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!

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.

Instructions

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!

FAQ’s

Can I use another berry? 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.

Can I use frozen blueberries? 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. 

Can I add lemon? Yes! 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!

Why do I have to let them cool? It’s very important to let these cool before slicing. When you remove them from the oven, place the pan directly on a cooling rack and let cool for 1 hour. After they’ve cooled, pick up the sides of the parchment paper from the pan and pull the bars out of the pan, then slice into 16 even squares. You can slice directly in the pan, but I find it easier to remove them before slicing.

Pro tip: You want the oil/butter to be softened, but not completely melted. I usually use butter and will slice it into 1 tbsp 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

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5 from 8 votes

Blueberry Pie Crumble Bars (GF, Vegan)

by: claire cary

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!

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Prep: 10 mins

Cook: 30 mins

Total: 40 mins

16

1x2x3x

Ingredients

Crust/Crumble:

• ▢ 1 ½ cups almond flour*
• ▢ 1 ½ cup quick oats
• ▢ ⅓ cup butter or refined coconut oil, softened
• ▢ ¼ cup unsalted runny almond butter*
• ▢ 2 tbsp maple syrup
• ▢ ⅓ cup light brown sugar can sub coconut
• ▢ 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ▢ ½ tsp cinnamon
• ▢ ¼ tsp salt
• ▢ 1 tsp baking powder

Filling:

• ▢ 3 heaping cups fresh blueberries
• ▢ ⅓ cup maple syrup
• ▢ Juice from 1 lemon
• ▢ 1 ½ tbsp arrowroot starch can sub tapioca or corn starch

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• 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. 
• The dough shouldn’t be too wet, but it should be dry either, so keep mixing until the wet ingredients are well incorporated.
• Add about 2/3 of the dough to an 8×8 pan lined with parchment paper. Press down firmly with your hands. I suggest lining the pan going both ways, it makes for much easier removal!
• 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. 
• Whisk in the starch and let simmer for about 2 minutes to allow it to thicken. 
• Remove from heat.
• 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. It will get pretty messy if you slice when they're still warm! I slice into 16 squares, but you can also do 9 or 12!

Notes

You can use any berry in place of blueberries if you prefer.

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. 

You want the oil/butter to be softened, but not completely melted. I usually use butter and will slice it into 1 tbsp 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.

My favorite almond butter is the raw almond butter from Trader Joe’s. If you have access to this one, definitely get it! Roasted almond butters have a stronger flavor, so I always prefer raw in baking.

If you only have rolled oats, you can pulse them a few times in a food processor to get them into a quick oat texture.

Serving: 1bar / Calories: 223kcal / Carbohydrates: 29.1g / Protein: 4.8g / Fat: 9.3g / Fiber: 3g / Sugar: 16.1g

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