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 blueberry 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!
Ingredients in These Blueberry Pie Bars
For this easy blueberry dessert recipe, you’ll need:
Unsalted butter Granulated sugar Light brown sugar All-purpose flour Salt Egg Greek yogurt Vanilla extract Blueberries Lemon juice Cornstarch
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How to Make Blueberry Pie Bars
This is one of my all-time favorite blueberry dessert recipes, not only because it’s delicious but because it’s so easy too! Here’s how the blueberry pie bars are made:
Recipe Substitutions to Try
If you’ve never made this blueberry dessert recipe before, I suggest making it exactly as written before you start adjusting the ingredients. However, if you’re one of the many readers who make these bars summer after summer, feel free to experiment with one of the following ingredient swaps:
Flour: I’ve only made this recipe as written, but I’ve had readers report success using Gluten-Free 1 for 1 flour. Sugar: If your berries are super sweet, you’re likely fine to scale back the sugar in the fillings to 1/4 each. Greek yogurt: Use plain or vanilla Greek yogurt. Or, use sour cream. Do NOT use regular yogurt. Blueberries: Fresh or frozen will work. Or, use another berry altogether.
Tips for Making Blueberry Pie Bars
Bake time: 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. Cooling time: 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. To freeze: 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 Dessert Recipes:
ALL OF MY BLUEBERRY RECIPES! Tried this recipe? Leave a review! Consider leaving a 5 star rating if you’ve made and loved one of my recipes! 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! 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! Blueberry Zucchini Bread — 🫐🙌🏻😋🍞This blueberry zucchini bread is a quick, no-mixer recipe that’s sweet, but not too sweet. Each bite is bursting with fresh blueberries! This is a fan favorite EVERY summer! Especially when the markets or your garden is overflowing with zucchini! Blueberry Cream Cheese Cake — A light and tender blueberry sponge cake stuffed with tangy-sweet cream cheese filling and bursting with juicy blueberries in every bite! An EASY, no-mixer cake recipe that’s sure to be a family FAVORITE!! Reposted July 13, 2019 and reposted May 13, 2022 with updated text.
