Blueberry Pie Bars
Blueberry Pie Bars — These pie bars are one of my all-time favorite frozen blueberry recipes! They have the flavors you love in a blueberry pie, but you don’t have to mess around with homemade pie crust. If desired, you can easily make these with fresh blueberries instead of frozen!
Addicting 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 these blueberry 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 pie 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.
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 blueberry 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.
What’s in These Blueberry Pie Bars?
For this easy blueberry recipe, you’ll need:
- Unsalted butter
- Granulated sugar
- Light brown sugar
- All-purpose flour
- Salt
- Egg
- Greek yogurt
- Vanilla extract
- Blueberries
- Lemon juice
- Cornstarch
How to Make Blueberry Pie Bars
You’ll first need to make the dough for the crust and streusel topping. Set 3/4 cup of the mixture aside (that’s your topping), and press the rest of the dough into the bottom of an 8-inch square baking pan. Pack the dough down so there are no gaps.
Next, make the creamy filling and pour it over the crust. Use a spatula or the back of a spoon to spread the filling out evenly.
Lastly, toss together the blueberry filling and sprinkle evenly over the filling. Crumble the streusel topping over the blueberries, then bake the pie bars until the edges are bubbling vigorously. The crumble topping should be pale golden in color.
Should I Use Fresh or Frozen Blueberries?
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.
Can I Use Other Berries in This Recipe?
Most likely, yes! I’ve had readers report success using frozen mixed berry blends in this recipe. Just remember that your bake time will vary depending on whether you use frozen or fresh berries, no matter what type you use!
Tips for Making Blueberry Pie Bars
When baking these blueberry pie bars, watch your dessert, not the clock, to determine doneness. The middle of the pie bars should just be starting to bubble up, while the edges should be bubbling a lot. The crumble topping won’t be a deep golden brown, but rather a pale golden color.
You’ll need to let these pie bars cool completely before slicing them (they can cool on your countertop, no need to store in the fridge). If you try to slice these before they’re cooled completely, they’ll fall apart and will make a huge mess.
If desired, you can freeze these bars once they’ve cooled on your countertop. They’ll keep in the freezer for up to 6 months. When you’re ready to eat the frozen bars, just place them on the counter to thaw.
More Blueberry Desserts:
- Crustless Blueberry Pie — a FAST, crustless, no-mixer dessert that’s perfect for summer entertaining, picnics, or potlucks!! Somewhere in between pie, cake, and blondies is what you get with this FABULOUS blueberry dessert recipe!
- Blueberry Bars with Crumble Topping — These bars are buttery and packed with blueberry flavor! They take just 10 minutes of prep and then go straight into the oven. So easy to make, and a crowd pleaser every time!
- Blueberry Crisp — This fruit crisp is delicious as is, but you could also serve it with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream.
- Blueberry Streusel Coffee Cake – An EASY, no-mixer cake studded with juicy blueberries and topped with big buttery streusel nuggets that are just SO GOOD!! Not overly sweet and PERFECT with a cup of coffee for breakfast, brunch, or a snack!
- Blueberry Lemon Bundt Cake — The cake is packed with sweet, juicy blueberries and while there’s lemon in the batter, it’s the lemon glaze that really brings out the tartly-sweet lemon flavor that complements the blueberries so well.
Blueberry Pie Bars
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
Instructions
- 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.
Make the Crust and Crumble Topping
- In a large, microwave-safe bowl melt the butter, about 1 minute on high power.
- Add the sugars and whisk to combine.
- And the flour, optional salt, and stir to combine. Mixture will be very dry and sandy with some larger, well-formed crumble pieces.
- Set a heaping 3/4 cup crumble mixture aside.
- 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.
Make the Filling
- In a medium bowl, add the egg, Greek yogurt, sugar, vanilla, and whisk to combine.
- Add the flour and whisk to combine.
- Evenly pour filling over the crust and jiggle pan to help distribute it or smooth it with a spatula; set aside.
Make the 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.
- Evenly distribute blueberry mixture over the filling.
- 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.
Bake the Bars
- 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.*
- 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.
