Blueberry Bars
Blueberry Bars are soft, buttery dessert bars filled with juicy blueberries and a lightly golden crumb topping. This Blueberry Bars recipe is easy to make using simple pantry ingredients and fresh or frozen blueberries. Perfect for dessert, brunch, or an afternoon snack, these bars combine a tender base with bursts of sweet blueberry flavor in every bite.
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Optional
- Powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
- In a mixing bowl cream together softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the egg and vanilla extract, mixing until fully combined.
- In a separate bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix until a soft dough forms.
- Press about two-thirds of the dough evenly into the prepared baking pan.
- Scatter the blueberries evenly across the base layer.
- Crumble the remaining dough over the blueberries to form the topping.
- Bake for 35–40 minutes until the top is lightly golden.
- Allow the bars to cool completely in the pan before lifting out and cutting into squares.
- Optional: Dust with powdered sugar before serving.
Notes
- Frozen blueberries can be used without thawing.
- Avoid overmixing the dough to keep the bars soft and tender.
- Let the bars cool completely before cutting to help them hold their shape.
- Lemon zest adds brightness and enhances the blueberry flavor.