Blueberry Lemon Pie Bars
These Blueberry Lemon Pie Bars are the kind of dessert that tastes like you spent all day in the kitchen, but your secret is safe with me. A buttery shortbread crust is packed with a creamy blueberry cream cheese filling and topped with a golden crumble that bakes up perfectly every time. The bright lemon flavor from fresh lemon juice and lemon zest takes these blueberry lemon bars completely over the top. Whether you serve them at a summer cookout, a birthday party, or a quiet Tuesday afternoon, they disappear fast. You might as well just make a double batch!
Yes! Just add them frozen, do not thaw to keep excess moisture out of the filling.
It’s strongly recommended. The parchment paper makes it so much easier to lift the bars out of the square pan cleanly for cutting.
Absolutely. Just use a 9×13 pan and check the bake time — you may need an extra 5-10 minutes for the larger batch.
A little jiggle in the center is normal. The filling continues to set as it cools. Make sure you cool completely before cutting.
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Ingredient Notes
- salted butter: gives the shortbread crust its rich, tender base.
- sugar: sweetens the crust dough just right.
- lemon extract: punches up that bright lemon flavor throughout the crust.
- lemon zest: adds a fresh citrusy fragrance to the dough.
- all purpose flour: perfect for the buttery crust
- cream cheese: the creamy, tangy heart of the filling; make sure it’s at room temperature before mixing.
- lemon juice: brings that zippy citrus punch to the filling.
- lemon zest: doubles down on the fresh lemon flavor.
- egg: binds the filling and gives it a smooth, pie-like texture.
- blueberries: juicy and sweet, they’re the star of these blueberry lemon pie bars.
Blueberry Lemon Pie Bars
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Combine melted butter, sugar, lemon extract, and lemon zest and flour in a large bowl. Stir until well combined and a crust dough forms.
- Set aside 1 cup of the loosely packed dough to use for the crumble topping. Line an 8×8 square pan with parchment paper. Press the remaining dough into an even layer across the bottom of the prepared pan.
- Bake the crust for 18 minutes. Note: the baked crust will go back in the oven after the filling is added.
- In a clean large bowl, use a hand mixer to beat together cream cheese, 1/3 cup sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and egg until smooth and creamy.
- Gently fold in 2 cups of fresh blueberries.
- Spread the cream cheese mixture over the baked crust in an even layer. Sprinkle the reserved crumble dough over the top.
- Top with the remaining 1/2 cup of fresh blueberries.
- Bake for an additional 45-50 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.
- Cool completely before lifting from the pan and cutting into bars.
Blueberry Lemon Pie Bars
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Ingredients
Cookie Crust / Crumble
- 1 cup salted butter melted and cooled
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons lemon extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 cups all purpose flour
Blueberry Cream Cheese Filling
- 8 oz. cream cheese softened
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/8 cup lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 large egg
- 2 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Combine melted butter, sugar, lemon extract, lemon zest and flour in a large bowl. Stir until well combined and a crust dough forms.
- Set aside 1 cup of the loosely packed dough to use for the crumble topping. Line an 8×8 square pan with parchment paper. Press the remaining dough into an even layer across the bottom of the prepared pan.
- Bake the crust for 18 minutes. Note: the baked crust will go back in the oven after the filling is added.
- In a clean large bowl, use a hand mixer to beat together cream cheese, 1/3 cup sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and egg until smooth and creamy.
- Gently fold in 2 cups of fresh blueberries.
- Spread the cream cheese mixture over the baked crust in an even layer. Sprinkle the reserved crumble dough over the top.
- Top with the remaining 1/2 cup of fresh blueberries.
- Bake for an additional 45-50 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.
- Cool completely before lifting from the pan and cutting into bars.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer: Family Fresh Meals is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.
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Can you use frozen blueberries for this recipe?
Yes! Just add them frozen, do not thaw to keep excess moisture out of the filling.