Blackberry Crumb Bars

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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.

plate of blackberry crumb bars

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:

Blackberry Crumb Bars stacked on plate.


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!)

plates of Blackberry Crumb Bars.
plate with two Blackberry Crumb Bars.


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.
bowl of blackberries.
  1. In a large bowl, add the oats, sugar, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and kosher salt. Set aside.
  2. In a small bowl, mix together the eggs and vanilla. Add to the oat mixture and stir to start combining.
  3. Add half of the cooled melted butter to the oat mixture and stir to combine. Add the remaining butter and continue to mix.
  4. Use your hands to completely combine all of the ingredients. It’s fully combined when you see no traces of flour.
bowl of oat crumble.
oat crust in square pan.
  1. Take 3/4ths of the oat mixture and press it into an even layer in the bottom of your prepared pan.
  2. Add the blackberries and any juice they created.
  3. Crumble the remaining oat mixture evenly onto the top of the blackberries.
  4. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the crumb is golden brown and the filling is bubbling.
pan with blackberry crumb bars.
  1. Cool completely before removing it from the pan.

Slice, serve, and enjoy!

Blackberry Crumb Bars on plate

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!

Blackberry Crumb Bars on plate
stack of two Blackberry Crumb Bars on plate.

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!

two plates of Blackberry Crumb Bars.
one Blackberry Crumb Bars with bite taken out.

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!

plate of blackberry crumb bars.

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Blackberry Crumb Bars on plate

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
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 16
Calories: 310kcal

Ingredients

Fruit Filling:

Crumb Crust/Topping:

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

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Recipe Rating




11 Comments

  1. Excellent, easy to make dessert. I used strawberries and blueberries instead of blackberries and it came out great. It was a hit at a potluck. Thank you, Michael!

  2. I just made these yesterday and they are good but very juicy. I think perhaps a small amount of corn or potato starch–like about 1 teaspoon–would help with the moisture. Looking closely at the photos I cooked it enough, and the berry part was bubbling so that would be enough to activate the starch.

    I’ll definitely be making these again but my squares aren’t nearly as tidy as yours.

    1. You could certainly do that. Maybe your blackberries were a bit more juicy than mine. I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe otherwise.

      xo Michael

  3. In the oven now. 😋 It says mix vanilla with eggS but there is only 1 egg in ingredients list and no vanilla. 🤷‍♀️ I stuck with 1 egg and added a tsp of vanilla. They smell delish. 😊

    1. You must be a baker because you guessed perfectly! Apologies for the recipe errors. They have been corrected. Hope you enjoy the bars as much as I did.

      xo Michael

      1. Oh my… these are right up there with cheesecake. And I’ve never said that about anything. 😀 Husband devoured them. He let me have a few. Lol I also made homemade whipped cream for them. 🥰 We have an abundance of blackberries and I just put another batch in the oven for guests coming tonight. 😋 Thank you!