Blueberry Crumb Bars combine juicy fresh blueberries with a brown sugar crust and crumble topping for a delicious taste of blueberry crumb pie in an easy to make bar cookie.
The month of July is National Picnic Month, and what better way to celebrate than to gather together some favorite picnic recipes to share with friends and family! That is the theme for Sunday Supper this week, and we have the honor of celebrating with our friends at Gallo Family Vineyards. A picnic with tasty grillables, sandwiches and all kinds of salads, fresh product and dessert, paired with a favorite glass of wine…sounds pretty perfect!
A quintessential picnic dessert is a fresh fruit pie, with favorites such as strawberry, peach or blueberry topping the list. However these days when meal planning for picnics and with two little kids constantly underfoot, my main goal for anything in life is EASY.
As a result, my go-to dessert this summer has been this recipe for Blueberry Crumb Bars. It reminds me of a delicious blueberry pie, only made without all the extra effort of making a pie. There is no rolling out the dough or cooking the filling. This easy recipe can be mixed together in minutes and then bakes to delicious perfection.
To make Blueberry Crumb Bars, simply mix together the buttery brown sugar dough and press half of that dough into the baking pan to serve as the crust. Top the crust with a blueberry mixture, sprinkle the remaining crumble over the blueberries and bake. The result is a pan of tender, buttery Blueberry Crumb Bars that are easy to make and will be the hit of any picnic!
While I typically use blueberries in this recipe, raspberries, strawberries or even a combination of berries work well. Blueberry Crumb Bars are delicious served as-is or topped with vanilla ice cream, if desired. If you are making a dessert for a picnic this summer (or any time!), these Blueberry Crumb Bars will have everybody asking you for the recipe!
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- 1 egg
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 4 cups fresh blueberries
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- Preheat oven to 375F degrees. Spray a 13x9-inch baking pan with baking spray and set aside.
- In a large bowl (or in a food processor), combine brown sugar, flour and baking powder. Cut-in butter and egg using a pastry cutter, or pulsing using the food processor, until a crumbly dough forms.
- Press half the dough into prepared pan to form the crust. Reserve the remaining dough for the topping.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together sugar and cornstarch. Add blueberries and vanilla and gently mix until combined. Sprinkle blueberry mixture over the crust in a even layer. Then sprinkle remaining dough over the blueberry mixture to form a crumbly topping.
- Bake for 45 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool completely before cutting into squares.
Today the Sunday Supper tastemakers are sharing our favorite picnic recipes to pair with a favorite Gallo Family Vineyards wine that comes in a mini bottle (187ml size). These mini bottles are perfect for picnics, given they are petite in size, have an easy screw off top and are available in nine palate pleasing varietals – Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay,Merlot, Moscato, Pinot Grigio,Pink Moscato, Pinot Noir, Red Moscato and White Zinfandel. I love pairing Blueberry Crumb Bars with a pretty Pink Moscato because it goes so well with berries. Merlot is always a picnic staple because it complements pretty much every food!
To help with your picnic menu planning this summer, be sure to visit the wonderful recipes and wine pairings from the other Sunday Supper tastemakers and enjoy!
