I’ve been struggling for the past few hours with what to tell you in conjunction with these Blackberry Pie Bars.
I thought maybe we could talk about how I’m still totally dragging my feet about going to my ten year high school reunion. ย No… that’s been done. ย Boring.
Maybe we could talk about how I sat around a campfire with Andrea Zuckerman… a characterย from that show Beverly Hills 90210, but that was actually just a dream I had last night. ย Not real.
We could chat about the weather? ย Seen any good movies lately?
No? ย Ok… let’s not fight this.
Let’s get on to the bars. ย They’re good. ย Really good. ย Good enough to not need a silly introduction.
Think of these bars as your escape from the land of pie baking. ย Maybe you don’t need an escape, but let’s be honest… putting together a pie crust can be a pain in the rear sometimes. ย Problem solved. ย Just press this crust into the bottom of a pan, top it with creamy fruit filling, sprinkle it with more crust bits and you’re in business.
The result is pure summer blackberry goodness. ย The recipe includes directions for either frozen or fresh fruit. ย If you’re using frozen berries, just be sure to defrost the berries and drain the excess juices. ย What about raspberries or blueberries instead of blackberries? ย Those would probably work too! ย Just stay away from strawberries.
Blackberry Pie Bars with Lemon Sugar
adapted from The Pastry Queen
Crust and Topping
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into cubes
zest of two lemons
Blackberry Filling
4 large eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup sour cream
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
pinch of salt
2 ย (16-ounce) packages frozen blackberries, defrosted and drained
(You can also use 6 cups of fresh blackberries, or 1 (16-ounce) package frozen blackberries and 3 cups of fresh blackberries)
To make the crust and topping-
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. ย Grease a 9 x 13-inch backing pan with butter or cooking spray and set aside. ย Zest two lemons. ย Measure out the sugar onto a clean work surface. ย Rub the lemon zest into the sugar with a bench scraper or the back of a spoon. ย Rubbing the zest into the sugar will release oils from the zest and create a lemon scentedย sugar.
Combine lemon sugar, flour, salt and butter in an electric mixer fit with a paddle attachment. ย Beat the ingredients on medium speed until the mixture looks dry and crumbly.
Reserve 1 1/2 cups of the crust mixture to use as the topping. ย Press the remaining mixture into the bottom of the pan. ย Bake the crust for 12 to 15 minutes until it is golden brown. ย Let cool for 10 minutes while you make the filling.
To make the filling-
Whisk the eggs in a large bowl. ย Add the sugar, sour cream, flour and salt. ย Gently fold in the blackberries. ย Spoon the mixture evenly over the crust. ย You may have to distribute the blackberries evenly around.
Sprinkle the reserved crust mixture evenly over the filling. ย Bake for 45 to 55 minutes until the top is lightly browned. ย Cool for 1 hour before slicing.
**If you’re using frozen berries, be sure to defrost and drain the excess liquid. ย Place the frozen berries on a plate in the refrigerator overnight. ย They’re defrosted and ready for bar baking!
158 Responses
I am making these right now. I made the mistake of using a 9×13 glass pan instead, though, and my pie bars are super thick. The crust took double the time to bake. We’ll see how they turn out…next time, I just need to wash my backing pan and use it like you said to!!
Recipe does look great but I’m no to blackberries – believe maybe I’d try blueberries or raspberries.
So good! Made these this year for the 4th. Loved by all.
Hey guys! It’s this a baking pan or a half sheet? Pics look like half sheet, but instructions say 9×13…. HELP!
Ooops. I don’t think I submitted my comment so here it is again. I was just wondering about the lemon in these bars. Would they be fine without the lemon? I know they’ll be good either way ;) hehe but I was just wondering if the lemon is necessary to really make these bars “the best”?? Would it be too one-note/flat/sweet without the lemons? And is the lemon flavor stronger than just a hint, or can you taste the lemon pretty well?? Thoughts, anyone??
How are these bars without any lemon? I know it’ll probably be still very yummy ;) but I just want to know if you , or anyone else, thinks that the lemon is pretty essential to make this dish more complex or to make it the “best”?? Thoughts, anyone??
I want to make these and am wondering if I can freeze them and how long were they good? We are going away to a cabin and I want to bring them with me for everyone.
