Blackberry Pie Bars

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5 from 23 reviews

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These blackberry pie bars taste just like blackberry pie! With plenty of rich and buttery crumbs and a jammy blackberry filling, they’re incredibly easy to make. The crust and crumbs are made from one simple dough that comes together in 5 minutes, no mixer or special tools necessary (thank you, melted butter!). Recipe makes 12 bars.

With plenty of butter, lemon zest, and vine ripened blackberries, these bars deliver all the flavor of blackberry pie in a simple, fuss-free crumb bar.

If you don’t have fresh blackberries on hand, you can make these easy dessert bars anytime of year with frozen blackberries (no need to thaw first).

As I’ve learned through my recipe tests, cooking the berries on the stovetop with sugar and cornstarch is the secret to a thick and jammy filling that holds up nicely to the crust and crumb topping layers. Step-by-step photos included below!

More delicious dessert bars: old fashioned cherry pie bars, jammy raspberry crumble bars, and sweet strawberry crumb bars!

Blackberry Pie Bars, Step by Step

Make crust and crumbs: Combine flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Whisk together until well combined.

All-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in glass bowl

Dry ingredients whisked together in glass bowl

Combine melted butter, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, vanilla extract, and fresh lemon zest in a large bowl. Whisk well to combine.

Melted butter, sugar, light brown sugar, vanilla extract, and lemon zest in large glass bowl

Melted butter, sugars, vanilla extract, and lemon zest combined in large glass bowl

Add flour mixture to the bowl and fold in with a spatula until incorporated. Set aside 3/4 cup of dough for the crumb topping – keep chilled in the refrigerator.

Dry ingredients added to melted butter mixture in large glass bowl

Crust and crumble dough folded together in large glass bowl with spatula

Add remaining dough to a parchment-lined baking pan and press it evenly across the bottom. Pro tip: For a smooth layer, use a piece of wax paper to help press it down.

Bake crust for 14 to 16 minutes, until lightly golden and set. Transfer to a wire rack and cool for 15 minutes while you make the blackberry filling.

Crust mixture pressed evenly into parchment-lined 8-inch square baking pan

Crust par-baked until golden and set in parchment-lined baking pan

Make blackberry filling: Combine blackberries, sugar, salt, cornstarch, fresh lemon zest, and juice in a saucepan.

Bring to a boil, pressing firmly on berries to release juices, about 3 to 4 minutes. The sauce will start to foam at the surface.

Blackberries, sugar, salt, cornstarch, lemon zest, and lemon juice in saucepan

Blackberry filling brought to a boil in saucepan

Reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes, until filling is thickened and coats the back of a spoon. Remove pan from the heat and cool filling for 10 minutes.

Spoon blackberry filling over cooled crust and sprinkle remaining crumble mixture over filling. Return pan to the oven.

Blackberry filling spread over par-baked crust with an offset spatula

Crumb topping sprinkled over blackberry filling

Bake bars for another 40 minutes or until the topping is golden and the filling is slightly bubbly. Let them cool completely in pan on a wire rack.

Baked blackberry crumb bars in parchment-lined baking pan

Just before slicing, place the pan in the freezer for 15 minutes to firm up. Lift the parchment and transfer bars to a cutting board. Cut into rectangles or squares with a sharp knife.

Serve bars with a dusting of powdered sugar, vanilla ice cream, or homemade whipped cream for the ultimate blackberry pie bar experience!

More blackberry recipes you’ll love: