Blueberry Lemon Bars: Easy Crumb Pie Bars

You’ve got questions? I’ve got answers! If you have a question you don’t see listed below, please drop them in the comments section. I’m happy to help when I can!

You can use either fresh or frozen blueberries to prepare this recipe for blueberry lemon crumb bars. For the best taste, I recommend fresh berries. However, if you want to use frozen blueberries, go for it! There is no need to thaw the berries prior to preparing the recipe.

You can easily adapt this lemon berry bars recipe to use another fresh berry! Strawberries, raspberries and blackberries are all delicious options. Try using your favorite berry or a mixture or berries! Or, you can also use a different variety of fruit all together, such as peaches, apricots, cherries, kiwis, grapes, mangos or even apples!

To use a different fruit to make crumb bars:

• 5 cups: Use a total of 5 cups of fruit.
• Chop large fruit: If the fruit is larger, chop or slice it into small, bite sized pieces.
• Peel fruit with tough skin: I recommend peeling any fruit that has a tougher or inedible skin, such as apples and mangos.

Be sure to bake this lemon bar with blueberries recipe in an oven heated to 350-degrees Fahrenheit for 35-40 minutes.

Blueberry lemon crumble bars are done when the top is lightly golden brown in color and the filling is slightly bubbling and appears set.  Do not over-bake the bars or they will taste a slightly dry versus moist and deliciously crumbly!

To test for doneness, you can use a toothpick.  Insert a toothpick into the center of the lemon berry bars, it should come out mostly clean.  A bit of jammy blueberry filling is fine.

You should wait to cut lemon blueberry crumble bars until they are completely cool. If you try to slice the bars while they are fresh from the oven, or slightly warm, they will fall apart and resemble more of a crumble or cobbler. Did you decide you don’t have the patience to wait for the bars to cool (who would blame you!?)? No worries – just be prepared to serve them in a bowl and eat it with a spoon! And, then I’d definitely top them with a scoop or two of luscious vanilla bean ice cream!!  (This is my personal favorite way to eat them!)

Below are tips and tricks for cutting perfect squares of blueberry bars! If you want consistent, perfectly even squares, I recommend utilizing a ruler.

Follow the simple tips below to look like a pro and cut your blueberry crumb bars into perfect squares!

• Line your pan with parchment paper: It is so much easier to bars on a flat surface than it is to deal with the sides of the pan! Line your baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides – this will ensure you can easily lift the uncut bars out of the baking pan and onto a cutting board!
• Cool completely: Cold pie bars will cut much more cleanly than room temperature bars. Therefore, it’s imperative you allow the bars to fully cool on a cooling rack before removing them from the baking pan. Alternatively, you can cover the bars and store them in the refrigerator to speed up the cooling process.
• Score the top of the bars: Before cutting, score or mark the top of the crumble bars to guide where you will be cutting. If you want perfectly even squares, use a ruler when scoring.
• Use a sharp knife to cut bars: Make sure you use a sharp knife to cut the bars! For the best results, make sure you use either a long serrated knife or a short paring knife. Use the knife to cut the bars from the top and down through the bottom of the crust.
• Clean knife after every cut: Be sure to wipe off the knife after every cut is made. The jammy pie filling will adhere to the knife, so for clean cuts you must wipe off the knife!

These lemon blueberry bars are baked in a standard 9-by-13-inch baking pan. There are a few different ways you can cut this dessert into squares depending upon how large you want the squares and/or the desired number of servings.

Pro-tip: If you are cutting the short or long side into an even number (for example, 4 columns or rows), start your first cut in the middle to keep your bars consistent in size.

Standard ways to slice a 9×13-inch dessert

• 12 bars: Cut the short side into three equal columns and the long side into four equal rows. (This size is great if you are looking for very generous serving sizes!
• 15 bars: Cut the short side into three equal columns and the long side into five equal rows. (This is the standard-size for a brownie or cake.)
• 20 bars: Cut the short side into four columns and the long side into five rows.
• 24 bars: Cut the short side into  four columns and the long side into six rows. (Shown below – this will yield 2-inch by 2-inch bars, which is perfect if you are bringing these pie bars to a party or potluck!)

(See the photo below for a visual on how to cut this bar recipe into uniform squares.)

You can serve these blueberry bars slightly warm, room temperature or cold, depending upon your preference!

• Slightly warm or room temperature: If you serve these bars slightly warm the filling will be very juicy and you won’t be able to cut the bars into perfect squares. I suggest serving warm bars in a manner similar to a cobbler – in a bowl with a spoon, and don’t forget the scoop of ice cream or frozen yogurt!
• Cold: If you are looking for a handheld treat, serving these bars cold is your best bet!