Look forward to hearing back….
I think they’ll freeze well and they’ll last several weeks in the freezer.
So I got distracted playing with my puppy (surprise, happens a lot) and ended up mixing the crust for a bit too long. It ended up being a big lump instead of crumbly. I pressed the bottom half in the pan and then stuck the rest in the freezer for a bit and mixed in some extra flour to make it kinda crumbly. It still came out yummy, but in times like that, do you have any tips to re-crumble? LOVE LOVE your blog, so glad there are people out there like you who can come up with this stuff.
The recipe call from a 9×13 pan, howeverI could not fit the whole mixture into that size pan. In the picture, it looks as if the pan is sheet pan, which also, if truly a 9×13 size, would not be high enough for all that batter. I made a small pan with the leftovers and am waiting to see how it all turns out. I would prefer to know if everyone else in deed used a 9×13 size and if they had any problems.
Could you use the frozen pie crusts that roll out vs. making your own?
no it’s a different crust all together.
Hey Joy! I’ve made these about a dozen times and I even asked our caterer to make them for our wedding (they were a hit!), but my problem is that they always seem to be gooier than I think they should be — much more like pie than bars… any idea what I might be doing wrong? I’ve tried a few adjustments, but just can’t quite seem to hit this one right. They still taste awesome and are just about my favorite thing in the whole wide world.
heeeeeck yeeees!!!! I think Im gonna try them with frozen raspberries, thawed, like you said. Do you watch Big Brother? I all of us 90210 ‘fans’ have been put to shame by the bearded guy on there. Hs very, um, how should I say it, intense admiration of Tori Spelling almost made me throw up. Blah blah. That’s a TOTAL side note, clearly.
I am Lactose can I just leave out the Sour Cream ????
i haven’t tried this recipe without the sour cream… but i can’t imagine that you can jut leave it out. no. i don’t think that’s a good idea at all.
I plan on cooking these for The Freudig Singers of Buffalo, N.Y.’s Christmas Pie Concert (for reception)
and THEN may try the recipe as a PIE for raffle! Buffalo, NY
These are REALLY GOOD! And pretty! Because I was also making a chocolate dessert (101 Cookbooks’ chocolate loaf cake. . . yum), I made half of this recipe. They fit nicely in a 9 inch cake pan, and because the blackberries at the grocery store were a little iffy, I used half blackberries & half raspberries. There was barely a crumb leftover.
First, I love the blog. Second, these bars are amazing. Made them twice and each time a raving success. keep it up.
JOY- these look incredible! Do you think it would work to substitute the regular flour with a gluten free option? Which GF flour would you recommend for this?
Thanks!
A
I made these with blueberries last night for a co-worker’s last day. She loved them! And they were a hit with my roommates! Thanks :)
Wow!!! Thank you for this recipe! I made them last week, and everyone who had a bite loved them! This is definately going to be a recipe that I will make again…and again and again!!
Our producer made some of these and bought some in to a very long rehersal. They are AMAZING!!!!!
Just found your website and this recipe. I went to my local swapmeet (Marketplace) at the end of the day, so all of the produce was really priced low. I found blackberries for really really cheap! I was planning on making a pie, but I am going to try this recipe. Sounds delish, and with so many rave reviews, I bet it’s going to be goooood!
Joy,
Looks delicious! We just picked some wild blackberries yesterday so I was planning to make a pie. This one looks more like my style. I love lemon bars so I’m sure I would love these too.
Anyway, I only have turbinado sugar. Do you think that will work ok?
Thanks,
Charlotte
hm… i think turbinado sugar should work.
I just made these, and they are AMAZING. I especially love the corner bits where they are all chewy!!
MAde these two times now and ran into the same frustration as many above in that the bottom crust is too thick and does not become light and fluffy. I used only 2 1/2 cups butter this 2nd time and still too thick and after 25 minutes of baking was too nervous to let in any longer. I definitely think the answer will be to try a larger pan. I also subbed using cream cheese in the fillling. AWESOME. thanks. fun site.
I made these with blueberries, almond extract, and a smidge less butter – they were amazing! People bowed down to me at the potluck I attended. I just posted about them, and linked back to you.
