Blueberry Pie Bars

Blueberry pie is such a classic, but I’m not much of a pie-maker.

I’m indifferent about pie crust and making a pie just to eat filling sounds like way too much work.

With pie bars, there’s no crust to roll out, no mixer or rolling pin needed, and there’s an abundance of sweet blueberry filling. Now we’re talking.

The bars have a soft yet crisp, buttery, shortbread-style crust. The crust mixture does double duty as the crumble topping. Love it when that happens so there’s one less step and one less bowl to wash.

There’s a creamy filling that tops the crust, which gives the bars a soft yet dense texture.

Blueberries top the filling layer and they soften and release their juices while baking. All those juicy berries help to create extremely moist bars.

I used frozen blueberries because they’re cheaper, readily available year round, and went straight from freezer to mixing bowl. I always bake with frozen. If you have fresh, they’d be lovely and you’ll need to reduce the baking time.

The crumbly bits on top of the bars add welcome texture and dimension to the soft filling and juicy berries. I love streusel or crumble toppings and will take crumble topping over pie crust any day.

The bars are super soft and tender in the interior while the crust is firmer. The contrast of soft and firm makes you want to keep on taking bite after bite of these blue beauties.

Between the firm crust, the soft filling, the juicy blueberries, and the sandy crumbles, the bars have so many wonderful textures and flavors in every thick bite.

They taste fancy enough to serve at a special event, luncheon, or brunch, yet are so homey and comforting.

I’ll take a pie bar over pie any day.

Blueberry Pie Bars

Yield: one 8x8-inch pan, 9 generous pieces

Total Time:90 minutes, for cooling

Prep Time:15 minutes

Cook Time:60 minutes

The bars are easier to make than pie, with no mixer or rolling pin needed. They have a soft yet crisp, buttery, shortbread-style crust which doubles as the crumble topping. A creamy filling tops the crust, giving the bars a soft yet dense texture. Blueberries top the filling layer and they soften and release their juices while baking so the bars are extremely moist. I used frozen blueberries that I did not thaw first. If you have fresh, they’d be lovely and you’ll need to reduce the baking time. The bars are super soft and tender in the interior while the crust is firmer and the contrast will have you taking bite after bite. I’ll take a pie bar over pie any day.

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Ingredients:

Crust and Crumble Topping
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
pinch salt, optional and to taste

Filling
1 large egg
heaping 1/2 cup plain or vanilla Greek yogurt; or sour cream (lite is okay)
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

Blueberry Layer
12 ounces (2 cups) blueberries (fresh or frozen; I used frozen and didn’t thaw)
1/3 cup granulated sugar (or 1/2 cup if berries are sour)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons cornstarch

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8-inch square pan with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray; set aside. Lining the pan will really help with cleanup and is recommended.
2. Crust and Crumble Topping – In a large, microwave-safe bowl melt the butter, about 1 minute on high power.
3. Add the sugars and whisk to combine.
4. And the flour, optional salt, and stir to combine. Mixture will be very dry and sandy with some larger, well-formed crumble pieces.
5. Set a heaping 3/4 cup crumble mixture aside.
6. Transfer remaining mixture to prepared pan, and using a spatula or your fingers, hard-pack the mixture to create an even, smooth, flat crust; set aside.
7. Filling – In a medium bowl, add the egg, Greek yogurt, sugar, vanilla, and whisk to combine.
8. Add the flour and whisk to combine.
9. Evenly pour filling over the crust and jiggle pan to help distribute it or smooth it with a spatula; set aside.
10. Blueberry Layer – In a separate medium mixing bowl, add all filling ingredients and toss to combine. If sugar hasn’t dissolved fully or still has crystals, that’s okay because it liquifies while baking.
11. Evenly distribute blueberry mixture over the filling.
12. Evenly sprinkle with the reserved heaping 3/4 cup crust mixture. Before sprinkling, I squeeze the mixture in my palm to encourage bigger crumble pieces to form.
13. Bake for about 60 minutes, or until edges are bubbling quite vigorously and there’s some bubbling in the center. Crumble topping should appear set and very pale golden. I used frozen berries without thawing and the pan was very cold going into the oven. If using fresh berries, baking time will be reduced, but I’m not sure by how much, I’d guess at least 10-15 minutes, possibly less. Watch your bars, not the clock, when evaluating doneness. Place pan on a wire rack and allow bars to cool for at least 1 to 2 hours (overnight is even better) before slicing and serving. If you try to slice bars before they’ve cooled completely, they’ll be extremely messy and could fall apart. Bars will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week, in the fridge for up to 10 days (they’re good slightly chilled if you like chilled pie), or in the freezer for up to 6 months.

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Recipe from Averie Cooks. All images and content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, or simply link back to this post for the recipe. Thank you.

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