Blueberry Pie Bars
Blueberry Pie Bars have a sweet, buttery (sugar cookie-like) shortbread crust and crumb topping. There’s blueberry pie filling in the middle, and a sweet glaze drizzled on top. These dessert bars are easier to make than pie and feed a crowd.
A Great Alternative to Pie
Blueberry Pie Bars are the simpler, and dare I say it — tastier alternative to pie for potlucks and holidays.
This recipe uses store-bought blueberry pie filling to keep it easy, but you can still make blueberry crumb bars with fresh blueberries if you’d like.
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A Variety of Crumb Bars
These blueberry pie bars are a variation of my favorite crumb bars. I’ve made SEVERAL versions on my blog.
The dough for the shortbread crust and topping are the same, you just divide it up. It’s sweet and buttery, very similar to sugar cookies, and can crumble like a streusel.
You can literally change out the filling in the middle and make any flavor you like! We especially love strawberry bars and lemon crumble bars.
To Glaze or Not to Glaze?
For these blueberry bars, I wanted to keep it simple with a canned pie filling, but the vanilla glaze on top really makes these dessert bars tasty, and elegant.
You could even swap the vanilla and milk in the glaze for lemon juice if you wanted to add a little tang to these blueberry bars. The drizzle of glaze on these bars makes them extra beautiful and delicious.
Ingredients
To make these blueberry pie bars, you will need a handful of ingredients. Most of which, you probably already have on-hand.
For the Crust and Crumb Topping you will need:
- All-Purpose Flour
- Granulated Sugar
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Butter – unsalted
- Egg
For the Filling and Glaze you will need:
- Blueberry Pie Filling
- Powdered Sugar
- Milk
- Vanilla Extract
*Full ingredient amounts and instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How to Make Blueberry Pie Bars
The crust/crumb topping can be whipped up with a stand mixer. But you could even use a food processor if you wanted.
- Mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
- Add the butter one Tablespoon at a time until the ingredients resemble fine crumbs.
- Then add a large egg.
- Mix until the crumbs are just starting to clump together.
- Sprinkle 1/2 to 2/3 of the mixture on the bottom of a lightly greased or parchment lined 13×9-inch pan.
- Press or roll the crust flat with a mini rolling pin {affiliate link}.
- Bake the crust at 375˚F for 10-12 minutes or until the crust is matte, not shiny or wet, and starting to lightly brown. Dollop the canned blueberry pie filling over the partially baked crust and spread evenly with a spatula.
- Crumble the remaining crust evenly over the top of the blueberry filling. (Squeeze crumbs together in hands for bigger chunks.)
- Bake an additional 25-30 minutes until the filling bubbles in the center and the crust browns.
- Cool completely. Then make a glaze of powdered sugar, milk and vanilla extract. Drizzle over the top of the cooled bars. Cut and serve.
Baking Tips
- I have made this recipe with blueberry, strawberry, peach, and apple pie filling. Use any flavor you like!
- Use parchment paper {affiliate link} to easily lift the bars out of the pan for cutting and serving.
- Make sure to stir, spoon, and level the flour when measuring. The crumb mixture may seem dry at first, but be patient. It will start to moisten and clump together the longer it is mixed.
Try These Other Dessert Bars
- Apple and Chocolate Dessert
- Strawberry Cream Cheese Crumble Bars
- Peach Bars
- Lemon Crumble
- Apple Crumble Bars
- Cherry Pie with Chocolate Chips
Blueberry Pie Bars
Ingredients
Crust and Topping:
- 3 cups (360 g) all-purpose flour, (stir, spoon, & level)
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, (2 sticks) room temperature
- 1 large egg
Filling and Glaze:
- 21 oz (595 g) can blueberry pie filling
- 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1-2 Tbsp milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a 13×9-inch baking dish with parchment paper (for lifting the bars out) or lightly grease with cooking spray.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the butter one Tablespoon at a time and mix with the paddle attachment until the ingredients resemble fine crumbs. Add the egg and mix until incorporated. (Note: Crumbs will start to clump together the longer it is mixed. Don’t let it ball up though; keep it slightly crumbly.)
- Press 1/2 to 2/3 of the mixture onto the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Bake at 375˚F for 10-12 minutes or until the crust is matte (not shiny/wet) and starting to lightly brown.
- Dollop the blueberry pie filling onto the partially baked crust, and spread evenly with a spatula.
- Crumble the remaining crust evenly over the top of the blueberry filling. (Squeeze crumbs together in hands for bigger chunks.) Bake at 375˚F for an additional 25-30 minutes until the top is lightly brown and the filling bubbles in the center. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely.
- Once bars are cool, mix together 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 tsp vanilla extract and 1 Tbsp milk. Check consistency and add up to one more Tablespoon of milk, if desired. Drizzle over cool bars and allow glaze to set. Use parchment paper to lift bars out of pan. Cut and serve.
Notes
- Store blueberry pie bars covered at room temperature up to 5-7 days.
- Swap the milk and vanilla in the glaze with lemon juice for a tangy glaze.
Nutrition
Did you make this?
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I made this and it was wonderful! My family loved it.
I’m so glad to hear that!
Can I make these ahead and freeze them?
Yes, I would wait to add the glaze if possible though.
I would love to try this, however, my hubby and I are “empty nesters”, so it would be way to much for just the two of us, and our children are too far away to share. I was wondering if I could cut it in half, and if so, would I need to make any changes to the cooking time or temperature. Thank you for sharing another great recipe!
You could certainly cut it in half and bake it in an 8×8-inch pan. I wouldn’t change the oven temperature. The first bake of the crust should be the same. The second bake may be slightly less time. 20-25 minutes is my guess. The other option is to make the whole batch and freeze the bars in a freezer-safe bag with parchment paper between any layers. They should freeze well up to 2-3 months. Enjoy!
Thank you so much!! My hubby is a huge blueberry lover, so I am going to make these tomorrow.