Featuring a juicy blueberry filling and a buttery, crumbly brown sugar streusel, there’s much to love about these blueberry pie bars. The filling and streusel come together quickly, and the crust and crumble topping are made from the same mixture, so there’s no need to dirty an additional bowl. They’re easy to make, transport, serve, and freeze!
One reader, Cami, commented: “A family favorite and a hit at get togethers! Made with fresh blueberries and it turned out fantastic…will make over and over again! ★★★★★“
If you love blueberry crumble pie, but making pie crust from scratch intimidates you, this blueberry pie bar recipe is the answer. You’ll get the same delicious flavors, but with the welcome ease of making a single “dough” that becomes both crust and topping—no finicky pie crust chilling, shaping, or latticing today! Dessert is served. 🙂
These Blueberry Pie Bars Are:
- Quicker than many fruit fillings—no pitting, peeling, or chopping!
- Easier than pie—crust & topping made from the same 1-bowl mixture
- Super flavorful, with a jammy blueberry filling between layers of buttery brown sugar oat crust
- A great make-ahead dessert
- Another egg-free baking recipe
- Easy to transport, slice, serve, and freeze!
Grab Your Blueberry Pie Bars Ingredients
This is everything you need for juicy blueberry bar perfection:
Crust & Topping Made From Same Mixture
This step really couldn’t be easier. You need 1 bowl and a spatula (no mixer required!), and you’ll use this dough for both the crust and the crumble topping.
- All-Purpose Flour: Flour is the base of the crust/crumble.
- Oats: Feel free to use either whole rolled oats or quick oats here. Reserve 2 Tablespoons of oats to add to the crumble topping before sprinkling it on top of the blueberry pie filling.
- Brown Sugar: I love using brown sugar in a dough/crumble like this, because of the moisture and flavor it provides.
- Baking Powder: Baking powder keeps the crust/crumble on the lighter side. Without it, the texture would be a little too hard and dense.
- Salt, Cinnamon, & Lemon Zest: Small amounts but definitely necessary for flavorful bars. The lemon zest brightens up the blueberry flavor, and a touch of cinnamon adds a warmth that’s reminiscent of homemade pie, like apple pie.
- Melted Butter: Using melted butter makes this a stir-by-hand mixture (just like these chewy chocolate chip cookies!). It binds the ingredients together and provides the most delicious buttery flavor. Y-U-M.
Stir everything together until it’s formed large crumbles, with no visibly dry parts. Reserve about 1/3 of this mixture to use as the crumble topping, and press the remaining 2/3 into a 9-inch-square baking pan lined with parchment paper (which makes the bars easy to lift out and slice). I use the same tip when making rice krispie treats and M&M cookie bars, too.
Success Tip: Here’s a neat way to line square baking pans.
Bake the crust for 10 minutes, to give it a head-start before you top it with the filling. While the crust bakes, make the filling.
Blueberry Pie Bar Filling
Grab these 4 ingredients:
- Blueberries: You need about 4 and 1/2 cups of fresh blueberries. If using fresh, give them a rinse. If you want to use frozen, expect a juicier filling. No need to thaw.
- Granulated Sugar: Just enough to sweeten the berry filling.
- Cornstarch: This is the thickening agent that works to set the filling and make these blueberry pie bars perfectly sliceable. It’s essential in classic blueberry pie and cobbler, too.
- Lemon: Zest it first, and then juice it—you need both zest and juice in the filling. The fresh lemon brightens up the flavor. Without it, the blueberry filling tastes a bit… meh. (And we don’t have time for meh desserts!)
Stir most of the ingredients together on the stove for just a couple minutes, to begin dissolving the sugar and cornstarch. Cook and stir only until the berries are coated and look evenly wet. This doesn’t take long—we’re not going for blueberry sauce here! After you take it off the heat, stir in the lemon zest.
Pour the filling over the pre-baked crust. Stir an additional 2 Tablespoons of oats into the remaining crumble mixture, to give it a little extra volume. Then sprinkle the topping all over the blueberry filling.
Now comes the hardest part of this recipe: the waiting. The bars need to bake for 45–55 minutes, and then cool completely before you can slice them. I know, I’m sorry!
One silver lining: this is a great make-ahead recipe!
How to Cut Neat Squares
Cool baked bars completely, just like you would let a pie cool completely. If you cut the bars into squares while they are still warm, they’ll completely fall apart. If I’m serving these at a party or event, I prepare them the night before just so I know they’ll cool long enough to yield neat squares.
Lift the bars out of the pan using the edges of the parchment paper lining and place the whole thing on a cutting board. Slice squares with a sharp knife and wipe the knife clean between each cut.
Serving Blueberry Pie Bars
I love the handheld nature of dessert bars, but remember, these are blueberry pie bars. They’re gooey, juicy, crumbly, and a bit messy. So I do recommend a fork and plate… or at least a plate and a napkin. Unless you’re willing to risk purple-stained fingers and clothing! *Sally’s Baking Recipes is not liable for blueberry stains.*
These bars are delicious served cold or room temperature, or warm one up and top with vanilla ice cream for an à la mode experience! You can also top them with whipped cream.
