The recipe is easy to throw together, no fancy tools or techniques required. A jammy blueberry filling is tucked into a tender cookie crust. These gluten-free blueberry crumble bars are everything you want in an easy-to-make treat.
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This recipe saves a step by using the same dough for the cookie base and crumble topping. The tartness of the lemon adds depth to the blueberries. And who are we kidding, lemon and blueberries are besties.
You can serve this as a summer dessert with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Or cut into small squares for an easy snack.
Skill Level: Beginner
Flavor Remix: Use other berries or a mix. Blackberries and raspberries work well in this recipe.
Allergy Watch: Dairy Free Option, Nut-Free
Ingredient Notes
- Gluten-Free Flour: Use any 1:1 flour blend with xanthan gum, like Bob's Red Mill 1:1 Flour or King Arthur Measure for Measure.
- Butter: Make this recipe dairy-free with vegan butter. I recommend Earth Balance sticks.
- Blueberries: Use fresh blueberries in the summer and frozen blueberries in the winter.
- Cornstarch: The starch captures the excess juice from the berries and turns it into a syrup. Tapioca starch is the best substitute.
- Lemon: You need the zest and the juice so opt for a fresh lemon. Try an orange for something different.
- Baking Powder: Just a tiny bit to give the base a light cookie texture.
- Egg: I have not tested this recipe with an egg replacer.
How to Make Gluten Free Blueberry Crumble Bars
A step-by-step visual guide for making gluten-free blueberry cookie bars. You can skip to the recipe for the full written instructions.
Prep the Berries
Evenly coating the blueberries with cornstarch ensures a thick sweet blueberry filling after baking.
Lemon Sugar
Rubbing the lemon zest into the sugar releases the oils (aka flavor!).
Make the Cookie Base
Cut the butter into the base until you have small pea-sized pieces. It will look sandy even after you add the egg. Trust the process.
Press out the Dough
It will be in pieces and not a single piece of dough. Just press it together and use the bottom of a small measuring cup to press the dough down and into the pan.
Assemble
Top the base with the blueberry mixture. Then use your hands to mash together the remaining dough to make the crumble, dot over the berries.
Bake
The fruit should be bubbly and not liquid when you take it out of the oven. Cool completely before digging in.
Recipe Tips
- To see if the cookie base is mixed enough, roll a tablespoon of the sandy dough in your hand; it should stick together. If not, you can add more butter to the mix.
- Bake until the top is golden and berries are bubbling-overbaking dries out the crust and filling.
- Leave a slight overhang for easy removal and cleaner edges when slicing.
- Let bars cool at room temperature, then chill if needed. This ensures clean slices and helps the filling set.
Make Ahead and Storing
Make Ahead: Bars can be fully baked up to 1 day in advance. Cool completely, then store covered at room temperature or in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Storing: Store bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. For best texture, let chilled bars come to room temperature before serving.
Freezing: Blueberry crumble bars freeze well. Once cooled, slice and layer them between parchment paper in a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or at room temperature before serving.
📖 Recipe
Gluten Free Blueberry Crumble Bars
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Ingredients
Blueberry Layer
- 2 ½ cups (1 ½ pints) blueberries fresh or frozen
- 2 teaspoons (6 g) cornstarch use 3 teaspoons if using frozen berries
- 2 Tablespoon (29 ml) lemon juice about 1 lemon
- ¼ cup (96 g) granulated sugar
Cookie Base and Crumble Topping
- 1 ½ cups (186 g) 1:1 gluten-free flour with xanthan gum spooned & leveled
- ½ cup (192) granulated sugar
- 2 Tablespoon (29 ml) lemon zest about 2 lemons
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ cup (168 g) unsalted butter cold and cut into cubes
- 1 large egg beaten
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line an 8x8-inch pan with parchment paper and grease it.2 ½ cups blueberries
- Mix the blueberries, cornstarch, sugar, and lemon juice. Set aside.2 ½ cups blueberries, 2 teaspoons cornstarch, ¼ cup granulated sugar, 2 Tablespoon lemon juice
- Mix the sugar and lemon zest together with your fingers to release the oil. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt into the lemon sugar mixture.½ cup granulated sugar, 2 Tablespoon lemon zest, 1 ½ cups 1:1 gluten-free flour with xanthan gum
- Cut in the butter until only small pieces remain (smaller than pea-sized). Stir in the egg; the dough will be dry and crumbly but should clump together when squeezed.½ teaspoon baking powder, ¾ cup unsalted butter, 1 large egg, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- Press ⅔ of the dough into the bottom of the prepared pan in an even layer.
- Spread the berry mixture over the top. Crumble the remaining dough over the berries-some of the filling will peek through.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes, until the top is golden.
- Cool at room temperature for 1 hour, then transfer to the refrigerator and chill for at least 3 more hours before removing from the pan and cutting into squares.
Equipment
- 8x8 baking pan
Notes
- Add ¾ teaspoon xanthan gum if your flour blend doesn't contain.
- You can make the dough in a food processor or cut in the butter by hand using two forks or pastry blender. If you use a food processor, do not overblend.
- I prefer these bars served slightly chilled. If you do not cool completely, they will crumble when cut.
- This recipe can be made dairy-free by using vegan butter.
Nutrition
Recipe Questions
Let the bars cool completely and chill them for 1-2 hours before cutting. Use a sharp knife and wipe it clean between cuts.
Nope! Use them frozen to prevent the filling from getting too watery.
Yes, double the ingredients and bake in a 9x13-inch pan. You may need to add 5-10 minutes to the baking time.
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