Summer sunshine in a dessert? Yes ma'am! These lemon blueberry bars are tangy and sweet, bursting with lemon & blueberries, all on top of a buttery shortbread crust. And no fancy skills or equipment required! We'll mix both layers in a bowl, in no time at all, with just a few ingredients. Get ready for a refreshing taste of sunshine in every bite!
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These lemon blueberry bars are like summer in a baking dish! The lemony filling is nice and tart, perfectly balanced by the sweet blueberries, and the buttery shortbread crust crumbles in the best way.
Best of all, this recipe is surprisingly easy to make! With just a few things from your pantry and minimal fuss, you'll be enjoying a taste of sunshine in no time. And these bars come together quickly, making them perfect for a potluck or a sweet after-dinner treat. Skip the store-bought treats and whip up a batch of sunshine in your own kitchen!
Craving more summery treats? We have pantry shelves full of inspiration! Can't get enough sweet and tangy lemon? Then you've got to try my lemon meringue pie. Looking for something a little more mild, with subtle herb and floral flavor? Then our lemon lavender cookies just might be the ticket. Or maybe you just need a cool drink to cool off on a hot day...then whip up a batch of our refreshing watermelon lemonade with rosemary. In the meantime, grab your mixing bowls and let's get ready to create your new favorite summertime treat!
π§Ύ Ingredients
- Butter
- Sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Lemon zest
- All purpose flour
- Eggs
- Sweetened condensed milk
- Lemon juice
- Blueberries
See the recipe card below for full list of ingredients and their measurements.
β Ingredient notes
- Lemons - Whether you'd like to use regular lemons from the grocery store or the slightly sweeter Meyer lemons, they'll both be delicious! For this recipe, you'll need about 2 teaspoons of lemon zest, which is approximately the zest from 2 large regular lemons.
- Lemon juice - Fresh or bottled lemon juice both work well in this recipe. The only difference is your personal preference.
- Blueberries - You can use either fresh or frozen blueberries in this recipe. If you do use frozen blueberries, though, make sure to not defrost them prior to mixing.
- Sugar - While I use granulated sugar for my shortbread crust in this recipe, you can certainly use powdered sugar instead, which would result in an even softer, more tender crust.
π₯£ How to make lemon blueberry bars
Preheat oven to 350β.
In a bowl, whisk together the butter, sugar, vanilla, and lemon zest until smooth.
Then, add the flour and stir until all ingredients come together in a crumbly dough.
Press the dough evenly into the bottom of a parchment-lined 8 x 8 baking dish and bake on the middle rack of the oven for 20 minutes.
Let cool to room temperature.
In the meantime, start mixing the lemon blueberry filling.
In another bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sweetened condensed milk.
Stir in the lemon juice and zest.
Lastly, gently fold in the blueberries.
Once the shortbread crust has cooled, pour the lemon mixture over top of the crust in the pan, and bake for 15 minutes or until set when you give the pan a shake.
Let cool to room temperature and then refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Patience is key!
Sprinkle with a dusting of powdered sugar just before serving.
π©βπ³ Pro tip
To cut clean squares, make sure: (a) the bars have completely cooled before attempting to slice them, and (b) use a sharp knife and wipe the knife clean between each cut.
π Delicious variations
- Crust - You're not limited to making a shortbread crust for these lemon blueberry bars. Switch things up and make a graham cracker crust instead. Just pulse some graham crackers in a food processor until they form crumbs, then mix with a little melted butter. Press this mixture into the bottom of the pan and bake as usual.
- Topping - Set aside a little bit of the shortbread dough and sprinkle it on top of the lemon blueberry filling for a crumble topping.
- Fruit additions - Besides blueberries, try mixing in other fruits, like raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, kiwis, peaches, mangoes, or any other soft fruit.
- Filling - Feeling adventurous? Why limit yourself to lemon bars? Try making the filling with other citrus fruits like lime, orange, grapefruit, kumquat, yuzu, or any other citrus your heart desires!
- Pan size & shape - If you don't have an 8" x 8" pan handy, use a 9 x 13 (just be aware that the lemon filling won't be as thick) or even a tart pan!
π§Ί Storage
When kept covered in the refrigerator, these lemon blueberry bars will stay delicious for several days.
Do you love lemon as much as I do? Check out a few more of our delicious recipes:
- Lemon Meringue Pie
- Lemon Lavender Cookies
- Watermelon Lemonade with Rosemary
- Lemon Blackberry Bread
- Lemon Raspberry Cheesecake Bars
- Cheesecake Mousse
- St. Joseph Pastry (Zeppole di San Giuseppe)
- Garlic Lemon Chicken
- Shrimp Scampi with Garlic and Lemon
- Scaloppine al Limone
π Recipe
Lemon Blueberry Bars
Ingredients
Shortbread Crust
- 1 stick butter, melted
- Β½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest (about 1 lemon)
- 1 ΒΌ cup all purpose flour
Lemon Blueberry Filling
- 2 large egg yolks
- 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
- Β½ cup lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest (about 1 lemon)
- 1 Β½ cups blueberries, fresh or frozen (if frozen, do not thaw)
Instructions
Shortbread Crust
- Preheat oven to 350β.
- In a bowl, whisk together the butter, sugar, vanilla, and lemon zest until smooth.
- Then, add the flour and stir until all ingredients come together in a crumbly dough.
- Press the dough evenly into the bottom of a parchment-lined 8 x 8 baking dish.
- Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 20 minutes.
- Let cool to room temperature.
Lemon Blueberry Filling
- In another bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sweetened condensed milk.
- Stir in the lemon juice and zest.
- Lastly, gently fold in the blueberries.
- Once the shortbread crust has cooled, pour the lemon mixture over top of the crust in the pan.
- Bake for 15 minutes or until set when you give the pan a shake.
- Let cool to room temperature and then refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Patience is key!
- Sprinkle with a dusting of powdered sugar just before serving.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- Crust - Switch things up and make a graham cracker crust instead. Just pulse some graham crackers in a food processor until they form crumbs, then mix with a little melted butter. Press this mixture into the bottom of the pan and bake as usual.
- Topping -Β Set aside a little bit of the shortbread dough and sprinkle it on top of the lemon blueberry filling for a crumble topping.
- Fruit additions -Β Besides blueberries, try mixing in other fruits, like raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, kiwis, peaches, mangoes, or any other soft fruit.
- Filling -Β Feeling adventurous? Why limit yourself to lemon bars? Try making the filling with other citrus fruits like lime, orange, grapefruit, kumquat, yuzu, or any other citrus your heart desires!
- Pan size & shape -Β If you don't have an 8" x 8" pan handy, use a 9 x 13 (just be aware that the lemon filling won't be as thick) or even a tart pan!
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Marissa C.
These were great and so easy to make!
maplewoodroad
Thanks so much Marissa! So glad you enjoyed them! π