Blueberry Lemon Bars Recipe

Deliciously sweet and tart blueberry lemon bars are the perfect summer treat. Imagine a buttery and crumbly oatmeal crust, covered with a silky lemon curd center, topped with juicy, fresh blueberries. A healthier twist on the classic, these lemon bars are made without refined sugar, and are made all the better with one of the best summer treats of all: blueberries! These dessert bars are so addicting, you will have a hard time just eating one.

For this recipe, you will need: lemon juice, blueberries, honey, coconut sugar, oats, butter, flour (all-purpose or gluten free 1-for-1 flour), and vanilla extract.

Two blueberry lemon bars stacked on a white place with a blue napkin to the right

Thank you Oregon Blueberry Growers for sponsoring this post. All opinions are my own.

Who doesn’t love summer?

Summer is here! Summer is here! I feel like I could shout it from the rooftops, or at least my patio. Either way, the weather has been so nice, and all I want to do is summer things. These blueberry lemon bars are the perfect summer treat! 

Blueberry picking, pool time with the kids, walks by the river, and delicious sweet treats are at the top of the summer to-do list. I love fully embracing the season we are in (literally and figuratively), and summers here in Oregon are a true gem. 

Oregon: What U-Pick Dreams Are Made Of

As you all may know, our family dreams of small acreage to be able to raise animals and grow our own food, but in this season of small babes and home renovations, it’s challenging to dedicate time and effort to self-sustaining all our food. We’re doing as much as we can, though! I shared our some of our homestead plans for our quarter acre here.

But since we can’t grow it all on our own, I’m so thankful for all the amazing blueberry farms here in Oregon. Blueberry picking is a great way to harvest your own food without having to take care of it yourself. You can find a listing of Oregon blueberry farms here.

lemon curd in a glass bowl with ingredients around it

Also, it’s a great way to teach kids the work that goes into the food we eat, and it doesn’t just come from the grocery store. It has to be grown, picked, and cared for.

Last year, we ended up picking about 30 or 40 pounds of fresh blueberries, and it felt like the entire stash was gone in a matter of seconds. Since we have another mouth to feed this year, I’m hoping we can pick much more and freeze much of it for winter. Besides, who can argue with more berries in the freezer?

But while we have fresh-picked blueberries, you better believe that we will be adding them to summer recipes like these blueberry lemon bars. Sweet blueberries with tart lemons are a match made in summer heaven!

Fresh Oregon blueberries add an amazing touch to this dish. They add the perfect sweetness to this tart dessert bar; like little bits of sweet jam. 

blueberry lemon bars on a white plate and dusted with powder sugar. More sliced bars on the right on top of parchment paper

Pro tips for making blueberry lemon bars:

  • Make this recipe gluten free by using a gluten free 1-for-1 flour. This is usually the way we make them, since my daughter is gluten free. If you have Celiac disease, be sure to use gluten free oats and a gluten free 1-for-1 flour.
  • Fresh blueberries work better than frozen in this recipe because they have less moisture in them. 
  • Sift flour into the lemon curd to help reduce any clumps.
  • Wash and allow blueberries to air dry (or dry them with a towel) so the water doesn’t affect the curd consistency.
  • These bars are best served cold.

What makes this recipe healthier?

  • Blueberries are full of fiber, manganese, and vitamin C and K, as well as a ton of antioxidants. Antioxidants help protect your body from free radicals, and in fact, blueberries have the highest antioxidant levels of all common fruits and vegetables. Source
  • These dessert bars are deliciously sweet, and you’d never guess that they don’t have any refined sugar. Instead, they get their sweetness from coconut sugar and honey, which gives it a deeper darker color. 
  • This one has lower amounts of fat and sugar compared to most lemon bar recipes, and it even contains whole grains by using oatmeal.

sifting flour into lemon curd to make blueberry lemon bars

Blueberry Lemon Bars Recipe Video

 

Want more delicious blueberry recipes? Try some of our family favorites!

Blueberry Lemon Bar Recipe:

Try this recipe and love it? Come back and give it 5 stars and pin it! Please and thank you.

blueberry lemon bars stacked on a white plate with more dessert bars behind them

Blueberry Lemon Bars

Sweet and tart blueberry lemon bars are the perfect summer treat. A buttery oatmeal crust is topped with lemon curd and juicy fresh blueberries.
5 from 2 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: blueberry lemon bars
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Chill time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 12
Calories: 248kcal
Author: Amy

Ingredients

Oatmeal Crust

  • 2 cups oats
  • 1 stick butter
  • 1/4 cup coconut sugar can use granulated sugar

Blueberry Lemon Curd

  • 1 pint blueberries fresh
  • 1 cup lemon juice fresh works better, but store bought will also work
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 1/2 cup coconut sugar can also use granulated sugar
  • 6 large eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup all- purpose flour use a GF 1 for 1 flour to make these bars gluten free.
  • dash salt

Instructions

How To Make Oatmeal Crust

  • Preheat oven to 325°. Line 9/12 pan with parchment paper.
  • In a food processor, add in sugar, oats, and dash of salt. Chop up butter and add to food processor.
    butter, oats, and coconut sugar in a food processor
  • Pulse a few times until well combined.
  • Scrape oatmeal mixture onto parchment lined baking dish and press out until evenly distributed.
    oatmeal crust in a glass baking dish on top of white towel
  • Bake for 20-25 minutes until just starting to brown at the edges.

Blueberry Lemon Curd

  • While crust is baking, grab a large bowl.
  • To the bowl, add lemon juice, honey, vanilla, and sugar. Whisk well.
    lemon juice, honey, and coconut sugar in a glass bowl with a whisk to make blueberry lemon bars
  • Whisk in eggs and salt.
    lemon curd in a glass bowl with ingredients around it
  • Sift in flour and stir until there are no lumps.
    sifting flour into lemon curd to make blueberry lemon bars
  • Pour mixture over crust. Sprinkle in blueberries and bake for 20-25 minutes.
    fresh blueberries sprinkled into lemon curd to make blueberry lemon bars.
  • Allow to cool for 30 minutes to an hour at room temp, and then refrigerate for at least 1-2 hours before cutting and serving.
    blueberry lemon bars sliced on white parchment paper with a black and white stripped towel behind it.
  • Dust with powdered sugar (if you desire) before serving.

Notes

These are best served cold. 
The darker color of the bars is due to the use of coconut sugar and honey rather than white sugar.

Nutrition

Calories: 248kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 126mg | Sodium: 128mg | Potassium: 115mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 390IU | Vitamin C: 7.9mg | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 1.3mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @ablossominglife or tag #ablossominglife!

Have you ever gone blueberry picking? If you are in the Oregon area, make sure to check out the amazing blueberry farms near you. Find them here!

3 blueberry lemon bars stacked up on a white plate with antique forks to the right

 

5 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I don’t love summer! I know it seems CRAZY, but my work is so busy I have never had a chance to enjoy the sweetness of summer. This is the year I have vowed to work less and cook more. Sweet summer berries abound at the farmers’ markets right now, So excited to make this again and again!!

    1. I used to be the same way. We used to be somewhere that was so hot it was unbearable but now I love it. And love all the amazing berries here in Oregon.

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