time in the kitchen to make this sweet treat.
Ingredients you'll need
Note: This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
📋 Ingredient Notes
- Blueberries - I used fresh blueberries for these bars, but you can also use frozen blueberries. Just make sure to thaw them before and dry them before you use them.
- Sugar - I used granulated sugar in this recipe, but you can also use coconut sugar or brown sugar for a slightly different flavor.
- Cornstarch - This helps thicken the blueberry filling.
- Cinnamon - Just a pinch of cinnamon adds a warm, cozy flavor to these bars.
- Lemon - You will need the zest and juice to add a bright citrus flavor to these bars.
- All-purpose flour - This is the base for the crust and crumble topping.
- Baking powder - This helps the crust and crumble topping rise slightly.
- Salt - Just a pinch of salt enhances the flavors in this recipe.
- Butter - I recommend using unsalted butter for this recipe. Make sure it is cold, not room temperature.
- Vanilla extract - Adds a hint of sweetness and warmth to the crust and crumble topping.
- Brown sugar - This adds a rich, caramel-like flavor to the bars.
- Cold water - The water helps your crust come together. Make sure it's cold.
- Vanilla extract - Vanilla adds a delicious depth of flavor to these bars.
- Large egg yolk - This binds all the ingredients together for a cohesive crust and crumble topping.
🥣 Before you begin: essential tools
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- Mixing bowls
- Pastry cutter - optional
- 9x13 baking dish - I recommend using a glass or ceramic baking dish.
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Step by step: instructions
Note: This is an overview of the instructions. The detailed instructions are in the recipe card below.
- In a mixing bowl, toss the blueberry filling together and set aside.
- In a large bowl, add flour, baking powder, salt, granulated sugar, and lemon zest. Mix to combine.
- Using your fingers, press and combine butter into flour mixture. You may also use a pastry cutter or even a food processor if you wish. I find it just as easy to use my hands.
- Once the butter is all incorporated, mix in the egg yolk, vanilla extract and brown sugar. Pour in lemon juice and water. Mix the dough with your hands or a wooden spoon until the dough is combined yet crumbly. You should be able to press the dough together between your fingertips and it mostly stays together.
- Press two-thirds of the crust mixture into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Use your fingertips to push the mixture together as well as push it into the corners and along all edges of the pan. Set aside the reserved ⅓ of the dough.
- Gently pour in the blueberry mixture on top of the dough. Use a spoon to spread it out evenly. Sprinkle the rest of the crust mixture over the top of the blueberries. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes at 375°F until the top is golden brown.
Variations to make it your own
- If you want to change up the flavors of the filling? You can use different types of citrus such as lime or orange to add a bright flavor to the sweetness of the blueberries.
- For a beautiful touch and added sweetness you can dust the top of your bars with a sprinkling of confectioners’ sugar while they are still warm.
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My notes
- If you are using salted butter instead of unsalted butter, I recommend that you reduce the amount of salt in this recipe.
- Make sure that you zest the lemons before you juice them. And try not to zest the white part, as that is bitter.
- If you don't have brown sugar on hand, you can use all white sugar in the crust as well.
- A metal pan will take longer than a glass pan, so you may need to add an additional 10 minutes to your baking time.
- You can omit the cinnamon if you don’t care for this spice but it does add a warm earthy flavor.
- If you want to easily remove bars and get clean slices, I recommend that you line your baking dish with parchment paper. Then you can remove the entire pan at once and cut them on a cutting board.
- Keep in mind that you want to use cold butter when you are making the crust dough. You don't want to use melted butter.
How to store leftovers
Refrigerate - Store the bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days. If you don't have a lid for your baking dish you can cover the top of it with plastic wrap to keep the bars fresh.
Freeze - For longer storage, you can freeze these bars. Make sure to let them cool completely before wrapping and freezing. To thaw, take out of the freezer and let sit at room temperature for a few hours.
Make Ahead
One great thing about these blueberry lemon shortbread bars is that they are great when made ahead. Feel free to make them up to 24 hours in advance.
Perfect pairings: what to serve with
This fruity twist on classic lemon bars pairs well with a cup of coffee or tea. You can also serve them with a scoop of this Condensed Milk Ice Cream or this Chantilly Cream.
💬 Your questions answered: FAQs
These bars should stay fresh for up to 3-4 days.
The original lemon bars are typically served cold, however, these lemon blueberry bars are best at room temperature or slightly warm in my opinion.
Related Recipes
- If you are looking for more delicious dessert recipes to make for your family and friends next time give these Apple Crisp Bars with Crumb Topping a try.
- Do you love lemon bars? If so, you are going to want to try these Cranberry Lemon Bars. The lemon filling mixed with the tangy cranberries makes these bars out-of-this-world delicious.
- These Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble Bars are the perfect blend of sweet and crunchy. The sweet filling is guaranteed to make your taste buds sing.
This is a very easy blueberry recipe with one mixture for the base and the crumbly topping. A terrific dessert handheld as is or topped with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream, my favorite way.
If you love this recipe, please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating! Thank you.
Blueberry Lemon Bars
Ingredients
Filling
- 4 cups Blueberries
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 lemon , juice and zest. Make sure to zest before juicing.
Base & Topping
- 3 cups all-purpose flour scoop and level method
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar
- ¾ cup butter cold and cubed
- 1 lemon , juice and zest. Make sure to zest before juicing.
- ¼ cup cold water
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 large egg yolk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F and prepare a 13x9 baking dish by spraying with a non-stick spray; make sure to spray the sides and corners well.
- In a mixing bowl, toss the blueberry filling together and set aside.
- In a large bowl, add in flour, baking powder, salt, granulated sugar and lemon zest. Mix to combine.
- Using your fingers press and combine butter into flour mixture. You may also use a pastry cutter or even a food processor, if you wish. I find it just as easy to use my hands.
- Once the butter is all incorporated, mix in the egg yolk,vanilla extract and brown sugar.
- Pour in lemon juice and water. Mix the dough with hands or a wooden spoon until the dough is combined yet crumbly. You should be able to press the dough together between your fingertips and it mostly stays together.
- Press two-thirds of the crust mixture into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Use your fingertips to push the mixture together as well as pushing it into the corners and along all edges of the pan.
- Set aside the reserved ⅓ of the dough.
- Gently, pour in the blueberry mixture on top of the dough. Use a spoon to spread it out evenly.
- Sprinkle the rest of crust mixture over the top of the blueberries. It will not completely cover all the blueberries.
- Bake for 40 to 45 minutes at 375°F.
- Blueberry lemon bars are done when the blueberries are bubbly and the top is golden brown.
- Allow the bars to cool at least 30 minutes or until completely set. Room temperature is best, but they’ll smell so good you may not be able to wait.
- Sprinkle powdered sugar on top if you wish.
- Serving - serve blueberry lemon crumble bars right out of the oven or heat them up in the microwave and top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or add a dollop of chantilly cream.
Notes
- You can omit the cinnamon if you don’t care for this spice but it does add a warm earthy flavor.
- Salted butter can be used, just take out the salt in the recipe.
- You will need 2 lemons for this recipe. Be sure to zest the lemons before juicing. One lemon can be used for the filling and one for the base/topping.
- We like the mix of the brown sugar with the granulated sugar in the crust, it gives it more flavor, however if you do not have light brown sugar on hand, you can use all granulated sugar in the crust.
- If you use a metal baking pan, it may take longer than a glass baking dish to bake up. Check at 40 minutes and watch until golden brown.
Nutrition
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