Easy Blueberry Lemon Bars

Close up of Blueberry Lemon Bars with crumb topping.

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Simple to make, easy and delicious these blueberry bars will be a hit at your home!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 45

Servings bars

Calories 344kcal

Author Ang Paris

Equipment

8x8 Square Baking Dish
Whisk
Mixing Bowls
Offset Spatula optional

Ingredients

1¾ cups blueberry jam
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
¾ cup sugar
2 teaspoons lemon zest
½ cup butter softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
2⅓ cups all-purpose flour
½ teasoon salt

Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350F and line an 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper, or grease it with butter.
In a medium bowl, gently whisk together the blueberry jam and lemon juice. Set the blueberry jam mixture aside.
1¾ cups blueberry jam, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
In another bowl, mix together the sugar and lemon zest. Use your fingers to work the zest into the sugar.
¾ cup sugar, 2 teaspoons lemon zest
In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter, vanilla extract, and the lemon sugar. You can use a hand mixer or stand mixer for this.
½ cup butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla
Add the flour and salt, a little at a time, until just incorporated. The mixture should look like coarse crumbs.
2⅓ cups all-purpose flour, ½ teasoon salt
Reserve 1 cup of the crumbs for the topping.
(Tip: Spread the reserved crumbs onto a small sheet pan and place them into the freezer for 5-10 minutes before adding to the bars. This will help prevent the crumb topping from spreading too much in the oven).
Evenly press the remainder of the crumbly crust into the prepared pan.
(Tip: Use the edge of the parchment paper to help make tidy corners and edges.)
Use an offset spatula or the back of a spoon to spread the blueberry jam mixture over the top of the crust.
Finally, sprinkle the remaining crumbly crust on top of the jam mixture.
Bake until the top and edges are slightly brown (about 45-55 minutes).
Cool completely before cutting into squares.

Notes

Ang's Recipe Tips

After testing this recipe, here are some tips we think you'll find helpful when making our blueberry lemon dessert bars.

Zest it Up! Add the lemon zest directly to the sugar before adding in the other crust ingredients. This infuses the lemony flavor into every bite of the crust.

Use Fresh Lemon Juice. Bottled juice just doesn’t have the same zing. Gently whisk the lemon juice into the blueberry jam.

Prevent a Runny Filling: If your blueberry jam or pie filling seems too thin, stir in 1-2 teaspoons of cornstarch before spreading it over the crust. This will help thicken the blueberry filling as it bakes.

Don't Overmix! The key to keeping the lemony crust light and tender is to not overmix it. Once it resembles coarse crumbs, you're ready to press it into the pan.

Chill Out. Spread the reserved crumbs onto a small sheet pan and place them into the freezer for 5-10 minutes before adding to the bars. This will help prevent the crumb topping from spreading too much in the oven.

Let Them Cool Completely. This helps them set properly so you get nice, clean slices.

How to Quickly Soften Butter

Forgot to take your butter out of the fridge? No problem! Cut it into small cubes and let it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes. (I like to set it on top of my stove as the oven preheats).

Need it even faster? Place the cubed butter on a small plate. Run hot water over an upside-down mixing bowl. Quickly dry the excess moisture from the bowl and place it over the plate like a dome.

Variations

Once you master these zesty blueberry lemon bars, you can substitute your favorite jam like cherry, raspberry, or strawberry to make other varieties.

For a more unique flavor, substitute almond extract for the vanilla extract. Almond extract is much stronger than vanilla, however, so only use half as much.

Storage

To Store: Leftover blueberry lemon bars should be cooled to room temperature and transferred to an airtight container. They should be stored in the fridge for 4-5 days.

To Freeze: Place the cooled and cut bars on a baking sheet in a single layer and flash freeze them for 1 hour. Remove from the freezer and wrap each bar tightly in plastic wrap or parchment paper. Place all the wrapped bars into a zip top bag or airtight container. I like using these reusable bags for freezing baked goods. Be sure to remove as much air as possible from the bag before sealing. Label and store for up to 3 months.

To Thaw: Remove the bars from the freezer and place in the fridge overnight to thaw.

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