For another easy but delicious alternative to blueberry pie, try my lemony blueberry galette next!
More Fruit Bar Recipes
- Strawberry Rhubarb Crumb Bars
- Lemon Strawberry Crumb Bars
- Cranberry Crumble Pie Bars
- Oatmeal Lemon Crumble Bars
- Apple Pie Bars (with Salted Caramel!)
- Raspberry Streusel Bars
- Cherry Pie Bars
And here is even more inspiration for dessert recipes that use blueberries.
Print
Blueberry Pie Bars Recipe
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hours, 15 minutes (includes cooling)
- Yield: 16 bars
- Category: Bars
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This is blueberry pie without the hassle of making a homemade pie crust! To prepare these easy blueberry pie bars, layer a buttery brown sugar crust, jammy blueberry filling, and a crumbly oat topping. The crust and crumble topping are made from the same mixture, so there’s no need to dirty an additional bowl. Cool completely before cutting.
Ingredients
Crust + Topping
- 1 and 1/2 cups (188g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 cup (85g) + 2 Tablespoons old-fashioned whole rolled oats, divided
- 1/2 cup (100g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 10 Tablespoons (142g) unsalted butter, melted
Filling
- 4 and 1/2 cups (about 640g) blueberries, fresh is best*
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 2 Tablespoons (15g) cornstarch
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a 9-inch square baking pan (I love this one and this one) with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides to easily lift the bars out of the pan. Set aside.
- Make the crust: Whisk the flour, 1 cup (85g) oats, brown sugar, baking powder, lemon zest, cinnamon, and salt together in a medium bowl. Add the melted butter and stir until the mixture resembles moist crumbly sand and no dry spots remain. You will have a little more than 3 cups of crust mixture, or about 520g. Press 2/3 of the mixture (about 2 cups/345g—doesn’t have to be exact) into the prepared baking pan. Press it into the pan with your hands, a large spoon or spatula, or the bottom of a measuring cup to form a crust. Bake for 10 minutes, and then remove from the oven to slightly cool.
- Make the filling: Place the blueberries, sugar, cornstarch, and lemon juice in a saucepan over medium heat on the stove and stir gently to combine. Cook and stir for 2–3 minutes until the cornstarch and sugar begin to dissolve and the berries look evenly wet. Remove from heat and stir in the lemon zest.
- Pour/spread the filling over the warm crust. Stir 2 Tablespoons oats into the remaining crumble mixture, then sprinkle it all over the filling, and lightly press it down with the back of a large spoon or flat spatula.
- Bake for about 45–55 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned and the blueberry filling is bubbling around the edges.
- Remove from the oven and allow the bars to cool completely in the pan set on a wire rack. Feel free to cover and refrigerate the cooled bars for up to 1 day before cutting into squares.
- Lift the cooled bars out of the pan using the overhang on the sides and cut into squares.
- Cover and store leftover blueberry pie bars at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: You can refrigerate the cooled bars before cutting into squares, see step 6. Baked and cooled bars freeze well up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature, if desired, before serving.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 9-inch Square Baking Pan (like this one or this one) | Glass Mixing Bowl | Citrus Zester | Citrus Juicer
- Can I Bake This in a 9×13-inch Pan? You can, but I have had better results baking a smaller batch, as written, in the 9-inch pan. If you want to make a larger batch, double each ingredient (only use 8 cups of blueberries) and bake in a 9×13-inch pan. Increase crust pre-bake time to 18 minutes. Increase the bake time after adding the filling & crumble topping to 1 hour, or until filling is bubbling.
- Fresh Blueberries: It’s best to use fresh blueberries in this recipe. If you’d like to use frozen, follow the recipe as written and sub in frozen blueberries (do not thaw). Keep in mind that the filling will be much juicier.
- Update in 2023: This recipe used to call for 3 cups (about 525g) of blueberries in the filling, and 1 peeled and sliced apple. To make the blueberry apple version, follow the recipe instructions above through step 3. After spreading blueberry filling onto the warm crust in step 4, top evenly with sliced apple, and then sprinkle remaining crumble mixture on top. Continue with the recipe as written.
- Looking for a vegan and gluten-free version? Try my healthy berry streusel bars.
These are so blueberry tasty!
Delicious!
Would raspberries work in this recipe?
Hi Bonnie, we fear raspberries might be a bit too juicy. You might enjoy these similar raspberry streusel bars instead.
Can I use a 9×9 glass Pyrex baking dish instead of metal? If yes, should I alter the recipe at all?
Hi Gary, yes, you can use an oven-safe Pyrex. Same recipe and temperature, although the bake time may be a minute or two longer so keep a close eye on it.
