Blueberry Lemon Bars

Blueberry Lemon Bars are the ultimate dessert for all your spring and summer gatherings. Bursting with juicy sweet blueberries and the perfect amount of tangy lemon, it’s hard to eat just one!

Lemons and blueberries are pretty much a match made in heaven! Blueberries are so naturally sweet than when you pair them with the zesty lemon flavor; it’s a perfect balance.

I’m just going to come out and say it…this blueberry filling is so good you could eat it with a spoon! I’m not even kidding, but you will figure that out when you make it. 🙂 You may even be tempted to lick your plate, but I’m not here to judge!

If blueberry desserts make your heart skip a beat like it does mine, be sure to give my Vegan Blueberry Oat Bars and Baked Blueberry French Toast Cups a try.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED:

1. Oat Flour & Oats: To get the perfect crusted, you need a combination of oat flour and old-fashioned oats. You can quickly make your own oat flour by putting oats in the blender for 1-2 minutes.
2. Maple Syrup: You’ll need some maple syrup for both the filling and the crust. It’s the perfect way to sweeten these blueberry lemon bars.
3. Apple Sauce: It’s fine to use homemade apple sauce or buying it pre-packaged. It’s a good idea to get some that don’t have any added sugars. It’s a great source of vitamin C, vitamin E, and antioxidants.
4. Lemon Zest: Adding some lemon zest really amps up the flavors in these dessert bars. Plus, they are LOADED with vitamin C too.
5. Baking Powder: It’s important to use baking powder instead of baking soda for the crust. It will create an unforgettable crust when combined with the other ingredients.
6. Salt: You don’t need a lot of salt, but it does help bring out the natural sweetness of the blueberries.
7. Blueberries: I could rave for a while about how nutritious blueberries are. They are going to provide you with fiber, manganese, vitamin C, and antioxidants too.
8. Lemon Juice: To get even more lemony flavor, adding some freshly squeezed lemon juice is perfect! Fresh is better than commercially prepared juice.
9. Gluten-Free Flour: Gluten-free flour is used as a thickener for the filling. It’s use so the filling isn’t too runny.

HOW TO MAKE BLUEBERRY LEMON BARS

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Combine the old-fashioned oats, oat flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Mix well.

3. Add the apple sauce, lemon zest, and maple syrup to the oat flour mixture and combine well.

4. Place parchment paper in an 8×8 baking dish. Then pour 3/4 of the oat crust into the baking dish and spread it evenly. Press down on it with the back of a measuring cup or your fingers.

5. Combine the blueberries, lemon juice, maple syrup, gluten-free flour, and salt in a separate bowl. Use an immersion blender to puree the blueberries. This will take about 5-10 seconds, and you’ll want to leave some of the blueberries chunky.

6. Pour the blueberry filling on top of the crust and spread it out evenly.

7. Sprinkle the rest of the oat crust on top of the blueberries to make a crumb topping.

8. Bake the lemon blueberry bars for 35-40 minutes and allow them to cool all the way before serving. Enjoy!

BLUEBERRY LEMON BARS FAQS

HOW DO YOU CUT THEM?

If you’ve ever cut any kind of dessert bars and they didn’t end up too pretty, you aren’t alone! It happens sometimes, so I wanted to share a few tips to help out.

1. Make sure that the lemon bars are cooled all the way. If they are hot or warm, it’s going to turn into a mess when you try to cut them.
2. Clean your knife after every slice. It may seem daunting to wipe off your knife after each slice, but it keeps the bars from sticking. Just keep a few paper towels handy or use a soft kitchen towel.

CAN I USE FROZEN BLUEBERRIES?

For this recipe, I prefer to use fresh blueberries the most. If you have frozen blueberries, it’s fine to make the swap. Just be sure to let them thaw and drain them for 10-15 minutes in a colander. Discard any juice, so it doesn’t make the blueberry crumble bars too watered down.

Craving more? Try my Blueberry Chia Seed Jam, Blueberry Lemon Spelt Quick Bread, or Skinny Blueberry Lemon Smoothie.

If you make this recipe, please leave a star rating below! It’s so helpful for other readers to see which recipes are tried and true! I’d also love to see it–share your photo of this dish and tag me on Instagram, and I’ll feature you!

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Blueberry Lemon Bars

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• Author: Maryea
• Total Time: 50 minutes
• Yield: 8-10 servings 1x

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Description

These blueberry lemon bars are a big hit in our house.  The sweet blueberry taste with a hint of lemon to balance It out makes these bars a great treat all spring and summer long. 

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Ingredients

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For the crust

• ¾ cup oat flour (or rolled oats in a food processor for 1-2 minutes)
• ¾ cup old fashioned rolled oats 
• 4 Tablespoons of maple syrup
• ¼ Cup apple sauce
• 2 Tablespoons of lemon zest
• 1 Teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ Teaspoon salt

Blueberry Filling

• 2 Cups blueberries 
• 4 Tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 Tablespoons maples syrup
• 1.5 Tablespoons gluten-free flour (I like a 1 :1 gluten free blend)
• ¼ Teaspoon salt

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Instructions

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. In a medium/large mixing bowl add the oat flour, oats, baking powder, salt, and mix well.  
3. Add the maple syrup, apple sauce, and lemon zest, and mix well. 
4. Using an 8×8 baking dish lined with parchment paper, pour 3/4 ‘s of the oat crust mixture into the dish and press evenly until level.
5. In a separate bowl add the blueberries, lemon juice, maple syrup, flour, and salt.  Using an immersion blender briefly blend (5-10 seconds) until ¾ of the blueberries are pureed leaving ¼ whole of large chunks.  If you don’t have an immersion blender use a regular blender and pulse for 2-4 times. 
6. Pour blueberry mixture onto the oat crust and spread out evenly.
7. Using your hands sprinkle the remaining ¼ of the oat crust onto the top of the blueberries.
8. Bake in the oven on 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 35-40 minutes and let fully cool then slice and serve.  Enjoy!

Notes

Why let it cool so long before serving?

The top blueberry layer will thicken as it cools and therefore hold together better when cutting into bars.  You can even refrigerate if you want to hurry the process.  And they tend to taste even better the next day chilled in the fridge.

 

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 40 minutes

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 bar
• Calories: 111
• Sugar: 11.1 grams
• Fat: 0.9 grams
• Saturated Fat: 0.2 grams
• Carbohydrates: 23.9 grams
• Fiber: 2.1 grams
• Protein: 2.3 grams