Thank you!
Joy, I just have to tell you: these are my favorite dessert EVER. I’ve probably made them 10 times (or more?) since you first posted the recipe and it’s always the right decision. Everybody always loves them and I always give you credit (“it’s this great blog I read…”). Anyway, thanks for introducing me to The Greatest Dessert Ever.
One thing, though… I sometimes wonder whether there’s too much butter? My bottom crust always takes more than 15 minutes (closer to 20) to become golden and the butter sometimes kind of makes bubbly pock marks. Maybe I need to really pack it firmly? I’m never one to complain about butter, but wonder whether you’ve had this same problem?
Can you substitute yogurt (or anything else?) for sour cream?
thank you!
Made this for the admin day 2 weeks ago. I didn’t have enough fresh blackberries, so I used frozen blueberries, and it was a hit! Every bit of crumbs are gone and some people even ask me to make more! Thanks for sharing your recipe Joy! :)
This looks and sounds really good. Will have to bookmark this and make it next time I grab some frozen blackberries. Thanks for sharing!
Oh glory! I think I just found my new item for Farmer’s Market this summer!!
I just made this tonight and it was amazing! Blackberries were $.97 for six ounces (which is a good price for here) so I jumped at the chance to make this. I actually quartered the recipe and baked it in a 9X9 and it worked out perfectly. The crust wasn’t too thick or too thin. I think I’m going to make it for a church activity but this time I will use the whole recipe and make it in a jelly roll pan because I know everyone will love it. Thanks for the recipe!
These are beyond good! Thank you thank you! I’ve eaten 4 already all by myself. :)
I made these last month with some fresh blackberries and they were a-mazing! Everyone raved! Just my luck- I have 2 quarts of frozen blackberries in my freezer for the fall :) Thanks….
Hello Joy,
LOVE your blog! Last night I made the Blackberry Pie Bars, and they turned out great! Do you think these would freeze well?? I want to save some for my honey who is returning home the end of the week.
Thx =9)
These were great. Next time I’ll use a jelly roll pan like you did. I had to add to the baking time for the smaller pan (especially for prebaking the crust) and the whole thing was thicker than I would have wanted – however, they are delicious. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
These were great Joy, the whole family loved it. I made half the recipe since I didn’t have quite that much fresh blackberry, and they were gone by the next morning :)
@Lissi – I just made these the other night and used a x1 pan. It almost looks like you’re going to run out of room, but have faith! Nothing spills over!
I made the mistake of over mixing the dough I think- it was definitely in solid dough form rather than crumbles. I’m not sure if that, or maybe the dough was too warm, when I put it into the oven for the first baking pass, because the bottom of these things is HARD. Like might break a filling hard, erf. The blackberries are delicious in it and the lemon sugar is great in the crust, just don’t overmix!
It is a little difficult to source fresh/frozen blackberries here in New Zealand and instead of replacing with boysenberries or the like I used canned blackberries. Delicious…and I was also pleasantly surprised how much the recipe made (a good number of midnight snacks!)
Joy, are you using a 13x9x2 in pan or 13x9x1? Also, when your recipes call for salt are you using regular table salt or kosher salt? Thanks for your help and thanks for this AMAZING blog site!! I love it!!
i made two batches of these in good faith… and i am glad i did! i took them to a birthday party and a picnic all the next day, and both had rave reviews… the “crust” is so buttery and crumbly… and everyone was pleased to have blackberrys as the fruit, such refreshing surprise!
I made this yesterday after having picked enough wild blackberries and everyone at work loved it!
I tweeked it a bit after seeing the post on another site in which she halved the recipe but still made it in a 9×13 pan. I didn’t have any sour cream but I did have plain greek yogurt and used that instead. It was fabulous!! Joy, you never let us down. This recipe is a keeper.
just wondering..has any one made these bars yet? do you really use a 9×13 for all those ingredients..or shall i use a a bigger sheet pan such as a 12×17….these look wonderful and i thought i would make them for my daughters bridal shower.
Joy-these were a huge hit with the fam–even caught someone hiding an extra piece in the back of the fridge for later!
Has anyone made this w/ canned blackberries?