So delicious I can’t get over it!!! I used frozen blueberries and drained a lot of the liquid before putting it over the crust. Turned out perfectly!
Easy to make and delicious, it’s a keeper!
Great way to use extra blueberries, turned out delicious
Hi! Is there anything I can replace the lemon juice and zest with to brighten up the blueberries ? I have a citrus allergy in my family and I’d still love to try to make these!
Hi Tiffany, you can try using a combination of vanilla extract + vanilla bean seeds (or vanilla bean paste) for some extra flavor, or a little almond extract like we use in these cherry pie bars. You could also try adding some spice, like cinnamon and nutmeg, or ginger, if that appeals. Hope this helps!
I don’t have a 9” square pan, but I do have a 9” round. Do you think it could work?
Hi Lauren, the recipe should work just fine, but the presentation of the bars will be different in a round pan!
Easy to prepare and ideal for either dessert or as a breakfast bar. One question: I usually have quick oats (Not instant) on hand so can I substitute them for the whole oats next time? Thanks!
Hi Aly, that should be OK here. Glad you enjoy this recipe!
This is just another one of Sallys perfect recipes! I am a home baker and you never steer me wrong! I am making these today for the 5th time, they are a favorite everywhere I take them. My family asks for them every time I bake.
This recipe so delicious. Perfect for juicy in season blueberries. Cant wait to try with fall apples! Putting this recipe in the recipe book im making for my grand daughters cookbook, all credit to Sally!
Cannot wait to make this! Can I make the filling ahead of time?
Hi Suji, that should be fine to make it a day or 2 ahead of time and store in the refrigerator, but you’ll want it to be warm when pouring on the warm crust, so you’ll need to reheat it when ready to use.
Great recipe! I made 1-1/2 times the recipe and baked it in a 9×13-inch pan, which was perfect. I used 2 pounds of fresh blueberries.
This recipe is amazing! I cut back on the sugar and then had it on yogurt for breakfast. Delicious!
This was a great recipe with a wonderful crisp topping. I added some pecans to the top, which my family and I loved. It was a bit sweet for my taste so I may decrease the sugar next time. (Or it could be that berries are now more in season and just are sweeter!) Somehow, I also missed you needed to cook the fruit first and just added it in – but it still came out great! There was not too much liquid and the berries held their shape so I may continue to do it this way?
Sally, I used fresh blackberries in this recipe and they were very good. I followed the recipe for
blueberries but they didn’t seem as juicy, should I cook the blackberries a little longer to release
their juices?
Hi Marlyn, we haven’t tested this particular recipe with blackberries, but I think that should help, yes!
This was probably my least favorite of Sally’s blueberry recipes. I love blueberries and felt that the recipe really didn’t do them justice. It wasn’t bad, but the flavor wasn’t as fresh and vibrant as I had hoped.
I have a question have you tried this with a different fruit? Our only grocery store in the county was destroyed by a tornado. I can get fresh peaches down the street from a vegetable stand. Do you think this would work? I’m really wanting to make something but not wanting to make the drive till later next week.
Thank you
Hi Nancy, we haven’t tested this exact recipe with peaches, but here is our recipe for peach bars instead!
I have 10 mature blueberry bushes that produce about 40 lbs of berries each season. In the past I have given away much of the crop to friends and family. After finding and baking your easy and absolutely DECADENT blueberry pie bar recipe I’ve decided to keep more of my crop. The only difficulty now is not eating all the baked goods at one time!
Thanks so much for sharing this recipe. It’s definitely a keeper!
What a treat! So glad you’re enjoying these blueberry pie bars, PJ.
I’d love to make this recipe here in Australia, but we don’t have cornstarch, we have cornflour. I’ve read that it doesn’t thicken the same was cornstarch does. Can tapioca flour be used as the thickening agent?
Hi Deanna, we haven’t tested this recipe with tapioca flour, so are unsure of the results. If you try it, please report back and let us know how it turned out.
If using frozen berries, would you advise increasing the amount of cornstarch since it will be juicier?
Hi Caroline, we don’t recommend it. Leave the recipe as-is. Happy baking!
I grow blueberries and have an abundance of pie filling. Can I use it instead?
Hi Colette, we imagine it should work just fine to use your own pie filling rather than making the filling as instructed. The bars may be more/less sweet depending on your particular pie filling. Let us know how it goes!
We have a regional berry here in Alberta Canada called a Saskatoon berry. They’re like a blueberry in appearance but have their own delicious flavour. I’m going to give them a go in this recipe and let you know…
Family fave, and a hit at get togethers! Made with fresh berries and it turned out fantastic. I reduced the sugar substantially and it was still plenty sweet. Will make over and over again!
Wonderful! I made the blueberry apple version and it was great!
Sally & Staff- can these bars be made in a slow cooker? Thanks for any thoughts/suggestions.
Hi Heather, we haven’t tested anything, but let us know if you do!