Blueberry Pie Crumble Bars

These blueberry crumble bars are fresh, flavorful and easy to make. They’re naturally gluten free, vegan and perfect with a dollop of coconut whipped cream on top! The best summer dessert for your next barbecue.

Fruity desserts (ok lemon too) are my favorite kind of dessert. I see you peach crisp. Aside from vanilla cupcakes that is. They’re fresh and sweet but don’t weigh you down the way chocolate can.

These blueberry crumble bars, or blueberry pie bars as I like to call them, are made with a buttery brown sugar crust, layered with juicy blueberries and topped with more crust for good measure.

This recipe is naturally vegan, gluten free, easy to make and perfect on a summer day with a dollop of coconut whipped cream on top.

This recipe requires a few steps, but it all comes together quite easily! If you want something even easier, try my blueberry crisp instead and be sure to try my gluten free pie crust with my blueberry pie for your other baking needs.

Why you’ll love this recipe

• Easy to make
• Vegan & gluten free
• Simple ingredients
• Perfect for a summer dessert

How to make blueberry crumble bars

For these blueberry crumble bars, the crust and the crumble will be the same recipe (all made in the same bowl) so the first step is to make this. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the baking powder, salt, cinnamon, oats and almond flour.

Add in all remaining ingredients and use a fork to mash the butter or oil into all ingredients. I prefer using butter, but either works.

The dough shouldn’t be too wet, but it should be dry either, so keep mixing until the wet ingredients are well incorporated. When you touch it, it should feel moist, but crumble easily if you run it between your fingers.

Add about 2/3 of the dough to an 8×8 pan lined with parchment paper. Press down firmly with your hands. If you only have a 9×9 pan, that should work just fine too, but the crust won’t be as thick.

Bake for 10 minutes and set aside the remaining dough.

While baking, add the blueberries, lemon juice and maple syrup to a pot on the stove. Heat over low heat until the blueberries start to melt and bubble. You can mash some of them with a fork if you like, but I generally leave them whole.

Whisk in the starch and let simmer for about 1 minute to allow it to thicken. 

Remove from heat and let cool for about 5 minutes while the crust finishes baking. The blueberry juice part should continue to thicken as it cools.

When the crust is done baking, remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes.

Add the blueberry mixture to the crust and crumble on the remaining dough on top. Bake, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.

Remove from the oven and let cool for at least 1 hour before slicing.

The crust should hold up if you just hold the bar and bite into it, but I generally recommend serving these on a plate with a fork since they can get a bit messy.

They’re best with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream on top! Try my gluten free fruit tart next!

Fresh vs frozen berries

You can use fresh or frozen berries for this recipe, but I recommend using fresh if you can. Frozen berries will release more moisture and can make the crust and bit soggier. 

If you use frozen, I suggest baking the crust for a few extra minutes so it has more structure to support the extra liquid.

Variaitons

Mixed berries. You can use any berry in place of blueberries if you prefer, but I find raspberries, blackberries and blueberries work best. If you use strawberries, I recommend slicing them finely before melting them on the stove.

Add lemon. Turn these into blueberry lemon crumble bars by adding some lemon zest into the blueberry filling and on top of the crumble when they come out of the oven!

Pro tip: You want the oil/butter to be softened, but not completely melted. I usually use butter and will slice it into 1 tablespoon bits and microwave for about 15 seconds and then add that to the dough.

Coconut oil usually melts faster, so it should only need about 10-15 seconds in the microwave to soften. If you press your finger into the butter it should leave an intent, but not completely fall apart. That’s how you’ll know it’s ready.

Try these berry recipes next!

• Blueberry Baked Oatmeal
• Blueberry Muffins
• Blueberry Crisp
• Avocado Blueberry Smoothie
• Lemon Blueberry Pancakes
• Strawberry Shortcake

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