Blueberry Pie Bars with Shortbread Crust (Classic & Buttery)
If you love the taste of fresh blueberry pie but don’t want to fuss with rolling out dough, these Blueberry Pie Bars are your new favorite dessert. Featuring a buttery shortbread crust, juicy blueberry filling, and a crumbly topping, these bars are the perfect mix of sweet, tart, and buttery. Ideal for summer picnics, potlucks, or an afternoon treat with coffee!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
These bars are everything you love about pie but way easier to make and serve. The shortbread crust is melt-in-your-mouth buttery, the blueberry filling is perfectly sweet-tart, and the crumbly topping adds just the right amount of texture. They slice beautifully into handheld portions, making them perfect for sharing.
Time Breakdown
You don’t need hours to make these blueberry pie bars. The shortbread crust is simple to mix, the filling comes together in minutes, and the oven does most of the work for you.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Bake Time: 45 minutes
- Cooling Time: 1 hour (recommended for clean slicing)
- Total Time: ~2 hours
Ingredients You’ll Need
The beauty of this recipe is its simplicity. You’ll only need a handful of pantry staples plus fresh (or frozen) blueberries to bring it all together. The shortbread crust is just flour, sugar, butter, and a pinch of salt, basic ingredients that transform into something magical once baked.
- For the crust & topping: All-purpose flour, sugar, salt, unsalted butter
- For the filling: Fresh or frozen blueberries, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, vanilla extract
Condensed Grocery Checklist
If you’re headed to the store, you won’t need much. A pint or two of blueberries, a stick of butter, and a bag of flour will get you most of the way there. Everything else; sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and vanilla; might already be in your kitchen.
- Blueberries (fresh or frozen)
- All-purpose flour
- Sugar
- Unsalted butter
- Cornstarch
- Lemon juice
- Vanilla extract
How to Make – Step by Step
Don’t worry if you’re new to baking, these bars are very beginner-friendly. You’ll mix up the shortbread base, press it into the pan, toss the blueberries with sugar and cornstarch, then sprinkle on the remaining crust mixture. The oven does the rest, filling your kitchen with the smell of warm, bubbling blueberries.
- Make the Shortbread Crust: Mix flour, sugar, salt, and melted butter until crumbly. Press most of it into a parchment-lined baking pan to form the crust.
- Prepare Blueberry Filling: Toss blueberries with sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and vanilla until evenly coated.
- Assemble: Spread the blueberry filling over the crust. Sprinkle remaining shortbread mixture over the top for a crumbly finish.
- Bake: Bake until the crust is golden and the filling is bubbling.
- Cool & Slice: Let the bars cool completely before cutting for clean, neat squares.
Ingredient Swaps & Variations
One of the best things about this recipe is how flexible it is. You can easily swap the blueberries for raspberries, blackberries, or a mix of berries for a colorful twist. Add a lemon glaze for extra brightness, or make them gluten-free by using a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend.
- Fruit Swap: Substitute blueberries with raspberries, blackberries, or chopped peaches.
- Gluten-Free: Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend for the crust and topping.
- Extra Sweetness: Add a drizzle of glaze made from powdered sugar and lemon juice once the bars have cooled.
Serving Suggestions
These bars are delicious right out of the pan, but you can dress them up for special occasions. A scoop of vanilla ice cream turns them into an easy plated dessert, or a dusting of powdered sugar makes them look extra pretty on a serving tray. They’re just as good with a cup of coffee or tea as they are at a summer picnic.
- A dollop of whipped cream
- A scoop of vanilla ice cream for a pie à la mode vibe
- A dusting of powdered sugar right before serving
Storing Tips
Blueberry pie bars keep beautifully, so you can make them ahead of time. Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for a couple of days, or in the fridge if you want them to last longer. They also freeze well, which means you can bake a batch now and enjoy a sweet treat later.
- Room Temperature: Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
- Refrigerator: Keep up to 5 days for maximum freshness.
- Freezer: Freeze cooled bars for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.
Chef’s Special Tips
Want to take these bars from good to great? Use parchment paper to line your baking pan for easier removal and perfectly neat squares. If using frozen blueberries, don’t thaw them first, this prevents extra liquid from making the bars soggy. And brushing the top with a little melted butter before baking gives the crumb topping extra golden color.
- Line your pan with parchment paper for easy removal and cleaner cuts.
- If using frozen blueberries, do not thaw, just add 1 extra teaspoon of cornstarch to prevent excess liquid.
- For an extra golden crust, brush the top with melted butter before baking.
Conclusion
Blueberry Pie Bars with Shortbread Crust are the perfect dessert when you want all the flavor of blueberry pie without the hassle. They’re buttery, fruity, easy to make, and perfect for sharing, whether at a summer cookout or as a sweet ending to a weeknight dinner.