Blueberry Crumb Bar recipe
Buttery cornmeal crust is layered with blueberry filling and topped with chunky brown sugar topping. This tasty treat can be made with fresh or frozen berries.
Servings: bars
Ingredients
For the dough
- 15 oz all purpose flour (3 cups, see note)
- 5 oz Stone ground cornmeal (1 cup)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon table salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 8 oz brown sugar (1 cup)
- 4 oz granulated sugar (1/2 cup)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 lemon (zest finely grated)
- 12 oz unsalted butter (1 1/2 cups)
For the Filling
- 18 oz blueberries (3 heaping cups)
- 3 oz granulated sugar (1/3 cup)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1/4 teaspoon table salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously butter a 13" x 9" pan. Line the pan with parchment paper and allow it to hand over the sides for easier removal of the bars.
- Combine the flour, cornmeal, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, brown sugar, granulated sugar, vanilla and lemon zest in a large mixing bowl or in the bowl of a food processor. Mix to combine the ingredients or pulse a few times in the processor.
- Toss in the butter and mix with your fingers until the butter bits are no larger than a pea and the dough clumps together when squeezed. If working in a food processor, run until the butter is fully combined and the dough begins to form clumps.
- Reserve 1/3 of the dough for the topping. Sprinkle the remaining 2/3 of the dough into the pan and and lightly press into an even layer.
- Bake 10 minutes until set and beginning to brown.
- While the crust bakes, make the filling. In a large bowl, toss together the blueberries, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice and salt.
- Sprinkle the blueberries over the pre-baked crust and crumble the remaining dough over the berries.
- Bake until golden brown and the berries are soft, about 25-30 minutes. Cool completely and cut into 24 bars.
Notes
If measuring the flour by volume use the “dip & sweep” method. That is, dip the measuring cup into the flour bin, overfill it, then sweep away the excess.
The butter should be slightly cool, but a little pliable. If the butter is very cold it will be more difficult to cut it into the dry ingredients. If the butter is very soft, it will completely mix in and you won't get nice large clumps of crumbs.
This recipe can be halved and baked in a 9" square pan.
Nutrition
Serving: 24g | Calories: 271kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 101mg | Potassium: 71mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 366IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 1mg