With less than a month to the official start of summer, I'm starting to put some important dates on my calendar -- that is, the start of the strawberry, cherry, and blueberry seasons -- so that we don't miss any opportunities to pick our own. Last summer, D and I had a great time road-tripping across the state on the weekends to seek out fresh berries. Some were eaten fresh, some were canned as pie filling, and a whole lot ended up frozen whole in the freezer.
The blueberries that star in this crumble bar recipe were picked last summer in Bayfield, Wisconsin. (We will definitely be making a return trip to Blue Vista Farm this summer.) The berries freeze beautifully, and with no need to thaw, make this recipe a breeze to bake.
I made these blueberry crumble bars to share at a recent gathering of friends and they were quick to disappear from the potluck table. I'd say that's a pretty good sign that these little bars taste just as good as they look.
I made a double-batch to accommodate a large crowd, but this recipe is easily halved if you have fewer mouths to feed. It's also easily adaptable to any fruit you have on hand, though you may have to adjust the cooking time for firmer fruits such as apples.
Bring on berry season!
Blueberry Crumble Bars (printer-friendly version)
2 cups rolled oats
1 1/2 cups (plus up to 2 tablespoons more if necessary) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
4 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen), divided
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
2 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a 9x13-inch baking dish with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the oats, flour, brown sugar, and salt. Stir in the melted butter until small clumps form. If the crumb mixture seems too damp, stir in an additional two tablespoons of flour. Reserve 1 cup of the crumb mixture. Press the remaining crumb mixture into the bottom of the prepped baking dish.
3. Spread two cups of blueberries over top the crust. Sprinkle with cornstarch, lemon juice, lemon zest, and 1 tablespoon sugar. Then add the remaining blueberries and top with the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar. Sprinkle evenly with the reserved crumb topping.
4. Bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and fruit is bubbling. Remove from the oven and let cool. Chill in the fridge for slightly crisper bars. Cut into squares with a sharp knife. Store any leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator.
makes 24 bars
1 1/2 cups (plus up to 2 tablespoons more if necessary) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
4 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen), divided
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
2 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a 9x13-inch baking dish with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the oats, flour, brown sugar, and salt. Stir in the melted butter until small clumps form. If the crumb mixture seems too damp, stir in an additional two tablespoons of flour. Reserve 1 cup of the crumb mixture. Press the remaining crumb mixture into the bottom of the prepped baking dish.
3. Spread two cups of blueberries over top the crust. Sprinkle with cornstarch, lemon juice, lemon zest, and 1 tablespoon sugar. Then add the remaining blueberries and top with the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar. Sprinkle evenly with the reserved crumb topping.
4. Bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and fruit is bubbling. Remove from the oven and let cool. Chill in the fridge for slightly crisper bars. Cut into squares with a sharp knife. Store any leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator.
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