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This Blueberry Bars Recipe features a sweet almond flour crust, thick blueberry filling, and a buttery crumble topping. It has all the taste and texture of a blueberry pie but is so much easier to make!
A healthier take on traditional recipes, these bars are gluten-free, egg-free, dairy-free, Paleo, and vegan.
The Best Easy Blueberry Bars Recipe
I love snacking on fresh berries during the summer. However, my favorite way to use them is in sweet treats like my gluten free strawberry shortcake, gluten-free mixed berry cobbler, Raspberry Peach Crisp, and these gluten free blueberry crumble bars!
Quick to make, this recipe tastes just like a classic blueberry pie but requires half the work. Plus, it’s made with simple ingredients for a healthier take on traditional desserts. You won’t find any brown sugar, granulated sugar, or unnecessary fats here!
Serve it warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or homemade coconut whipped cream! And consider yourself warned that one batch never lasts long.
Ingredients Needed and Substitutions
*Scroll down to the recipe card for the full recipe and ingredient list!
Crust and Crumble
- Almond Flour: We use this as the base of the mixture to create a graham cracker-like crust with a slightly nutty taste. It also adds a boost of healthy fats and fiber!
- Tapioca Flour: Combined with the almond flour, this helps bind the crust and allows for easier browning.
- Coconut Oil: This adds a rich flavor and blends the ingredients. If preferred, you can use grass-fed butter instead.
- Pure Maple Syrup: We use this to create a subtle sweetness and to help hold the crust together. Honey will also work!
- Sea Salt: Just a pinch helps enhance the flavor of the rest of the ingredients.
Blueberry Filling
- Blueberries: You’ll need 4 cups of blueberries for this recipe.
- Tapioca Flour: A little goes a long way to thicken the blueberry pie filling, preventing it from oozing all over the place!
- Cinnamon: Adds extra depth.
- Maple Syrup: This enhances the natural sweetness of the berries.
- Vanilla: Use pure vanilla extract, not imitation varieties. You can really taste the difference!
Fresh or Frozen Blueberries: Which Is Better?
We tested this recipe with both fresh blueberries and frozen wild blueberries. Both are equally delicious, but they do result in slightly different flavors and textures.
- Fresh blueberries are a bit less sweet and result in a more set-up or firm final texture.
- Frozen blueberries are sweeter and a bit more juicy.
As a result, we recommend using frozen wild blueberries. Not only are they easy to find all year long, but frozen blueberries are also typically higher quality than fresh blueberries from the grocery store!
And you don’t have to thaw them. Just toss them in raw, and your bars will turn out perfect every time.
How to Make The Best Blueberry Bars Recipe
- Prepare: Before you begin, preheat your oven, and line an 8×8 baking dish with parchment paper sling (how-to here).
- Create the crust/crumble: In a large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients for the crust and crumble. Mix until large crumbles form.
- Create the crust: Transfer ⅔ of the crumble mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan, pressing it down evenly. Then, bake until the crust is lightly golden and looks nearly done. Just don’t let it finish baking completely!
- Combine: Pour the blueberry mixture into the parbaked crust, and sprinkle the remaining flour mixture on top. Bake until the crumble topping is lightly browned and the filling is bubbling along the edges.
- Serve: Allow the bars to cool completely. Then, slice and serve!
FAQs
Although this recipe makes bars, they’re a little tricky to eat as a handheld treat. So, they’re best served on a plate with a fork. They’re incredible as is but even better with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!
These bars are best served within 2 days after making. Store them in an airtight container overnight at room temperature, or transfer them to the fridge for up to 3 days.
I don’t recommend freezing these blueberry crumb bars as they will likely crumble and become soggy once thawed.
More Summer Desserts You’ll Love
- Chia Honey Lime Fruit Salad
- Gluten-Free Key Lime Tart
- Homemade Healthy Jello
- S’mores Pie
- Gluten-Free Cherry Pie Bars
- Greek Yogurt Popsicles
Watch The Video Here:
Blueberry Crumb Bars
Ingredients
For Crust and Crumble:
- 3 cups 288g almond flour
- 2 tablespoons 15 grams tapioca flour
- ⅓ cup coconut oil or butter melted
- 1/3 cup pure maple syrup see note
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
For Blueberry Filling:
- 4 cups frozen wild blueberries see note
- 2 tablespoons 15 grams tapioca flour
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF and line an 8×8 baking dish with a parchment paper sling.
