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Blueberry Bars are the easy, crowd-pleasing dessert I reach for when I need something quick that still feels special. A soft, buttery cake layer gets topped with sweet blueberry pie filling and a few dollops of extra batter, so every square has that gorgeous purple swirl peeking through. I made a pan of these for a spring potluck and came home with an empty dish, which is the highest compliment. If you love blueberry desserts, our lemon blueberry cheesecake bars are another winner.
With just eight ingredients and a can of pie filling, these come together faster than you can preheat the oven.
Blueberry Bars Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 45 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 55 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 15 bars
- ⚡ Calories: 392kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Soft, buttery cake with sweet blueberry pie filling and a hint of almond
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, as simple as our cherry cheesecake bars
Quick Answer
Blueberry Bars start with a simple buttery cake batter made from butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, almond extract, and flour. You press half the dough into a lined 9×13 pan, spread blueberry pie filling on top, then dollop the remaining dough over the filling so some blueberries peek through. Bake at 375 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes until golden, cool, and dust with powdered sugar.
Jump to:
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Pie filling does the work. A can of blueberry pie filling means no fresh fruit prep and a perfectly sweet, jammy layer every time.
- One easy batter, two uses. The same buttery dough forms both the bottom crust and the dollops on top, so there is nothing extra to make.
- That pretty marbled look. Dolloping the top layer lets the blueberry filling peek through for a bakery-worthy finish.
- A hint of almond. A little almond extract deepens the flavor and pairs beautifully with the blueberries.
- Feeds a crowd. A 9×13 pan makes 15 generous bars, perfect for potlucks, parties, and bake sales.
- Great warm or at room temperature. Serve them warm with ice cream or chilled as an easy grab-and-go treat.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- They come together with just eight ingredients and a can of blueberry pie filling.
- A soft, buttery cake layer and sweet blueberry filling make every bite taste like blueberry pie.
- They feed a crowd, just like our pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting.
Key Ingredients
Just a handful of pantry staples and a can of pie filling make these blueberry bars.
- Blueberry pie filling: The star of the show. A 21 ounce can gives you a sweet, jammy blueberry layer with zero prep.
- Butter and sugar: Creamed together, they form the base of the soft, tender cake layer. Use softened butter for the fluffiest texture.
- Eggs and flour: Four eggs and all-purpose flour give the bars structure while keeping them soft and cakey.
- Vanilla and almond extract: Vanilla rounds out the flavor and a little almond extract makes the blueberries pop. The almond is optional but recommended.
- Powdered sugar: A dusting on top adds a pretty finish and a touch of sweetness, like the topping on our sopapilla cheesecake bars.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
These blueberry bars are easy to switch up.
- Swap the blueberry pie filling for cherry, apple, strawberry, or peach.
- Add a streusel topping of flour, butter, and brown sugar for extra crunch.
- Stir a teaspoon of lemon zest into the batter for a bright, blueberry-lemon flavor.
- Serve them warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, the way we love our fudgy brownies.
How to Make Blueberry Bars
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line a 9×13 baking dish with parchment paper. In a stand mixer or large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Add the eggs one at a time until incorporated, then mix in the vanilla and almond extract. Add the flour and stir until combined with no dry patches.
- Scrape down the sides and stir a couple more times until the dough is smooth and combined.
- Press about two-thirds of the dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
- Spread the blueberry pie filling evenly over the pressed dough layer.
- Dollop the remaining dough over the filling and gently spread it, letting some blueberries peek through. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until golden, then cool and dust with powdered sugar.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Line the pan with parchment with an overhang so you can lift the whole slab out for easy, clean slicing.
- Soften the butter fully so it creams smoothly with the sugar for a tender cake layer.
- Do not skip the almond extract if you can help it, since it makes the blueberry flavor really shine.
- Leave gaps when you dollop the top dough so the pretty blueberry filling peeks through.
- Check at 40 minutes, since ovens vary. The top should be golden brown and set in the center.
- Cool before slicing for the cleanest squares, or serve warm with ice cream for a gooier treat.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
Blueberry Bars are delicious warm or at room temperature. Dust them with powdered sugar right before serving for a pretty finish.
For dessert, serve a warm bar with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a handful of fresh blueberries, the same way we plate our cherry cheesecake bars.
Set them out on a dessert table next to our lemon blueberry trifle or a batch of gingerbread bars for a spread everyone will love.
Store the cooled bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days or in the fridge for up to five. They also freeze well for up to three months, making them a great make-ahead dessert for parties and potlucks.
Blueberry Bars FAQs
This recipe is designed around canned blueberry pie filling, which gives you a sweet, thick, jammy layer with no extra work. If you want to use fresh blueberries, you would need to cook them down with sugar and cornstarch first to create a similar thickened filling, or the bars may turn out too runny.
A 9×13 inch baking dish is perfect for this recipe and yields about 15 bars. Line it with parchment paper with a little overhang so you can lift the whole slab out to slice. You can also halve the recipe and use an 8×8 pan for a smaller batch.
The bars are done when the top is golden brown and the center is set, usually 40 to 45 minutes at 375 degrees. Ovens vary, so start checking at 40 minutes. A toothpick inserted into a cake portion, avoiding the filling, should come out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
Yes, these bars are great for making ahead. Bake and cool them completely, then store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days or in the fridge for up to five. Dust with fresh powdered sugar right before serving so it stays pretty.
Absolutely. Let the bars cool completely, then wrap them well or store in a freezer-safe container for up to three months. Thaw at room temperature or overnight in the fridge. They are a great make-ahead dessert to have on hand for last-minute gatherings.
This is a wonderfully versatile base recipe. Cherry, apple, strawberry, peach, and raspberry pie fillings all work beautifully in place of the blueberry. Just swap in your favorite 21 ounce can and follow the recipe exactly for an easy new flavor of fruit bars.
Made these Blueberry Bars? I would love to hear how they turned out, leave a comment and a star rating below!
Blueberry Bars
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract optional
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 21 ounce can blueberry pie filling
- Powdered sugar for dusting optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a 9×13 baking dish with parchment paper, set aside.1 cup unsalted butter
- In the body of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy, 2 minutes.1 cup unsalted butter
- Add in the eggs one at a time until fully incorporated then add in the vanilla and almond extract until combined. Scrape down the sides. Add the flour and stir it in until combined, there should be no dry patches. Scrape down the sides then stir a couple more times.1 cup unsalted butter
- Press ¾ of the dough mixture into the bottom of the baking dish.1 cup unsalted butter
- Add the pie filling on top and spread it out. Dollop the remaining batter on top of the pie filling and gently spread it out, you still want some of the pie filling to peek through.1 cup unsalted butter
- Bake for 40-45 minutes until golden brown on top.1 cup unsalted butter
- Let cool for 5 minutes in the baking dish. Lift the pie bars out and let them cool on a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.1 cup unsalted butter
- Add a dusting of powdered sugar, optional.1 cup unsalted butter
Notes
- We use a little bit of almond extract in this recipe as we love the flavor, this is optional.
- Instead of using powdered sugar you could also make a powdered sugar glaze to top these bars.
- They can be frozen, see my tips above on that.
- Use any pie filling that you like, this works with various different flavors.
- You can also make your own homemade filling instead.
Nutrition
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