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Delicious Blackberry Pie Bars using a buttery shortbread crust, creamy custard filling, with a crumble over the top.
Step by step photos and instructions below!
These Blackberry Pie Bars are fabulous. The shortbread crust is crisp and yummy, a custard filling with lemon zest and blackberries. We then add some of the shortbread crust crumbled on top. Oh my….
I really love blackberry pie, but feel like these bars are a lot easier to cut and serve. Plus, they’re so pretty!
Blackberries are the perfect berry for this – not least because they go on sale for VERY cheap. That said, raspberries and blueberries work just as well!
This recipe doesn’t use pie crust as the base, instead we do double duty with a shortbread type crust. We use most as the base, but then sprinkle the rest over the top.
Fresh blackberries or frozen blackberries?
Either can be used! If using frozen berries, make sure to thaw and drain before using.
Looking for more berry recipes? Try these Blueberry Scones, Cranberry Muffins, Strawberry Eton Mess or Raspberry Sweet Rolls.
Why you’ll love this recipe:
- It’s pie, in bar form. What could be better?
- Super easy to make.
- Budget friendly (if you use in season berries!)
I have included step by step photos and instructions, as well as tips and tricks in the post. If you’d rather skip all that, scoot right on down to the recipe card located at the bottom of the post.
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Ingredients
The full list of ingredients and quantities is found in the printable recipe card below.
- Flour. All purpose flour, that we use in both the crust/topping and the fruit filling.
- Sugar. Plain white sugar. Used in both the crust/topping and the blackberry filling.
- Salt. This helps balance the sweetness.
- Butter. You can use salted or unsalted butter.
- Eggs. I use large eggs, at room temperature.
- Sour Cream. This is in the filling and makes it super yummy, creamy and custardy. You can use regular or low fat with no major taste difference.
- Lemon Zest. Part of how we make these so tasty! Did you know lemon enhances already present flavors? Just like salt, it is a balance.
- Vanilla Extract. Vanilla has a similar role to the lemon zest. It stops flavors from being flat or bland. Don’t leave it out!
- Blackberries. Or raspberries, blueberries, huckleberries, boysenberries etc.
How to make this recipe
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The full list of ingredients and quantities is found in the printable recipe card below.
Get prepped
Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a 9×13 baking pan with parchment paper, or grease (you choose). Wash your blackberries if you are using fresh ones.
Crust and Topping
In a food processor, pulse together the flour, sugar and salt.
Add the butter and pulse until the butter is crumbly (about a minute)
Reserve 1 1/2 Cups of the crust mixture for the topping in a small or medium bowl.
Press the remaining mixture into the baking dish (distribute evenly).
Bake for 15 minutes – the edges should be JUST starting to brown.
Cool.
Make the filling
Whisk the eggs together in a large bowl, and add the sugar, sour cream, flour, salt, zest and vanilla.
Add the blackberries and gently fold in.
Pour the mixture over the crust, then sprinkle the crumble topping evenly over the top.
Bake
Bake for 45-50 minutes (until center is not jiggly) and the top is golden brown.
Cool completely before cutting into bars.
Devour.
Kylee’s Notes
If you don’t have a food processor, no problem. You can cut the butter into the flour using two forks, or grab an inexpensive pastry blender tool.
How to store
Store Blackberry Pie Bars covered on the counter for a few days. Hide them from your family.
Substitutions/Additions
Any kind of berry does great in this recipe. Try blueberries and raspberries!
If using frozen berries, make sure to thaw and drain before using.
Other recipes you’ll love:
- Old Fashioned Buttermilk Pie. Flaky pie crust filled with a custard-like filling, that will invoke memories of times gone by.
- Apple Dumplings. Tart apples wrapped in a flaky biscuit and smothered in a buttery vanilla sauce. Topped with crunchy cinnamon sugar, this is a super easy recipe that delivers on taste!
- Blackberry Lemonade (from Yellow Bliss Road). A refreshing summer drink that celebrates the flavors or the season!
- Blackberry Upside Down Cake (from Grumpy’s Honeybunch). A delicious vanilla cake baked on top of a sweetened blackberry bottom. When flipped the blackberry bottom becomes the top.
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Blackberry Pie Bars
Suggested Equipment
Ingredients
Crust and Topping
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 cups butter chilled, 3 sticks
Filling
- 4 eggs
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup sour cream
- 3/4 cup all purpose flour
- pinch salt
- 2 tsp lemon zest
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 lb blackberries fresh
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a 9×13 baking pan with parchment paper, or grease (you choose)
Crust and Topping
- In a food processor, pulse together the flour, sugar and salt.
- Add the butter and pulse until the butter is crumbly (about a minute)
- Reserve 1 1/2 Cups of the crust mixture (this is the topping)
- Press the remaining mixture into the baking pan (distribute evenly)
- Bake for 15 minutes – the edges should be JUST starting to brown.
- Cool.
Filling
- Whisk the eggs together in a bowl, and add the sugar, sour cream, flour, salt, zest and vanilla.
- Add the blackberries and gently fold in.
- Pour the mixture over the crust, then sprinkle the crumble topping evenly over the top.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes (until center is not jiggly).
- Cool completely before cutting into bars.
- Devour.
Tips & Notes:
nutrition facts
Nutritional Disclaimer
Recipes written and produced on Kylee Cooks are for informational purposes only. Kylee is not a certified nutritionist. Nutritional data provided on Kylee Cooks has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration.
Update: Posted in 2011, rewritten in 2016, and now reposted in August 2021 with updated photos and process shots.
Barb says
Could this recipe be used, but substitute the blackberries for blueberries?
Kylee says
ABSOLUTELY! I’ve done it with raspberries, and a friend of mine has done it with blueberries – and reports it works great!
Jean Maffia says
I made these last week and the family loved them. Actually, we liked them better the next day and the day after that! Reason for this comment is the first day the buttery crust is very hard and some of the topping separated from the gooey cheesecake type filling. So, don’t be afraid to make a day or two ahead because we actually liked it better.
Kylee says
Great tip, Jean! Thanks for commenting. I’m so glad you loved them like we did.
kim says
Hey Kylee! Thanks so much for sharing such a wonderful (and pretty!) recipe at You Link It We Make It! I’m featuring it tomorrow morning as my “made it” feature. Hope you’ll stop by and link up with us again! Kim @ knockitoffkim.com
Dahn says
These look delicious, I could eat the whole thing
Mary says
What a perfect summer treat!
debi says
The blackberries will be ripe on my property soon! I can’t wait to make these! They looks so yummy!
itscheatdayeveryday says
These look absolutely delish! I recently just stocked up on blackberries after a sale at my local Kroger. This would be a perfect way to use them up 🙂
Luci {Luci's Morsels} says
I’m weirdly not a big berry pie fan, but shortbread crust blackberry bars sound amazing! And I hear you on just needing to crank the A/C for some baking in the summer! Our souls need to be satiated with baking sweet morsels occasionally! 🙂
charleneasay1 says
Wow this looks so yummy! Thanks for sharing
Sarah Boyd says
Would it work to substitute canned pie filling? Not nearly as good, but someone gave me a can.
Kylee says
I think it could POTENTIALLY work, but is canned pie filling smooth, or chunky??
silviamagda says
Mmmm delicious :), I would love a piece of that.