Blackberry Crumb Bars

These Blackberry Crumb Bars combine a soft thick crust, sweet and juicy blackberry filling, and crispy oat crumb to create a delicious handheld dessert treat.

Blackberry Crumb Bars:

If I had to pick a favorite berry, it would definitely be blackberries. Freshly picked wild blackberries are my personal favorite, but any will do.

I had a hankering for blackberry pie but wanted something a bit different so I decided to make some blackberry crumb bars. You are the lucky benefactor of that decision as I took photographs along the way so I could share the recipe with you!

Want more homemade bar recipes? Try these:

• Peanut Butter Oatmeal Fudge Bars
• Salted Caramel Bars
• Cinnamon Bars
• Pumpkin Pie Bars
• Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Bars

I love crumb bars such as these because they’re basically a fruit crisp/cobbler that you can hold in your hands. Who wouldn’t love that? Handheld treats are perfect for parties, traveling, barbecues, and picnics. However, if you wanted to make these even more substantial and decadent, you could warm them up and serve them with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream. Talk about perfection. I love a dessert that can be multifunctional.

It’s also worth mentioning that while I used blackberries for this recipe, any berry or fruit should work nicely. My next adventure is to try these crumb bars with strawberries and rhubarb. (You know how much I love rhubarb!)

As with many of my recipes, these blackberry crumb bars are really easy to make and you’re likely to already have most of the ingredients in your pantry and refrigerator.

How to Make Blackberry Crumb Bars:

Ready to get baking? Let’s whip up a batch of these blackberry crumb bars!

1. Begin by preheating your oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Line a 9×9 baking pan with parchment paper and spray with baking spray.
3. Add the blackberries, 1/3 cup sugar, and lemon juice to a bowl. Toss gently to combine. Set aside.

4. In a large bowl, add the oats, sugar, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and kosher salt. Set aside.
5. In a small bowl, mix together the eggs and vanilla. Add to the oat mixture and stir to start combining.
6. Add half of the cooled melted butter to the oat mixture and stir to combine. Add the remaining butter and continue to mix.
7. Use your hands to completely combine all of the ingredients. It’s fully combined when you see no traces of flour.

8. Take 3/4ths of the oat mixture and press it into an even layer in the bottom of your prepared pan.
9. Add the blackberries and any juice they created.
10. Crumble the remaining oat mixture evenly onto the top of the blackberries.
11. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the crumb is golden brown and the filling is bubbling.

12. Cool completely before removing it from the pan.

Slice, serve, and enjoy!

It doesn’t get much easier than this. Plus, there’s no mixer required. The hands-on time to whip these up is under 15 minutes. Love that!

RECIPE NOTES:

While the recipe is pretty easy and straightforward (as mentioned above), I thought I would address a couple of frequently asked questions.

Can I Use Frozen Blackberries?

I highly recommend fresh blackberries for this recipe. However, you can use frozen berries. Just be sure to thaw and drain before using.

Can I Freeze These Crumb Bars?

Yes, but while the flavor will be just as delicious, the bars will be slightly less crispy. I made these in advance for a party and froze them for about 2 weeks and still found them to be a hit!

And that’s a wrap on these Blackberry Crumb Bars! For me, berry-based desserts like this one are pure comfort food. I’d never turn down a slice of pie or a scoop of cobbler. These types of desserts instantly transport me back to my childhood with memories of sitting in my grandma’s kitchen, (It doesn’t get much better than that.).
Enjoy!

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Blackberry Crumb Bars

These Blackberry Crumb Bars combine a soft thick crust, sweet and juicy blackberry filling, and crispy oat crumb to create a delicious handheld dessert treat.

4.50 from 2 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: bars, blackberry, crumb bars, easy

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour

Servings: 16

Calories: 310kcal

Ingredients

Fruit Filling:

• 4 cups blackberries
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Crumb Crust/Topping:

• 1 cup old-fashioned oats
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 3/4 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup unsalted butter melted and cooled

Instructions

• Begin by preheating your oven to 350 degrees F.
• Line a 9×9 baking pan with parchment paper leaving the parchment paper hanging over two of the sides. Spray with baking spray.
• In a medium bowl add the blackberries, 1/3 cup sugar, and lemon juice. Toss gently to combine. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, add the oats, sugar, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and kosher salt. Set aside.
• In a small bowl, mix together the egg and vanilla. Add to the oat mixture and stir to start combining.
• Add half of the cooled melted butter to the oat mixture and stir to combine. Add the remaining butter and continue to mix. Use your hands to completely combine all of the ingredients. It’s fully combined when you see no traces of flour.
• Take 3/4ths of the oat mixture and press it into an even layer in the bottom of your prepared pan.
• Add the blackberries and any juice they created.
• Crumble the remaining 1/4th of the oat mixture evenly onto the top of the blackberries.
• Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the crumb is golden brown and the filling is bubbling.
• Cool completely before removing it from the pan. Use a knife around the edges to separate the bars from the pan. Then use the parchment paper to lift the bars out of the pan. Slice, serve, and enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 310kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 41mg | Sodium: 155mg | Potassium: 122mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 25g | Vitamin A: 447IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 31mg | Iron: 2mg