Omigosh – thanks so much for sharing such a wonderful recipe – as the proud owner of a few cups of fresh blackberries from my own plant, I’m so delighted to have a no-pie pie to make!!! I am happy to see so many cooks already tried and found them to die for! yay!
Those blackberry bars look so good!
I made these last night and they are delish! I brought some to work today so that we wouldn’t eat the whole pan ourselves at home : )
I made these this weekend for a friend’s birthday get away and they were a hit! I used a standard 9×13 so mine were definitely thicker.
But, I think my effort to brown the crust led to them being a little hard and tough on the bottom. Any suggestions?
I think making them in the 9×13 makes them a bit thicker than the jelly roll pan. I left out maybe a cup of the crumble from the bottom layer because it looked way too thick. I think next time I’ll make it on a jelly roll pan because I really like the way the thin one’s look in your recipe. Good recipe, though.
Joy, I made these for Father’s Day and everyone loved them. I made mine in a 13×9 pan and they were thick, but oh.so.yummy! I am luck to have a freezer full of blackberries and more getting ready to ripen! This recipe is a fast and easy switch from cobblers! I loved Elizabeth’s suggestion about the extra juice!
I did link to your recipe on my blog, hope that is okay.
Joy, these were absolutely amazing!!! Hands-down the hit of Father’s Day. Thank you so much for yet another delicious recipe.
Beverly Hills 90210 is, and will always be my favorite show of all time!! And I am not ashamed to admit it!!!!!!!!!!! This recipe looks awesome and I def plan on trying it out!
I made these yesterday; I replaced blackberry with frozen defrosted blueberries, replaced lemon with orange and halved the sugar and they were STILL excellent! Great recipe!
could you use other fruits or berries for this?
they look heavenly
I bought beautiful fresh blackberries today at the store and made this. It was sooooo yummy. My father in law loved it!!! I substitued yogurt for the sour cream. Excellent.
Are you sure you used a 9×13 pan because it looks like a large jellyroll pan in the pics. And my 9×13 is having a hard time baking through with it being almost 3inches thick.
Andrea- I used a half sheet jelly roll pan… the pan I usually bake my cookies on. But the book instructions mentioned a 9 x 13 inch pan… that’s why I wrote it that way in the directions. I’m not sure what’s three inches thick, your pan or the bars. I think the bars will cook well if you use either a jelly roll or a 9 x 13-inch pan.
We won’t get blackberries up here for a few more weeks–well, maybe August. But we have lots of wild bushes in the local woods and try to get to them with our plastic pails before the bears do.
This recipe reminds me of one I saw in Edward Espe Brown’s Tassajara Bread Book –though he did his with peaches, I did mine with blueberries…a good thing to do while waiting for blackberries.
These look fantastic. I love blackberies and can’t think of a better dessert for them. Thanks!
Yum! I just made these tonight with blueberries and it was amazing. Will definitely save it and make it many times this summer. Thanks! =)
There’s a key instruction missing here:
If using frozen blackberries, drain in colander set over bowl. DO NOT discard juice. Rather, pour into glass with a bit of lemon juice and sugar and sip while completing subsequent steps.
I love your site! Your photos capture not only the deliciousness of the product, but the textures and the feel of baking and of your lovely kitchen. It always makes me want to dive elbow deep into a pile of flour!
oh gosh joy these look just great!!! i can almost taste them :)
These look so incredibly good, but I think that I am going to have to agree with Carolyn’s comment. Blackberries cost waaaaay too much here! I’m probably going to have to go with either one of her options also!
For now, I’ll simply have to sit and salivate at your pictures!
Those look SO good! Why no strawberries? Just curious. Could you do apples??
Six cups of fresh blackberries would cost $40 in my neck of the woods. I think I’m either cutting this recipe in half or going with another fruit!
Sigh.
Joy, there’s no other way to say this: I love you. This blog restoreth my soul. And after a hot, sticky Winnipeg day involving napless toddlers and no-show roofing contractors, there was a lot of soul restoration to be done.
My mom used to make something like this with either apples or rhubarb. I don’t think it had eggs in it though; I’m pretty sure there was Jello in it. (I grew up in the Midwest, where Jello found its way into a lot of things…)
Do you think rhubarb would be have too much water? (I’ve got a big clump of it it my own, albeit non-Midwestern, backyard.)
