These lemon blueberry crumb bars feature four fresh and flavorful layers: A buttery crust, creamy lemon filling, juicy blueberries, and a lemon crumb topping. Every bite has the perfect balance of sweet, tart, creamy, and crumbly.
What sets this recipe apart
Two for one: A combination of creamy lemon crumb bars and berry crumb bars. This recipe features the best flavors and textures of both!
One dough, two jobs: The press-in crust and crumb topping are made from the same mixture!
Make ahead: This dessert needs to chill in the fridge, making it a great option to make up to 24 hours in advance.
Visual recipe overview
*Full recipe below in recipe card*
Crust
Make the dough that will be used for the crust and crumb topping. Prebake the crust.
Lemon filling
Whisk all ingredients for the lemon filling and pour over the crust.
Assembly
Top the lemon layer with blueberries and the reserved crumb topping.
Bake
Bake until the lemon filling is set and the topping is light golden brown.
My recipe testing tips and notes
Blueberries: Fresh blueberries work best in this recipe. They contain less moisture than frozen blueberries and hold their shape better during baking. For the biggest burst of blueberry flavor, toss the berries with blueberry jam or preserves before layering them into the bars.
Metal pan: I recommend baking these bars in a metal baking pan. Metal conducts heat more evenly than glass, resulting in a sturdier crust and evenly baked bars.
Lemons: You’ll need at least 3 small to medium lemons for this recipe. Use a fine Microplane-style grater to zest the lemons, removing only the yellow outer layer and avoiding the bitter white pith.
Egg whites: This recipe uses two egg yolks, leaving you with two extra egg whites. Store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days and use them in scrambled eggs, an omelet, or an egg casserole.
Serving and storage
Allow the bars to cool to room temperature and then refrigerate so the filling sets properly. A few hours in the refrigerator makes cutting neat, bakery-style squares much easier.
Serve chilled or at cool room temperature. Top with vanilla ice cream, if desired.
Leftovers should be stored in the refrigerator.
Recipe
Lemon Blueberry Crumb Bars
Ingredients
Crust and crumb topping:
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1½ cups (188g) all purpose flour, weighed or spooned and leveled
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- finely grated zest of 1 small/medium-sized lemon
- ½ cup (113g) chilled unsalted butter, cut into cubes
- 1 large egg yolk
Lemon filling:
- 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
- 2 tablespoons sour cream or plain yogurt
- 1 large egg yolk
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- finely grated zest of 2 small/medium-sized lemons
Blueberry filling:
- 1⅔ cups (230g) fresh blueberries
- 3 tablespoons blueberry jam or preserves, heated briefly to thin, if necessary
- 1 teaspoon all purpose flour
Lemon icing:
- ¾ cup (90g) powdered sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- couple drops pure vanilla extract
Instructions
Crust and crumb topping:
- Preheat oven to 375°F with a rack in the center of the oven. Line a 8×8 square pan (preferably metal) with parchment paper and lightly spritz it with non-stick spray.
- Using a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine granulated sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt. Add lemon zest, cubed butter, and egg yolk. Beat on medium-low speed until the butter is evenly distributed in small pieces and the mixture is crumbly.
- Dump a little more than half (about 240g) of the mixture into the prepared pan. The remaining crumb mixture will be for the topping and should be transferred to the refrigerator. Use the bottom of a measuring cup to evenly press the dough into the bottom of the pan (it might seem a bit dry, that's ok). Bake the crust for 12 minutes. Meanwhile, proceed with the filling.
Filling and assembly:
- Whisk all lemon filling ingredients until combined (sweetened condensed milk, sour cream, egg yolk, vanilla, lemon zest, and juice). After the crust has baked for 12 minutes, pour the lemon filling over the crust. Gently spread into an even layer. Be gentle, the crust underneath will be soft and undercooked, you don't want to break it.
- Stir blueberries, blueberry jam, and flour until combined. Spoon the blueberry mixture over the lemon filling.
- Remove the reserved crumb topping from the refrigerator. Press some pieces together to form small clumps and scatter the topping over the blueberry layer. Bake for 33-38 minutes, until some of the blueberries have burst and the topping is light golden brown. Place the pan on a wire rack to cool to room temperature, then transfer to the fridge to cool completely.
Icing:
- Whisk all ingredients until smooth. Add more powdered sugar to thicken or more lemon juice, to thin. Drizzle the icing over the top of the cooled bars.
Notes
Serving and storage
Serve chilled or at cool room temperature. Top with vanilla ice cream, if desired. Leftovers should be stored in the refrigerator.Nutrition
Nutritional Information is an estimate based on third-party calculations and may vary based on products used and serving sizes.
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