Blueberry Crumble Bars
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Sweet and jammy Blueberry Crumble Bars…the perfect spring and summer breakfast treat! A buttery oat crumble made with a dash of cinnamon and freshly grated lemon zest sandwiched between a layer of homemade blueberry jam. Every bite is perfectly summery and SO. GOOD. Enjoy as a sweet breakfast treat, a mid-afternoon snack, or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream to make this into a decadent summery dessert!
About The Recipe
Lately, we have been getting the sweetest blueberries at the grocery store! It seems a bit odd since peak season is typically during the summer, but we aren’t complaining. They have been perfectly juicy, full of flavor, and seriously delicious.
Literally, we have been buying 2 or 3 containers every time we go to the store! So, we knew that we HAD to make something with the blueberries we have been buying.
Though, we wanted a treat where the blueberry flavor could really shine.
My mom and I talked about a few different ideas, but we wanted something super simple and would be a great snack come summertime (think, picnics).
Which is where the idea of crumble bars came to mind! It’s been almost 2 years since we shared our Peach Crumble Bars, which was the last crumble bar recipe we shared.
They are a recipe that performs well every summer, so we wanted to share another that we thought you all would love just as much!
Though, I have to admit, I think these blueberry crumble bars might be ever better.
The crust is buttery, crunchy, with a hint of spice, and just the right amount of lemon. But the real star of this treat is the homemade blueberry jam!
Made with only three ingredients, the jam is perfectly sweet, extra flavorful, and comes together quickly. Honestly, I could’ve eaten this whole pan by myself!
It makes for a perfect sweet snack or breakfast for the spring/summer months.
What Are Crumble Bars?
Our crumble bars are made from a dough consisting of flour, oats, brown sugar, and butter. It is a bottom crust that gets par-baked, filled with a jam or pie filling, and then excess dough is crumbled on top of the filling, and finally baked to golden perfection!
Though, this recipe is made with the addition of lemon zest and cinnamon in the crust. We also filled it with homemade blueberry jam to give these bars a delicious blueberry flavor!
Reasons You Will Love These Blueberry Crumble Bars
- Ready in less than an hour.
- Buttery, tender, and melt-in-your-mouth delicious!
- The perfect treat to enjoy during breakfast, as a snack, to bring along on picnics, or even as a fruity dessert.
- A real crowd pleaser.
- Easy to make!
Equipment Needed
- 2 Quart Pot
- Wooden Spoon
- Food Processor
- 9 Inch Square Pan
- Cooling Rack
Ingredients
(Full ingredient amounts and instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the post)
For The Jam:
- Blueberries – The great thing about jam is that you can use fresh or frozen blueberries! Just make sure the blueberries do not have stems and are not molded/rotten.
- Granulated Sugar – Perfectly sweetens the jam.
- Lemon Juice – Using lemon juice in the jam helps cut some of the sweetness from the sugar, as well as enhancing the flavor of the blueberries!
For The Crust:
- All-Purpose Flour – Gives this crust the perfect structure.
- Rolled Oats – Also known as, “old fashioned”, these oats give the crust a little bit of crunch, as well as some nutrition!
- Brown Sugar – We use brown sugar to compliment the flavor of the filling, as well as keeping it from being too crunchy.
- Lemon Zest – Adds a bright pop of flavor to the crust!
- Ground Cinnamon – A little bit of cinnamon in the crust helps enhance the flavor of the blueberry jam.
- Salt – Cuts of the sweetness, while also enhancing the flavor!
- Unsalted Butter – We like to use unsalted butter in this recipe to help control the amount of salt.
How To Make Blueberry Crumble Bars
Step 1: Make the jam
Combine blueberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a medium saucepan. Cook and stir over medium low heat until sugar dissolves and mixture thickens, about 20 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Step 2: Prepare crust
Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until mixture comes together and forms a dough.
Step 3: Assemble and bake
Press ¾ of dough into prepared pan.
Bake for 20 minutes, or until edges start to brown. Spread jam on top of baked base.