Hi Joy,
Just a short note to let you know that I would want to award you with Beautiful Blog award :)
https://www.coffeeandvanilla.com/?p=7020
Enjoy your weekend, Margot
Looking pretty darn delicious to me!
Whoa, these look awesome! Recipe saved! =)
This is a great idea. I bet it’s good with blueberries too.
Pilar,
Here is a substitute for buttermilk:
https://frugalliving.about.com/od/condimentsandspices/r/Buttermilk_Sub.htm
Just wanted to let you know that I made the rice krispy peanut butter fudge bars last night for a wine tasting potluck get together with all my runner friends at a winery tonight. We tried them last night though and wow…amazing! I have to admit though, I only used 1/3 cup butter w/ the pb mixture because I just simply couldn’t bare to use that much butter. AND I used only about 2/3 of a lb of powdered sugar and I think it still worked out just fine!
Joy, these sound amazing. They seem like they would be perfect for breakfast. I’m adding this to my cookbook immediately.
Joy…your parents named you right! The bars looks wonderful, and since i just discovered your site…i guess i will be visiting it a lot! love the recipes and the pics! amazing!
i’ll let you know the result on any of your recipes.
Hey there! We have scads of wild blackberries growing out on our property and I keep eyeing them, but they look like they are gonna be wimpy in size…I have been looking forward to them but if they don’t pan out I am definitely going to buy some to make this yummy dessert! Cant wait! Thanks for sharing it!
These look awesome! I’m heading to the store right now to go get me some berries…
Looks great. Our Thorness Blackberries are really making now and was in need of a good recipe to try.
Thanks,
Ramona
Those look so tasty! Can’t wait to try them.
Why, oh, why did you have to tell me to avoid strawberries for this? Now it’s the only thing I can think of and desperately wonder what would happen if I did use them. The blackberry ones look fantastic though. Maybe that will keep me from getting too curious…
So you’re wondering why I say you shouldn’t use strawberries? I think they’re best avoided because they have too much water. The filling might be to full of liquid once it gets to baking with strawberries.
What about cherries? Um…. I dunno. Maybe pitted and cut into halves… or diced, that might work. Try it and let me know!
Lovely recipe, again. I like the idea of skipping a pie crust. Yes, sometimes just a little annoying. Especially in summer!!
Wonderful, simply wonderful.And a large pan of goodies, great for sharing at the office.
Joy, I love this entire idea!!! Ive done something similar to this with blueberries before never blackberries. Beautiful pictures!!
These look soooo good! I love blackberries, but it’s still strawberry season where I am. The lemony flavour sounds like a great addition.
You have awesome recipes on here and I love this one it looks great!
Hi Joy, first of all ,thanks for sharing these great recipes and incredible pictures. Your blogs is amazing and your writing too. I live in Chile and would like to ask for a buttermilk substitue, im not quite sure if it can be replaced only by milk or cream. Hope you have some time to answer. Thanks!!!!!!!!!
Yeah, these don’t need any introduction… the beautiful photos speak for themselves! We just made a trip out to the blueberry patch and bought a gallon (yay!) so maybe a little blueberry conversion, as you suggested, is where I’ll go with this one.
Fabulous and I love the lemon sugar! :)
Can I ask a (stupid) question and inquire why strawberries should be avoided?
Hi! I recently found your blog and I totally love it – all your baked goods look sooo tasty!! I will definitely try this recipe (after I converted all the “cup measures” – that’s a problem for me since I’m from Austria – and found an alternative for the backing pan ;-))
And you’re really good at making photos of them! For me, taking good photos of food is one of the hardest things to do.
Best wishes,
Stephanie
Ooooo, those look scrumptious! And fairly simple. My mom loves blackberries, but don’t often have them for some reason or another.
Lovely Post
Yum!
We picked fresh blueberries a couple of weeks ago, and I still have some frozen, but I better thaw them out…these bars look yummy!
I should definitely NOT tell the hubs I’m going to try making these. That way when I do, and eat them all, he won’t know what he missed out on.
Beautiful! Summer berries are the BEST – can’t wait to try these bars!
