Blueberry Bars

Buttery almond shortbread with jammy blueberries and a nutty oat crumble. These bars sweet, slightly tangy and delicious, the perfect morning or afternoon tea!

I absolutely love blueberries, not only are they delicious, sweet and slightly tangy, they have an amazing colour and pair perfectly with desserts. Whether they are made into a jam, baked into a pie, fresh on top of a cake or baked into blueberry bars they are always delicious.

I love baking according to the seasons because there is so much fresh produce available. As Australia enters spring blueberries are sweet and abundant, so what better time to use them!

These bars are short and buttery, topped with a sweet and tangy blueberry jam and a nutty, oaty crumble they are perfect for any season really. Whether you are across the world and entering fall or smelling the flowers here in spring you'll love these!

Tips for perfect shortbread

The base of these blueberry bars is a melt in your mouth almond shortbread. Here are a couple of tips for shortbread perfection!

Use chilled butter

Chilled butter is the most important thing to keep in mind when making shortbread. The colder the butter is the better the texture of your shortbread.

Work quickly

To incorporate the flour you will need to rub the butter into the flour using your fingertips. The butter will inevitably warm up as you work with it, so the faster you work the less the butter will soften.

Use a food processor (optional)

This is optional, but if you want perfect shortbread in a hurry, or have warm hands that will melt the butter, use a food processor to blitz the butter and flour together. This way the butter stays completely chilled and you won't have buttery fingers!

Add the iced water a little at a time

We are using water to bind the butter and flour together, the less we use, the better, as it will gives the base a shorter texture. Add the iced water 1 tablespoon at a time and knead until a dough 'just' forms.

Par-bake the base

While you can bake the blueberry filling straight onto the raw base, the shortbread won't be as crisp, but have a softer, cakier texture. As the blueberries release a lot of moisture during baking the shortbread will absorb this, creating that soft texture. If that's what you love, then go for it! I personally like my shortbread to be a little more golden and crisp so a par-bake is essential for an all-round perfect texture.

Frequently asked questions

Can I change the fruit?

Yes definitely! The beauty of these bars is how versatile they are. You can use any kind of berry whether that is cherries, strawberries or raspberries. Stone-fruits also work amazingly in this recipe as they have a similar texture. Imagine a plum or peach slice!

I don't have a square baking tin, can I use a different one?

Yes! As these are bars they will cook the same whether you bake them on a cookie sheet, cake tin or rectangular pan. Just make sure that the base doesn't exceed a maximum of 1.5cm in thickness.

I can't eat almonds, do I have to use almond meal?

Nope! The almond meal is easily interchangeable with other nut flours. If you don't like almonds or can't eat them, try grinding up other nuts to a fine powder. My personal favourites are hazelnut and peanut.

How long do these last?

If you store these in an airtight container they'll last for 2-3 days at room temperature or up to 5 days in the fridge. Though I doubt they will last that long!

Let's Get Cooking

If you liked this recipe make sure to leave me a comment and rating down below, I would love to know how you went. Also don't forget to tag me on Instagram @catherine.desserts so I can see and share your desserts.

Follow me on facebook, pinterest, youtube and tiktok for more of my baking creations and updates! Until next time... happy caking!

📖 Recipe

Blueberry Bars

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Buttery almond shortbread with jammy blueberries and a nutty oat crumble. These bars sweet, slightly tangy and delicious, the perfect morning or afternoon tea!

• Author: Catherine Zhang
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 65 mins
• Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
• Yield: 12 Bars 1x
• Category: Bars
• Method: Intermediate
• Cuisine: American

Ingredients

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Shortbread Base

• 150g Almond meal (1 ½ cup)
• 380g Plain flour (3 cups)
• 60g White sugar (¼ cup 2 tsp)
• 300g Unsalted butter, chilled, cubed (1 ⅓ cup)
• 50g Iced water (3 tablespoon 1 tsp)

See Also This Recipe:  Fresh Cherry Cake

Blueberry Filling

• 300g Blueberries, frozen or fresh (10.05oz)
• 1 tbsp Cornstarch
• 20 g Icing / powdered sugar (3 tbsp)

Crumble Topping

• 50g Rolled oats (½ cup 1 tbsp)
• 50g Plain flour (⅓ cup 1 tbsp)
• 50g White sugar (¼ cup)
• 50g Unsalted butter, chilled and cubed (3 tablespoon 1 tsp)

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Instructions

Shortbread base

1. Preheat the oven to 190C / 375F
2. Line a 8 x 8 inch / 20 x 20cm cake tin with baking paper
3. Combine the almond meal, flour, sugar and butter in a mixing bowl
4. Rub the butter into the flour until it forms a sand-like texture
5. Add the iced water and knead until a dough forms
6. Press the dough into the bottom of the lined baking tin 
7. Prick the base with a fork and par-bake for 15 minutes

Blueberry Filling

1. Combine the blueberries, cornstarch and icing sugar together in a bowl, toss to combine
2. Set aside and make the crumble

Crumble Topping

1. Combine the rolled oats, plain flour, white sugar and unsalted butter together in a medium sized bowl
2. Rub the butter into the dry ingredients until a crumble-like mixture forms

Assembly

1. Once the shortbread base has par-baked spread the blueberries over the base and top with the prepared crumble
2. Bake for 45 minutes, or until the base has fully baked and the top is golden brown
3. Cool completely and cut into 12 bars

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