Lemon Blueberry Bars
Summer sunshine in a dessert? Yes ma'am! These lemon blueberry bars are tangy and sweet, bursting with lemon and blueberries, all on top of a buttery shortbread crust. Get ready for a refreshing taste of sunshine in every bite!
Servings: 16 squares
Calories: 173kcal
Ingredients
Shortbread Crust
- 1 stick butter, melted
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest (about 1 lemon)
- 1 ¼ cup all purpose flour
Lemon Blueberry Filling
- 2 large egg yolks
- 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
- ½ cup lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest (about 1 lemon)
- 1 ½ cups blueberries, fresh or frozen (if frozen, do not thaw)
Instructions
Shortbread Crust
- Preheat oven to 350℉.
- In a bowl, whisk together the butter, sugar, vanilla, and lemon zest until smooth.1 stick butter, melted, ½ cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon lemon zest (about 1 lemon)
- Then, add the flour and stir until all ingredients come together in a crumbly dough.1 ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 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.2 large egg yolks, 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
- Stir in the lemon juice and zest.½ cup lemon juice, 1 teaspoon lemon zest (about 1 lemon)
- Lastly, gently fold in the blueberries.1 ½ cups blueberries, fresh or frozen (if frozen, do not thaw)
- 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
👩🍳 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.
🧺 Storage: When kept covered in the refrigerator, these lemon blueberry bars will stay delicious for several days.
😃 Delicious Variations
- 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 - 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!
Nutrition
Calories: 173kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 9g | Sodium: 78mg | Potassium: 110mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 276IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 76mg