Notes
*Note: 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.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
9Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 340 Total Fat: 11g Saturated Fat: 7g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 4g Cholesterol: 49mg Sodium: 32mg Carbohydrates: 56g Fiber: 2g Sugar: 36g Protein: 5g
Even More Frozen Blueberry Recipes:
The BEST Blueberry Muffins — These muffins are fluffy and moist thanks to the addition of sour cream in the batter. Not to mention they’re bursting with fresh blueberry flavor.
Brown Sugar Blueberry Banana Bread — Super moist blueberry banana bread made with Greek yogurt and dark brown sugar. Smear some homemade blueberry butter onto a slice of this blueberry brown sugar banana bread and prepare to fall in love!
Lightened Up Blueberry Lemon Pound Cake — Since most of us can’t afford to eat a pound of butter and a pound of sugar, this is the next best thing. This is butter-less pound cake and made using I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!® Spread, the Light version.
Blueberry Muffin & Buttermilk Pancakes Cake — This fast and easy cake tastes like a big buttermilk pancake that ran into a blueberry muffin on the way to the oven.
Hi Averie – I made these pie bars last week and they were a huge success, so I made them again today for superbowl sunday. This time I added a 1/2 tsp of almond extract to the crust, which added a nice flavor. I also tried your blueberry crumble bars last week. These pie bars are definitely more sweet dessert-y as you mentioned, and they were my family’s favorite between the two. Needless to say we wiped out our stock of frozen blueberries! Thanks for the delicious and unique recipes! Love your site!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you! And also for trying the crumble version. These are definitely more dessert-ey and nice to know which ones you preferred.
I can I tell you how grateful I am for this recipe. I have used it over the last two years for all kinds of events. Backyard barbecues and picnics as Well as formal high tea event. Mostly For my friends. I have done many different variations…. like making more crumble (or adding oats and coconut) and adding different fruits like mulberries, but I always come back to the same recipe. I have seven children and cannot thank you for the ease of this recipe. I basically use one bowl and stir each step accordingly. I wish I could post pics, but you get the idea. A HUUUUUGE THANK YOU!!!!! You have brought many smiles too many people.
Thanks for the glowing feedback and so glad this recipe is an ultimate hit for you! And kudos to you for being a mom of 7!!
Just made these! Tweaked the recipe a bit though, didn’t have sour cream or yoghurt so I used cream cheese (about 5oz, omitted the flour), baked it in a 9×13 so I 1.5x the crust and eyeballed the amount of filling and blueberries needed, I also added some oats into the crumble, they turned out great! Thanks!
Glad your tweaks worked and that you loved the bars!
Made your blueberry pie bars. Delicious! So easy! Next time I would bake only 50 minutes. Definitely a keeper.
All ovens (and the juiciness level of the berries) vary, so yes bake until it’s done in your situation. Glad you loved the bars and that it’s a keeper!
Hi! Has anyone ever tried to double this recipe and make in a 9 x 13? Would you have to bake longer than 60 minutes? I’ve tried the original recipe and is very delicious! Now have to make for a larger croud.
Thank you!!!
Generally when you double a recipe, you don’t necessarily need to add much time to the baking overall, but it can vary. I would just keep an eye on things and bake until it’s done.
I made this today with fresh blackberries, which I do not like, but my family loves. I just tried it and it is delicious, even though it has blackberries!!! Thank you for an awesome recipe
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad you enjoyed it – even with a fruit you’re not particularly fond of! That’s quite a testament to the recipe :)
Just made the blueberry pie bars for my husband and he loved them! I’m not a fan of blueberries. Do you think I could use frozen peaches?
Glad your husband loved them! I would use fresh peaches rather than frozen if possible but I think either will work.
Hi, I made these bars a few days ago. I used fresh blueberries and I think that’s why the bars didn’t turn out as “moist” as yours, because you used frozen blueberries instead. I didn’t really like the bottom crust, it was very hard – something I am not a big fan of. However, the flavor of these bars was outstanding. I just wished there was a “softer” bottom crust recipe.
I have never had these turn out anything other than very juicy and the crust isn’t too hard at all. Berries vary in their juiciness as do ovens, climates, etc. I would suggest reducing the baking time by 5 mins or so based on what you wrote. Glad you loved the flavor overall.
no baking soda or powder for the crust?
Correct, there’s neither.
Hi — do you think this would work without the filling, just the blueberries?
