Blueberry Crumb Bars {Eggless}

These blueberry crumb bars have layers of scrumptious buttery crust, a delicious and luscious blueberry lemon filling with a crisp crumbly topping. Serve these as a snack or as a dessert topped with some ice cream. Summer deliciousness in a bite!

These lemon blueberry crumb bars are made with simple ingredients that you probably have in your pantry right now. It is a really quick and easy dessert to prepare.

Summer is here and that means a bounty of fresh blueberries everywhere, which are awesome to use in these bars. They get all bubbly and almost jammy, making this blueberry filling, kissed with hints of lemon, irresistible. Blueberries and lemon are a classic combination used in many blueberry desserts, and the simple reason is that they pair so well!

The recipe for blueberry crumbles bars comes together in 3 easy steps

Blueberry filling: This layer consists of fresh blueberries, lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla extract, sugar, and cornstarch.

Crumble or streusel topping: The same mixture that is used for the crust is also used for the crumble topping, so 3/4 of the crumbly dough is reserved to be crumbled on top of the blueberry mixture. Easy peasy!

Enjoy the deliciousness of blueberry pie in the form of these simple blueberry cookie bars, a great grab-and-go breakfast option, or a sweet treat to put in your little one’s lunch box. 

We love these blueberry crumble bars because

• There are quick & easy
• It isn’t cloyingly sweet, can easily be enjoyed for breakfast too
• Great as a dessert or a snack. 

So if you just went blueberry picking and are looking for something to try besides jams, smoothies or blueberry cake/muffins, try these blueberry crumb bars.

If you are on the lookout for an easy dessert to bring to a BBQ, I suggest you try these. They will be gone sooner than you think! These are great for picnics too!

How to make eggless blueberry crumb bars – Step by step instructions

Step 1: Preheat the oven and prepare the pan

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease an 8-inch square pan, and line with parchment paper with overhang.

Step 2: Mix the dry ingredients

In the bowl of a food processor, add 1 & 1/2 cups flour, 1/2 tsp baking powder,  1/4 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp cinnamon. Also, add in 1/4 cup each of white and brown sugar. Pulse it a couple of times to mix the dry ingredients.

Step 3: Add butter and process the mixture

Add cold, cubed butter (1 stick), and process until the dough looks crumbly. If you try to squeeze some dough in your hands, it should clump together. Alternatively, you can add all the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Use a fork or pastry cutter to blend in the cubed butter until you have a crumbly dough.

Step 4: Pat the dough into the prepared pan and bake the crust

Reserve 3/4 cup of the dough for the crumble topping. Pat the rest of the dough into the prepared pan. Bake the crust for 10 minutes.

Step 5: Prepare the blueberry filling

While the crust is baking, prepare the blueberry filling. In another bowl, add 2 cups of blueberries, 2 tbsp sugar, 2 tsp lemon zest, 1.5 tsp cornstarch, 1 tsp each of lemon juice and vanilla extract. Toss gently.

Step 6: Let the baked crust rest 

Remove the baking pan after 10 minutes. Let it rest for 5 minutes.

Step 7: Transfer the blueberry mixture

Transfer the blueberry mixture evenly over the crust.

Step 8: Crumble remaining dough

Crumble the remaining reserved dough over the blueberry layer.

Step 9: Bake

Bake in a preheated oven for 40-45 minutes, or until the top is slightly brown. Cool completely before cutting into squares. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. 

Notes

• Blueberry oatmeal crumble bars: Use 1 cup of all-purpose flour and 1 cup of rolled oats. Transfer the crumbly dough prepared in step 3, to a mixing bowl. Add the rolled oats, and work it in gently. Or you can follow the same recipe and just add 1/2 cup of rolled oats to 3/4th of the reserved crumble topping.
• Vegan blueberry crumble bars: You may use vegan butter or coconut oil to make this vegan.
• You may add more sugar in the blueberry filling, adjust as per desired sweetness. 2 tbsp of sugar added enough sweetness.
• Even though I’ve not tried using frozen blueberries in this recipe, I think they will work just as well. Just remember to thaw them, and use in the recipe in place of fresh blueberries or else it can get pretty watery and soggy. You may need to add a little more cornstarch to absorb excess moisture. 
• Instead of fresh blueberries, you can also use 1/2 cup of blueberry jam, just enough to cover the crust. 
• The recipe can be doubled for a 9 x 13-inch pan.

★ If you try this blueberry crumb bars, I would love to hear from you! I’d appreciate it if you could rate and leave a review below in the comments. Your reviews help others know the recipe better too. Feel free to share your feedback and suggestions at aromaticessence77@gmail.com. Thanks so much 🙂 

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