It was warm and sunny and gorgeous! So naturally, we are grilling tonight (and making a batch of White Bean Burgers!) and decided it was time to make this favorite dessert from last Summer.
These bars are based on our favorite Raspberry Crumble Bars but made with a touch more lemon juice to balance the sweetness of the juicy blueberries.
And they are sooooo yummy!
Hope you love them as much as we do!
Original post…
You may have already tried our Raspberry Crumble Bars… I shared them just before Valentine’s Day and they have been a HUGE hit among our friends and family and they’ve been a big it with all of you!
Well I changed up the filling for Summer and they may be even better!
My husband, who’s from New England and a fan of all things blueberry, says they are his favorite dessert ever!
It is shortbread-like cookie base, a Blueberry Lemon filling + Crumble topping and it is out of this world YUMMY!
The cookie base has a nice buttery flavor and perfect texture that provides just enough crunch to balance the jammy filling, and the filling is just the right amount of sweet being balanced by a touch of lemon juice (I added a bit more lemon juice compared to the raspberry ones and it nicely balances the sweet blueberries), and the a crumble topping is the perfect finish!
Plus they are gluten-free, vegan (that is dairy-free and egg-free) so they satisfy so many dietary needs or preferences.
And they are super easy to make!
They are made with 10 real, whole food ingredients: gluten-free all purpose flour (we use GF Jules, affiliate link), cane sugar, salt, dairy free butter (or regular butter), brown sugar, pecans, gluten-free old fashioned rolled oats, blueberry preserves, fresh blueberries and fresh lemon juice.
As an aside, you may have noticed that we are affiliate for GFJules. To learn more about why we love GFJules flour and why we have used it for 10 years, click here. Bonus: at the bottom of that post is a one-time use affiliate Discount Code.
And importantly, purchasing through an affiliate link does not change your cost at all. It generates a small percentage of the sale for me, and purchasing through an affiliate link helps me fund this website and all the recipes I share, so thank you!
Back to the blueberry bars….
The shortbread cookie base is just 4 ingredients and comes together quickly. This is one of those baking instances where order of operations matters…. mix the dry ingredients, then mix in the butter 1 piece at a time. Mix well (about 1-2 minutes) and a dough will form.
While it bakes for just 15 minutes, you mix together the filling which is a blend of blueberry preserves, fresh blueberries and some fresh lemon juice.
And it’s finished with the crumble. The crumble is 4 ingredients, one being part of the base dough.
And it’s super easy to make: Top the baked cookie base with the filling, sprinkle with crumble and bake a short bit longer. That’s it!
These bars are a fan favorite getting rave reviews from everyone, which makes them perfect dessert for a entertaining or any time!
We will be making them over Memorial Day weekend, then they will be on repeat all summer for sure!
Hope you love them as much as we do!
Recipe adapted from America’s Test Kitchen.
Scroll down for recipe and leave a comment if you try.
A shortbread-like cookie base + Blueberry Lemon filling + Crumble = an out of this world Gluten-Free, Vegan treat! Perfectly balanced and a total crowd pleaser! Recipe adapted from America's Test Kitchen.
Author: Healthy Gluten-Free Family
Recipe type: Dessert, Cookies and Bars
Cuisine: Gluten-Free, Egg-Free, Dairy-Free and Vegan Optional
Serves: 16 bars
Ingredients
Cookie base (you will reserve ⅓ cup of the base dough for the topping)
8 tablespoons dairy free butter (or real butter), softened, cut into tablespoons (we used Earth Balance dairy-free, soy-free sticks) (NOTE: for a more buttery flavor, use 9 tablespoons of butter)
Crumble*
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
⅓ cup pecans, finely chopped
¼ cup gluten free old fashioned rolled oats
*plus ⅓ reserved cup of the cookie base dough
Blueberry filling
¾ cup blueberry preserves
¾ cup fresh blueberries
3 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
Line 8 inch square baking pan with parchment paper such that the paper hangs over the edges OR is tucked in in such a way that you can lift the paper right out of the pan when the bars are done.
Make the cookie base
Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, add flour, cane sugar and salt to a large mixing bowl and on low speed combine for about 5 seconds.
