This bar recipe is inspired by Ina Gartner’s Apple Pie Bar recipe and was shared with me from a friend of ours. We started growing blueberries this year so I adjusted the recipe to make Blueberry Pie Bars instead. They were so delicious!

You could definitely swap the blueberries for other summer berries like raspberries, strawberries, or even a mix of berries.

Blueberry Pie Bars (Image: Molly Morgan)

Blueberry Pie Bars
Serves 12

Ingredients:
2 sticks butter, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 cups all purpose flour (or whole wheat pasty flour)
1/3 cup walnuts, finely chopped
pinch of salt

Filling:
4 cups blueberries
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon cornstarch

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a 9 x 9 (or similar pan) with parchment paper or coat with non-stick cooking spray.
For the crust: In a mixing bowl combine the butter, sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla. Beat until light in color and creamy. Stir in the flour, walnuts, and salt. Press about 2/3 of the sough into the prepared pan and lightly press to cover the bottom of the pan. Reserve the remaining dough. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
Bake the crust for 20 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove and set aside.
Meanwhile in a sauce pan combine the butter, blueberries, lemon juice, and sugar. Cook over low to medium heat, stirring often for 15 minutes. The berries will soften and some of the liquid will have evaporated. Add the cornstarch during the last minute of cooking and stir until the mixture lightly thickens.
Spread the berry mixture evenly over the baked crust. Then crumble the reserved dough and spread across the top. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the topping is golden brown. Cool slightly and serve.

Serving suggestion: Tastes great with vanilla frozen yogurt or ice cream.