Lemon Blueberry Crumb Bars

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.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 45

Total Time 1 10

Servings - 12

Calories 334kcal

Author Allison Mattina

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 8x8 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