Add butter, 1 piece at a time and continue mixing until a dough forms and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about 2-3 minutes.
Measure and set aside ⅓ cup of the dough, which will be used in the crumble.
Using your hands, press the remaining dough into an even layer in the prepared baking pan.
Bake 14-16 minutes or until edges begin to brown, rotating pan halfway though baking.
Blueberry Lemon Filling
While the base bakes, combine preserves, blueberries* and lemon juice in a small bowl and mash with a fork until well combined but some berry pieces remain. (*If you want bigger blueberry pieces as I did, instead of mashing the blueberries with a fork, use your fingers to gently squeeze the blueberries before mixing with the preserves and lemon juice)
Crumble Topping
While the base bakes, add the reserved dough, brown sugar, pecans and oats into the mixing bowl used for the base. Using a mixer, pastry cutter or your hands, mix until combined and "crumbly". Set aside.
Assemble
Pour Blueberry filling over the hot cookie base and spread evenly. Sprinkle with crumble topping pinching crumble with fingers to create tiny crumble "clumps". Do not press crumble into the filling.
Bake 22-25 minutes or until filling bubbling and crumble topping golden brown.
Let bars cool completely in the pan.
When cooled completely, lift the the parchment paper out of the baking pan and onto a cutting board. Cut into square and enjoy!
I used Blueberry preserves because I like the texture mixed with the blueberries. You could use any jam/ jelly but perhaps add extra blueberries. As for a mix of sugar and real blueberries, I haven’t made it that way and don’t have my own jam recipe on the website yet but you could google blueberry chia jam and there are a variety of good ones using sugar or maple syrup, blueberries, some lemon plus chia seeds as a thickener. Hope that helps!
Just made these! SUPER easy and delicious! Instead of GF Jules Flour, I used Bobs Red Mill 1-1 GF Baking Flour (the one in the blue bag), and it worked perfectly!
Just made these today! So delicious and so easy!!! My only issue was the cookie base never really became dough with the mixer. After about five minutes I just squished it by hand until a dough formed 🙂 I didn’t mind that. I can’t wait to make these again!!
Hmmmm, sorry that happened to you but happy you solved for it! Was the butter soft when you added it in? That’s the one thing I can think would make a big difference….
Hi! My name is Karen, and I’m the mom in our Healthy Gluten-Free Family. My posts and pictures here and on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter are labors of love that allow me to share a very personal journey with you, one our family has taken together — learning, experimenting and sharing how to raise a healthy happy gluten-free family. Read more ...
Omg!! Made these for a potluck and they were gobbled up. So delicious. Thank you!!
Yay! So happy everyone loved them! Thanks for sharing!
Is there a good substitute for the blueberry preserves?
I used Blueberry preserves because I like the texture mixed with the blueberries. You could use any jam/ jelly but perhaps add extra blueberries. As for a mix of sugar and real blueberries, I haven’t made it that way and don’t have my own jam recipe on the website yet but you could google blueberry chia jam and there are a variety of good ones using sugar or maple syrup, blueberries, some lemon plus chia seeds as a thickener. Hope that helps!
Thank you!
Just made these! SUPER easy and delicious! Instead of GF Jules Flour, I used Bobs Red Mill 1-1 GF Baking Flour (the one in the blue bag), and it worked perfectly!
So happy you loved them Christina! Thanks for sharing!
Just made these today! So delicious and so easy!!! My only issue was the cookie base never really became dough with the mixer. After about five minutes I just squished it by hand until a dough formed 🙂 I didn’t mind that. I can’t wait to make these again!!
Hmmmm, sorry that happened to you but happy you solved for it! Was the butter soft when you added it in? That’s the one thing I can think would make a big difference….
These were so yummy and easy to make!! Thank you for sharing this recipe. They look stunning too 🙂
Thanks Gabby! Happy you love them! Thanks for sharing!
If I use blueberries that I froze earlier this summer, what are your thoughts? Totally thaw the berries?
Yes, when I use frozen blueberries I run water over them to bring them to room temp usually…
Perfect. Thank you. I love this recipe and excited to try it with the frozen berries.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Great! Lmk how it works out!