Crumble the remaining dough on top of the jam. Bake for an additional 45 minutes, until topping is golden brown.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to use a food processor to make the crust?
While it’s preferable to make the crust using a food processor, as it chops the oats, you can actually make the crust using a hand mixer. Just be sure that the butter is room temperature so it can mix.
What’s the best way to pack the crust down?
If you’ve ever had to pack a crust in a pan, you know that using your hands or a spoon can be a pain! I’ve found that using the bottom of a metal measuring cup to pack down crusts really gets it tight and helps keep it level!
Why is there no gelatin in the jam?
The wonderful thing about making fruit jam is that there is no need to add anything to set the jam! Fruit naturally has something called “pectin”. This acts just like gelatin and allows the jam to set.
What’s the best way to cut these bars?
Once cooled and turned out of the pan, you need to use a sharp knife to cut the bars into squares or even rectangles, depending on how big you wish the bars to be!
How To Store
After these bars have been cooled and cut, they can be kept in a zip-top bag or in an airtight container and left at room temperature for 2-3 days. You can also refrigerate for up to a week.
These bars can also be frozen, if stored in a freezer safe zip-top bag, for 2-3 months!
Substitutions
- Salted butter can be used in the crust, if that’s all you have on hand. Just remember to omit the salt in the recipe!
- To make this recipe vegan, use your favorite plant-based butter.
- You can use store-bought blueberry jam instead of homemade.
- You can also use a different flavor of berry jam. Strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, or even mixed berry would all taste delicious with the crust!
Looking for more recipes like this? Here are a few you may like: Peach Crumble Bars, Blueberry Pop Tarts, Blueberry Muffin Cookies, Blueberry White Chocolate Chip Scones
Expert Tips
- When making the jam, be careful not to burn it. Stir continuously and break the blueberries as they begin to cook!
- Make sure you have old-fashioned/rolled oats and NOT instant oatmeal for this recipe.
- Try and get the bottom layer of crust as level as you can.
- When spreading the jam, if you take it all the way to the edges, you will need to run a knife along the sides of the pan after baking, as the jam will cause the bars to stick.
When you make these Blueberry Crumble Bars, leave a comment down below! We love hearing from you and answering any questions you might have! Also, be sure to tag us on social media and hashtag it #BakersTable.
Blueberry Crumble Bars
Ingredients
Blueberry Jam
- 2 cups blueberries
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
Base and Topping
- 1¼ cups all purpose flour*
- 1¼ cups rolled oats
- ⅝ cup brown sugar, firmly packed
- 1 Tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅓ teaspoon salt
- 10 Tablespoons unsalted butter
Instructions
Blueberry Jam
- Combine blueberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a medium saucepan.
- Cook and stir over medium low heat until sugar dissolves and mixture thickens, about 20 minutes.
- Set aside to cool.
Base and Topping
- Heat oven to 350℉.
- Spray a 9 inch square pan with baking spray. Set aside.
- Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor.
- Pulse until mixture comes together and forms a dough.
- Press ¾ of dough into prepared pan.
- Bake for 20 minutes, or until edges start to brown.
Assembly
- Spread jam on top of baked base.
- Crumble the remaining dough on top of the jam.
- Return to oven.
- Bake for an additional 45 minutes, until topping is golden brown.
- Let cool before turning out and cutting.
Notes + Tips!
- Salted butter can be used in the crust, if that’s all you have on hand. Just remember to omit the salt in the recipe!
- To make this recipe vegan, use your favorite plant-based butter.
- You can use store-bought blueberry jam instead of homemade.
- You can also use a different flavor of berry jam. Strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, or even mixed berry would all taste delicious with the crust!
- When making the jam, be careful not to burn it. Stir continuously and break the blueberries as they begin to cook!
- Make sure you have old-fashioned/rolled oats and NOT instant oatmeal for this recipe.
- Try and get the bottom layer of crust as level as you can.
- When spreading the jam, if you take it all the way to the edges, you will need to run a knife along the sides of the pan after baking, as the jam will cause the bars to stick.
Tools You May Need (affiliate links)
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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