Perfect Blackberry Crumble Bars (Printable)

Buttery bars with juicy blackberries and golden crumble topping, ready in under an hour.

# What You Need:

→ For the Crust & Crumble

01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 cup granulated sugar
03 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
04 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
05 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
06 - 1 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
07 - 1 large egg

→ For the Blackberry Filling

08 - 3 cups fresh blackberries (or frozen, thawed, and drained)
09 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
10 - 2 tablespoons cornstarch
11 - 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
12 - 1 teaspoon lemon zest

# How To Make:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9x9-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang for easy removal.
02 - In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon until well combined.
03 - Add cold, cubed butter and blend with a pastry cutter or your fingers until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
04 - Add the egg and mix until dough starts to come together. The mixture will remain crumbly.
05 - Press about two-thirds of the dough firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan to form an even crust layer.
06 - In a separate bowl, gently toss blackberries with sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and lemon zest until evenly coated.
07 - Spread the blackberry mixture evenly over the pressed crust.
08 - Crumble the remaining dough evenly over the blackberry filling layer.
09 - Bake for 38 to 42 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbling at the edges.
10 - Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before lifting out using the parchment overhang and slicing into bars.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The crust and topping come from one simple dough, meaning less mixing and zero stress
  • Fresh blackberries bubble up through the buttery crumble, creating those irresistible jammy pockets in every bite
02 -
  • Resist cutting into these while they're still warm or you'll end up with a delicious but messy situation instead of neat bars
  • Room temperature butter is the enemy here, keep yours cold and work quickly to maintain those flaky layers
03 -
  • If your berries are particularly tart, taste the filling mixture before baking and add an extra tablespoon of sugar
  • Chill the pressed crust in the freezer for 10 minutes before adding the berries to prevent the dough from melting too quickly

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