- In a large bowl add almond flour, tapioca, coconut oil (or butter), maple syrup, and sea salt and mix well until it turns into large crumbles. Place ⅔ of the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan and press down evenly.3 cups 288g almond flour, 2 tablespoons 15 grams tapioca flour, ⅓ cup coconut oil or butter, 1/3 cup pure maple syrup, 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- Bake in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes, or until the crust looks nearly all baked. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, make the blueberry filling: in a medium saucepan mix together blueberries, tapioca starch, and cinnamon. Then add maple syrup and vanilla and mix well. Cook on medium heat, stirring often, until the filling becomes thick, about 5-8 minutes.4 cups frozen wild blueberries, 2 tablespoons 15 grams tapioca flour, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 cup maple syrup, 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Pour blueberry mixture into parbaked crust and sprinkle the remaining crumble mixture on top and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the crumble is lightly browned and the filling is bubbling along the edges.
- Let cool completely before cutting.
Notes
- We tested this with two different types of bluebs: fresh blueberries and frozen wild blueberries. They do result in slightly different flavors and textures but both are equally delicious. The fresh blueberries are typically a bit less sweet, and result in a more set-up final texture. The frozen wild blueberries are sweeter and are a bit more juicy. For this recipe, we prefer to use high-quality frozen wild blueberries. Typically store-bought blueberries aren’t as good of quality as the flash-frozen wild ones available year-round. And if you do find great-tasting fresh blueberries, it’s hard not to want to just eat them straight up! Either fruit you choose to use will work here, though. If you do use wild blueberries, you do not have to defrost them before use since the filling is precooked.
- This recipe was originally published in 2016, and republished with an updated recipe and new photos in 2020.
- Blueberry bars are best eaten with 2 days. Store blueberry bars at room temperature for 1 day, or in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
What could I sub the almond flour with? I’m allergic to almonds.
While we haven’t tested, you could try a gluten-free all purpose flour.
Could you substitute chia seeds for the tapioca flour?
We haven’t tried that substitution – but if you do please let us know how it turns out!
It will change the consistency!
We love these and have made them several times. They are my go to if I need something I know everyone will like AND if we need something gluten-free as we don’t have that as a normal dietary restriction. I have even made them substituting arrow root or cornstarch when I was out of tapioca starch with fine results. Right now I am trying them with some strawberries and mango I needed to use up with some other spices. I am very excited and so are my neighbors haha
Could I substitute raspberries for the blueberries? Thank you!
Yes!
Where does the tapioca starch come into the actual recipe? It’s listed in the ingredients, but not the recipe.
Hi! I don’t use any sugar. I use monk fruit or stevia to sweeten beverages. Each container has a tiny to equal one teaspoon of sugar. I have never baked with either. How much do I use of each to equal the maple syrup in this recipe? Thanks
I haven’t tested this wink monk fruit or stevia, Judy! Let me know if you try it.
Can you substitute for tapioca starch
It should work well.
I’ve made this a few times, always delicious! Last time I made it I didn’t have enough almond flour on hand so I used oat flour as a 1:1 swap. Still came out great!
Not a fan of blueberries can I use peach pie filling ?
Sure!
Hi-
I’m the only one that eats these. Can these frozen? I make/bake and freeze it?
I made these today with corn flour/starch, butter and frozen blueberries but the crumb top didn’t come together and the crush was quite soggy 🙁
Hi Rose–You changed the recipe that we had tested to perfect so we’re not surprised it didn’t come out to you. Sorry your version didn’t work out! If you ever want to change a recipe in the future, feel free to reach out here in the comments to ask if we think a substitute will work and we’re happy to advise so you don’t waste your ingredients. Corn flour for sure isn’t a substitute for almond flour, so we would not have advised this.
I love your blueberry crumble, but am confused about the recipe. This is the second time I’m making and didn’t notice this the first time, but your directions for the crust part calls for vanilla, but it’s not in the ingredients list for crust, only filling. Is this a typo or do I need vanilla in crust part, too?
Hi Kathy–thanks for catching that error. It’s been updated. Just the vanilla in the blueberry!
Can I use Splenda instead of maple sugar? Can’t eat sugar
We haven’t tried! If you do, please share how it went!
This is THE BEST! I’m obsessed.
Can these bars be frozen after baking?
Yes. They freeze well in terms of flavor, but the texture is slightly soft after defrosting.
Absolutely delicious! Thank you Lexi for all of your wonderful recipes, they are always amazing.
Hi
Could I use coconut flour instead of almond?
Thanks
Definitely not- coconut flour is totally different! Sadly!
My filling and crumble topping didn’t come out right at all. Could you double check the proportions and instructions and let me know? I was so excited about this recipe.