Those bars look and sound heavenly. Do you think the lemon sugar would turn out correctly if one used a food processor instead of the counter-top method?
Wow, these look very delicious! I am definitely giving this a try soon.
Hi Joy. I’m Joy too! And I am also a baker making my way through life and sometime blogging about it. I love your blog and your writing, but what I really love are the things you bake! Hope to be back often.
These are ideal for me, I’m a huge procrastinator when it comes to pie crust.
Oh yeah, baby. That looks way too delicious.
Hi, Joy! Thanks for yet another way for me to cram blackberry pie into my face! I fear no pie crust, but, sometimes pies and tarts don’t serve up very nicely for family picnics and the like. This is the perfect solution! I can’t wait to bake some up! (I’m guessing you told us to avoid strawberries due to their high water content. Do they mess up the lovely bar concept?)
Tasty! And looks gorgeous.
I think blackberries are better outside of a pie anyways. They seem to cry out for a cobbler or a crumbly topping. These bars look heavenly!
I’m facing a writing block of my own today, but making these bars will be a great distraction. I’m also curious about the warning about strawberries. Would peaches work? I have an over abundance right now. Or is that too much liquid? Maybe there is a frozen bag of berries lurking in the fridge…
these bars look delicious and the colour is awesome. If I manage to get my hands on some blackberries I ll try these. Delicious!
These look and sound absolutely delicious! Do you think they would work with other “pie-friendly” fruits as well?
These look fabulous! I love that you can make so many at a time in a big baking tray. Great pictures, nice commentary… compliments to your site!
I’m so lazy lately, all i do is make ice cream … and not a custard base one! So this recipe resonates deeply with me, no pie crust mess you say?, sold! :) Thank you, i’ll report back when i get my hands on some berries, i’ve thrown everything i had either in ice creams or in rum pot (good stuff, typical for our part of the world). Speaking of ice cream, the door bell just rang, ice cream customers (mom and sister :)), gotta go! :D
Oooh these are definitely on my to do list now. But I’m not scared of pie crust. Pie crust is scared of me.
You know, after all those times I’ve messed it up so bad.
My favorite farmer just told me her blueberries would be a bumper crop this year, and are just starting to come in. I’m all over this recipe!
Ummm, good morning to me! These look so good!! I’m not intimidated by pie crusts anymore but bars do scare me (so strange!). Yum.
Joy…I just wanted to say that I love your blog. I found it through a friend who had posted it on facebook today. I’m sure to be passing it along to some of my friends as well. keep up the great work!!!
Oh Joy, these look fabulous! I have a blackberry bush that is about to EXPLODE with ripe blackberries, and this recipe just made it to the top of the list! I just hope they are ready in time for a BBQ next weekend, these bars would be fantastic at a picnic!
Oh Joy, how I love you! I’m 5 months pregnant and, with all the fresh fruit and wonderful summer warmth, I’ve been craving fresh fruit pies so much! I’m so intimidated by pie crust making that I either by the pies from the store (blah!) or go without. This looks so delicious!
Those bars look delicious. On a side note, I missed my ten-year high school reunion (because I was very sick), and totally regretted it. Even now, nearly five years after the fact, I have recurring dreams about what the reunion would have been like if I had been there….
Gorgeous Joy! I bet I’d have no problem eating more than my share!!
what a great idea – i love the pastry queen. would totally do this with raspberries. lemon sugar = v interesting!
Good morning Joy,
You do have your own genuine way to make me (I bet other readers too)feel joy. I do need it right now.
These look lovely.
Why not strawberries? Although I know I’m not crazy about baked strawberries… so maybe no need to ask really…
These look incredible. I love lemon zest with blackberries, and the sour cream in the filling sounds great. Now, I have to go find something sweet to eat.
I met Andrea Zuckerman at a mall once. It was a real highlight of junior high school for me.
Those look fantastic. I got the BEST blackberries at the Hollywood Farmer’s Market last week (Burkhart’s Organic), and if I can find them again I’m co-opting your recipe.
Mmmmm… I think I’ll make this tonight!
Diet is so OVER!!! Another winning recipe for so-so bakers like me. Thanks for making things look so good and so easy to make!