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I’ve been making a couple of varieties of raspberry bars for years but wanted to try my hand at a blueberry treat. These Blueberry Streusel Bars were a delicious twist on my raspberry version and a big hit with my pie-loving husband. They’re easy to make and addictive!

Blueberry Bars are a delicious dessert when sweet, fresh blueberries are in season. If you love blueberry pie, you’ll be thrilled with these easy cookie bars.

3 blueberry bars stacked on a square white dessert plate with fresh blueberries to garnish.
Table of Contents hide
1 Why You Must Make
2 Ingredient Notes
3 How to Make
4 Recipe Tips
5 Frequently Asked Questions
6 You May Also Like:
7 Blueberry Streusel Bars Recipe

Why You Must Make

  • These Blueberry Bars are like Pie in Cookie form!
  • Plus, they’re SO much easier to make than a blueberry pie.
  • They’re delicious to boot!

Bill loves pie. He really loves pie. I’m a pretty big fan myself, but rolling out a double crust is a chore. And a time-consuming chore at that, with the need to chill the dough, roll it out, chill it again—with fingers crossed it doesn’t tear during the process. So in the summer, I make my fair share of pies. Peach, raspberry, and blueberry are at the top of his list in the summer.

Blueberry Bars ingredients with labels on a metal sheetpan.

Ingredient Notes

  • Kitchen Staples – Flour, Powdered Sugar, Salt, Brown Sugar
  • Butter – I used salted butter since salt is a flavor enhancer. It should be cold.
  • Blueberry Jam – I had the Bonne Maman brand in the fridge.
  • Blueberries – Fresh or Frozen, I used fresh. If you use frozen, you may need to extend the baking time and/or add a touch more flour to make up for extra moisture.
  • Sugar – Taste your blueberries and add sugar if they’re not very sweet.
Blueberry streusel bars on a white tray with 2 bamboo forks

How to Make

Blueberry Bars Step 1
Make crust by combining flour, powdered sugar, salt and butter.
Blueberry Bars Step 2
When butter is the size of small peas, press into prepared baking pan.
Blueberry Bars Step 3
Bake as directed.
Blueberry Bars Step 4
Make blueberry filling and spread over crust.
Blueberry Bars Step 5
Top with blueberries mixed with flour.
Blueberry Bars Step 6
Make streusel and crumble on top of berries.
Blueberry Bars Step 7
Bake as directed.
A stack of 3 blueberry bars on a square white dessert plate with fresh blueberries to garnish
Cut into squares and dig in!

These blueberry streusel bars are easy as pie! Or easier than pie, to be truthful.

  1. Press the shortbread crust in a baking pan and pre-baked it.
  2. Brush the warmed jam over the crust followed by the berries mixed with a bit of flour (taste your berries and add a bit of sugar if they’re more tart than sweet), then top with the streusel.
  3. Pop them back in the oven and you’ll have these scrumptious berry bars that were a breeze to throw together.

Recipe Tips

  • Cold butter makes a more tender crust and topping. As the bars hit the oven, the butter produces steam making the crust and topping more tender.
  • I did not add any extra sugar and felt the filling needed some additional sweetness. Sample a few berries to see if you need to up the sugar amount. Bill, the hubby, had no complaints so adjust the sweetener to your palate.
  • These bars would also be sensational with blackberries.
  • If you have extra blueberries, try this Blueberry Poppy Seed Bread.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Do You Select Fresh Blueberries?

Look for berries with a deep blue color. They should be plump with a dusting of gray on the surface. Fresh blueberries have smooth skin without wrinkles, signs of mold, soft or mushy spots.

How Should You Store Fresh Blueberries?

Keep your blueberries in the refrigerator in a ventilated container. Storing them in an airtight container will shorten their lifespan. Do not wash them until you’re ready to use as that will accelerate their deterioration.

How Do You Store Streusel Bars?

Store these blueberry crumb bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. They may also be frozen for up to 3 months, just defrost them in the refrigerator overnight before serving. Note that the streusel may be softer after freezing and defrosting.

You May Also Like:

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stack of blueberry streusel bars on a white ceramic plate
The Recipe:

Blueberry Streusel Bars Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 42 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 12 minutes
Yield 16 servings

Shortbread crust, blueberry filling topped with streusel makes the perfect summer bar cookie. Adapted from Stonewall Kitchens Favorites.

Ingredients

Crust:

  • ¾ cup flour
  • ¼ cup powdered sugar
  • Dash of salt
  • 6 tablespoons butter, cold and cut into pieces

Berry Filling:

  • ¼ cup blueberry jam
  • 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
  • 1-2 tablespoons flour
  • 1-2 tablespoons sugar, if berries aren't very sweet

Topping:

  • 4 tablespoons butter, cold and cut into pieces
  • ½ cup flour
  • ½ cup packed brown sugar

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375º.
  2. Make crust by combining ¾ cup flour, powdered sugar, salt and 6 tablespoons of butter. Cut butter into dry ingredients till the butter is the size of small peas (may use pastry blender or even food processor).
  3. Sprinkle the mixture into the bottom of an 8 x 8-inch pan lined with non-stick foil for easy removal. Press onto bottom of pan using your hands.
  4. Bake 10-12 minutes or till just starting to brown.
  5. Make the filling by melting the jam in a small saucepan or the microwave.
  6. Gently mix the blueberries with 1-2 tablespoons of flour (I just used 1 tablespoon with fresh berries) and a tablespoon or so of sugar if your berries are not sweet. Set aside.
  7. Make the streusel topping by mixing the remainder of the butter, flour and brown sugar using a pastry blender or food processor just till combined and crumbly.
  8. When crust is done, remove from oven and using pastry brush or back of a spoon, spread jam over the surface. Top with berries, then sprinkle with streusel topping.
  9. Bake 25-30 minutes or till berries are bubbling and topping is brown.
  10. Cool completely before cutting.

Notes

This recipe can easily be doubled and baked in a 9 x 13-inch pan. Baking times remain the same.

Taste the berries and adjust the sugar if they're tart.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

16

Serving Size:

1 bar
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 165Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 19mgSodium: 70mgCarbohydrates: 24gFiber: 1gSugar: 13gProtein: 1g

Thatskinnychickcanbake.com occasionally offers nutritional information for recipes contained on this site. This information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although thatskinnychickcanbake.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased can change the nutritional information in any given recipe. Also, many recipes on thatskinnychickcanbake.com recommend toppings, which may or may not be listed as optional and nutritional information for these added toppings is not listed. Other factors may change the nutritional information such as when the salt amount is listed “to taste,” it is not calculated into the recipe as the amount will vary. Also, different online calculators can provide different results. To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in any given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information obtained is accurate.

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© Liz Berg
Cuisine: American / Category: Bar Cookies
Blueberry Streusel Bars on a white plate with fresh blueberry garnish
Image circa 2015