Every year, when the blueberries and strawberries first hit the markets in all their big, sweet, juicy glory in the early months of summer, I experience the same feeling: I just can’t bear to bake or make them into anything. I shovel cartons and cartons into my cart, visions of blueberry pie and strawberry shortcake dancing happily in my head, and then I get home and I just…eat the whole carton in one sitting. The goodness of plain, unadulterated berries is just too powerful, and I cave easily, with stained hands and a happy heart.
But then!! Eventually, eventually, after many weeks of beautiful plain-berry goodness, those berry-baked-good visions come back and this time, I actually answer them. Last year I made this blueberry galette and it rocked my world; this summer, I needed a portable summer-y dessert to take to a BBQ and these long-time favorite fresh blueberry crumble bars popped into my mind. They’re so simple, nothing much more than butter, sugar, flour, and lots and lots of blueberries. They’re exactly what a summer dessert should be – a supporting cast for the gorgeous berries we get to enjoy for just a few short months of the year. Because let’s be real – a buttery crumble situation makes pretty much every thing better, right? We brighten up the natural flavors of the blueberries with some lemon juice and zest, and the whole thing is just pure blueberry goodness – exactly what I was looking for.
These fresh blueberry crumble bars are incredibly simple and straightforward, and can be served warm, at room temperature, or slightly chilled – I truly think they taste fantastic at any temperature. This makes them ideal for easy-peasy summer entertaining, and like all fruit-based desserts, it can be improved even further by a big ol’ scoop of vanilla ice cream. Yes, PLEASE, amiright?
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, divided
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ tsp. salt
- Zest and juice from 1 medium-sized lemon
- 1 cup (2 sticks) refrigerator-cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 1 egg
- 4 cups fresh blueberries, rinsed and drained
- 4 tsp. cornstarch
- Preheat your oven to 375°F. Butter a 9x13 inch pan and set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine 1 cup of the sugar, the baking powder, flour, and salt; mix to combine. Stir in the lemon zest. Finally, using a pastry cutter or your hands, mix in the cold butter cubes and the egg, working quickly to make sure the butter stays cold. The butter chunks should be the size of small peas when you’re done, and the dough will still be pretty crumbly. Press half of the dough into the prepared pan.
- In a medium bowl, combine the cornstarch, lemon juice, and remaining ½ cup sugar. Stir in the berries. Pour the berry mixture over the dough in the pan. Crumble the remaining dough on top.
- Bake for about 45 minutes, or until the crumble top is lightly browned and the berries are bubbling. Allow to cool before slicing and serving for clean slices, or dig right in if you’re okay with a more rustic look!
Looking for more fantastic summer desserts?
Mini Strawberry Mascarpone Tarts
Almond Streusel-Topped Blueberry Galette