Hmmm hard to say. If you want to make something without a filling I would suggest https://www.averiecooks.com/2015/02/blueberry-oatmeal-crumble-bars.html
So impressed with this !!!!! My son who haaaaaaates bluberries just devoured this and honestly i wasnt sure mine would turn out …substitude reg strawberry yogurt and tapico instead of cornstarch and to my surprise it worked amazing and was glorious!!!
So glad it worked and that you impressed your bb hating son! I impressed my mother with this dessert and that’s not easy to do either :)
Could you make this with fresh strawberries
I’m sure it could although I haven’t personally tried.
Do you think mixed berries would work? Ie blueberries, raspberries and blackberries?
I think that would be fine.
I made recipe last week and I also thought crust was hard, but patience is necessary. After I cooled in refrigerator overnight the juices absorbed and was absolutely amazing! I also think when u press the crust into pan, don’t press as hard as you can. Press firm and evenly with no loose crumbs but I find that if press to hard the juices can’t absorb as well. I’ve made recipe 3 times now and I learnt from my mistakes. I’ve tried mixing raspberries and strawberries with blueberries and it’s delicious. The different colours look great. Also after you drop berries into filling save that bowl! There’s a juicy berry mixture left in the bottom of bowl. I drizzled it on top of the crumble when only few minutes left to bake and it looks and tastes so yummy! It’s the cherry on top! I really recommend it. I just doubled the recipe in 9×13 pan and it’s baking now ( that smal dish is gone too fast) .I will let you know how long it took and finished result. Thanks for sharing this recipe, it is way better than a pie, your right! It’s a huge hit and super easy with little clean up!
Glad you agree it’s way better than pie and I have also made it with different fruits and berries. Glad you keep on making it!
Hi, Averie! Thank you so much for this recipe, these bars are amazing! I’ve already baked them several times, and they’re always a hit!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it’s a keeper!
Could you use applesause instead of the egg.?
Not sure but I would personally use an egg.
Deeann – did you try it without the egg?! 🤷🏼♀️ My son has an egg allergy. But we are picking blueberries next week and these look sooooo good! Was hoping someone had tried a substitute!
This is an excellent recipe, super easy and very yummy! I was worried the filling wouldn’t set but it was perfect, I may have overbaked it a bit tho’ or the wild blueberries just didn’t create as much juice as yours because it didn’t bubble and the juices weren’t dripping down like your pictures. My crust was still nice though so like someone else mentioned the trick might be to not pack it too hard. I am going to use this recipe for a lot of my frozen fruits because it’s just so easy and versatile. Only thing I would change is less sugar in the fruit but that’s just a preference. Thanks for sharing!
With desserts like this with fruit, even though you may think you need to bake longer for them to set, in my experience, they will always set so just trust in the process and don’t overbake since they are so much better with some juiciness :)
Why don’t you give your viewers the option to “PinIt” your recipes?
I do. Hover over the top left corner of any photo and you can pin it.
Made this today,Very good, very easy, Great flavor!!!!!
Thanks for the 5 star rating and glad you loved it!
Thus is such an amazing recipe with wonderful flavours,so pretty to serve,yet so easy to make . Another great hit Averie.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad this was a hit!
These are amazing! My friends loved them at a BBQ last weekend & several asked for the recipe. I am making them again today for another group of friends!. I cooled them for 2 hours on a rack and then put them in the fridge overnight & they were very easy to cut into squares. Don’t miss out on these easy, delicious, make ahead crowd pleasers!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad you love this recipe and are making it often!
Absolutely delicious! My son is visiting when I made a pan to take to a July 4th party we were going to. I had to made another pan this morning for him to take home with him later tonight, even before we went to the party! It was hard keeping the first pan around for party time! No alterations to the recipe. It’s wonderful as is! Thank you for posting and the great pictures!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad this was a hit without any changes necessary!
I have made this with fresh blueberies and was delicious, wondering about trying it with fresh rhubarb not sure I’d to much water in it for this recipie. Have you tried this?
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad it was delicious!
I don’t bake much with rhubarb so really can’t give advice on that one.
Excellent !!! Family devoured it.. used vanilla Greek yogurt
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad it was devoured!
Very easy and yummy. Definitely on the keeper list. Want to try your Crustless Blueberry Pie next.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad this is a keeper. Definitely try the Crustless Blueberry Pie next!