Blueberry Lemon Shortbread Bars

These blueberry lemon shortbread bars are the epitome of a summer dessert, although I am totally ok if you enjoy them at any time of year! These bars start off with a sweet, citrus blueberry jam compote that is then baked between a buttery shortbread crust and an irresistible shortbread crumble to top it all off, literally! Sometimes a fruit bar can feel intimidating, but these bars are prepared in about 25 minutes and no pre-baking of the crust is required, you simply assemble and throw it in the oven and voila, you have the most delicious summer treat! One of my favourite parts of these bars is that you can substitute the blueberries for any berry you have an abundance of.

Blueberry Lemon Shortbread Bars – The Recipe

For the Blueberry Jam

• 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
• 2 tbsp white sugar
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp lemon zest
• cornstarch slurry (2 tbsp cornstarch, 2 tbsp water)

For the shortbread crust

• 1 cup butter, unsalted, room temperature
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste (can sub extract!)
• 2 cups all purpose flour

The Instructions

1. Start by gathering all ingredients needed for these blueberry lemon shortbread bars recipe and setting aside, you do not want to get half way through and realize you are forgetting something!
2. The first step is to make your blueberry jam! I actually used frozen blueberries for this recipe. Using frozen may mean that the jam has to simmer on the stove a little longer to cook off some extra water but otherwise it should be no different.
3. To make the jam add your blueberries and white sugar to a pot on the stove on medium heat. Stir slowly and let everything heat up. Once the sugar and berries have started to heat up and soften, use a wooden spoon to slowly start the crush some of the berries but not all, because you do want some whole berries in there!
4. Continue to stir and crush the berries and then add the lemon juice and the zest. While this is bubbling make the corn starch slurry by combined the cornstarch and water and mixing well with a fork. Once softened and combined, add the cornstarch slurry to the warm blueberry mixture on the stove while continuing to mix. Give this a thorough mix to combine and then set aside in to a glass jar, the jam will start to thicken as it cools.
5. Time to make the shortbread dough! In a large mixing bowl combine the soft, room temperature butter with both sugars and beat well until combined. Once combined, add the salt, lemon juice and vanilla bean paste and continue to mix gently until combined.
6. Finally, add the flour to the wet mixture gradually until just combined, don’t overmix!
7. Once the shortbread dough is well combined and of shortbread consistency, set aside 1/4 of the dough as this will be used for the crumble.
8. Add the remaining 3/4 of the dough to a parchment lined 8×8 inch baking dish and press the dough down firmly to compact.
9. Pour the blueberry jam over top of the dough and spread to even out.
10. Crumble the remaining dough on top of the blueberry jam all over the top of the dessert.
11. Put this in to a completely preheated oven at 350 degrees and bake for about 24-30 minutes until the crumble on top starts to look golden brown.
12. Once cooked, remove the bars from the oven and let them cool completely before slicing in to 16 even sized bars and enjoy!
13. These blueberry lemon shortbread bars are best stored in the fridge but eaten at room temp so they are nice and soft. They will last in the fridge for a week.

Substitions

You can absolutely substitute the blueberries in these blueberry lemon shortbread bars for any type of berry you love, but blackberries and raspberries would probably be the best alternatives.

If you aren’t a lemon fan, you could also swap out the lemon juice for lime or orange juice, and citrus you love would be tasty!

These bars would store in the fridge for a week. You could freeze them and they would turn out just fine, but nothing is ever as good frozen as it was fresh!

Print Pin

Blueberry Lemon Shortbread Bars

Prep Time 25 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 16 bars

Ingredients

For the Blueberry Jam

• 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
• 2 tbsp white sugar
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp lemon zest
• cornstarch slurry 2 tbsp cornstarch, 2 tbsp water

For the Shortbread Crust

• 1 cup butter unsalted, room temperature
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste can sub extract!
• 2 cups all purpose flour

Instructions

• Start by gathering all ingredients needed for this recipe and setting aside, you do not want to get half way through and realize you are forgetting something!
• The first step is to make your blueberry jam! I actually used frozen blueberries for this recipe. Using frozen may mean that the jam has to simmer on the stove a little longer to cook off some extra water but otherwise it should be no different.
• To make the jam add your blueberries and white sugar to a pot on the stove on medium heat. Stir slowly and let everything heat up. Once the sugar and berries have started to heat up and soften, use a wooden spoon to slowly start the crush some of the berries but not all, because you do want some whole berries in there!
• Continue to stir and crush the berries and then add the lemon juice and the zest. While this is bubbling make the corn starch slurry by combined the cornstarch and water and mixing well with a fork. Once softened and combined, add the cornstarch slurry to the warm blueberry mixture on the stove while continuing to mix. Give this a thorough mix to combine and then set aside in to a glass jar, the jam will start to thicken as it cools.
• Time to make the shortbread dough! In a large mixing bowl combine the soft, room temperature butter with both sugars and beat well until combined. Once combined, add the salt, lemon juice and vanilla bean paste and continue to mix gently until combined.
• Finally, add the flour to the wet mixture gradually until just combined, don’t overmix!
• Once the shortbread dough is well combined and of shortbread consistency, set aside 1/4 of the dough as this will be used for the crumble.
• Add the remaining 3/4 of the dough to a parchment lined 8×8 inch baking dish and press the dough down firmly to compact.
• Pour the blueberry jam over top of the dough and spread to even out.
• Crumble the remaining dough on top of the blueberry jam all over the top of the dessert.
• Put this in to a completely preheated oven at 350 degrees and bake for about 24-30 minutes until the crumble on top starts to look golden brown.
• Once cooked, remove the bars from the oven and let them cool completely before slicing in to 16 even sized bars and enjoy!
• These are best stored in the fridge but eaten at room temp so they are nice and soft. They will last in the fridge for a week.

I hope you enjoy these blueberry lemon shortbread bars just as much as I do! If you do decide to make them, be sure to share with me on social media, I love to see your creations!