Picnic Appetizers:
- 10 Deviled Egg Variations by Sunday Supper Movement
- Thai Spiced Chicken Meatballs with Peanut Sauce by Soni’s Food
Picnic Main Dishes:
- Baked or Grilled Tandoori Chicken Legs by Cupcakes & Kale Chips
- BBQ Pulled Pork Picnic Sandwiches by Family Foodie
- Creamy Pesto Chicken Sandwiches by Bobbi’s Kozy Kitchen
- French Ham and Butter Sandwich (Jambon Buerre) by Shockingly Delicious
- Grilled Honey Chicken Kabobs by Life Tastes Good
- Italian Hoagie Style Pressed Picnic Sandwiches by Feed Me, Seymour
- Kimbap (Korean ‘Sushi’) by Curious Cuisiniere
- Picnic Sandwich Torte by Palatable Pastime
Picnic Salads and Sides:
- BLT Panzanella Salad by Casa de Crews
- Cold Chinese Peanut Noodles by Recipes Food and Cooking
- Lemon Chicken Penne Salad by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
- Mason Jar Salmon Nicoise Salad by Simply Healthy Family
Picnic Sweets and Desserts:
- Banana Pudding Cups by Cosmopolitan Cornbread
- Blueberry Crumb Bars by Alida’s Kitchen
- Blueberry Peach Snack Cake by Peanut Butter and Peppers
- Key Lime Cheesecake Crumb Bars by Serena Bakes Simply From Scratch
- Lemon Meringue Pie in a Jar by Desserts Required
- Simple Strawberry Pie by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
- Southern Fried Apricot Hand Pies by Magnolia Days
For more delicious ideas for your summer picnics, visit the Gallo Family Vineyard blog.
Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. To get more great Sunday Supper Recipes, visit our website or check out our Pinterest board.
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Compensation was provided by Gallo Family Vineyards via Sunday Supper, LLC. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author, and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Gallo Family Vineyards.
Reminds me of blueberry bars I had in wine country. Total delish!
You’re right, pie is a good summer ending, but who has time to make a whole pie, and cut it when you’re enjoying the summer? These bars are PERFECT for a picnic!
You know, we just had national blueberry muffin day this week. I think I’d take your bars instead!
Pie without dealing with crust and lots of buttery crumbs? Oh yes!
This is the perfect little bars! I love it!
Thank you Alida for the nice blueberry recipe.
My bf is over my shoulder asking me when I am going to make these!!
This is exactly why I make fruit bars, too! So much easier than pie and just as delectable! Your blueberry version looks terrific!
As soon as I saw this recipe I went into the kitchen and made it. I only had 2 cups of blueberries though so I made a half recipe, but that’s ok. There will still be plenty for our family 🙂
Awesome! Hope you and your family enjoy, Melissa!
Love fruit and crumb everything! Awesome bars!
Perfect for a picnic! They look delicious…
Oooh I need to pick up some blueberries and fast! These bars are screaming my name!!
Dear Alida, I should make blueberry bars more often…they are such a wonderful treat. Luckily, I just picked up two pints at the market. xo, Catherine
Those look so good! Our blueberry bushes aren’t doing that fabulous, but the raspberries are going crazy! I know what I’ll be making this week!
WE enjoy treats like this! With our blueberries coming in soon, I will have to make this. Delicious!
These are most certainly a perfect picnic treat. Love them!
Those are beautiful! I love blueberries so I know I would like these. The crumb topping makes these perfect!
I had no idea July was national picnic month! I am hoping to do a picnic this weekend for our 1st wedding anniversary I foresee this blueberry bars to wrap everything up 🙂
Crumb bars are a must in the summer! Yours look incredible!
Delicious looking bars and a great summer dessert!
Oh my gosh, now that you mention it, I haven’t been on a picnic in SO long! I don’t have any plans for this weekend, so I feel like it needs to happen. These bars are beautiful, Alida! They’d be welcome in my picnic basket anytime!
These just scream summer picnic and are totally calling my name!
These sound so delicious! My husband would love them!
So, I may be at the beginning of a new addiction. We’re planning a family day trip for tomorrow and instead of buying granola bars to have for snacks, I went and bought blueberries to make this recipe instead! AND, our Walmart has fresh blueberries on sale for $3.64/1.5 lbs! That’s only $0.15/oz and the frozen (which are usually less) are $0.21! I may or may not have come home with me…
Thanks again for the great recipe. I plan to have some made and on hand when school gets started again as a much healthier, but still just as handy, breakfast bar.
Sorry for the novel 🙂
I bought blueberries just so I can make your recipe! Wonderful recipe, and I am so happy to cook alongside you for the #SundaySupper picnic.
Beautiful!