These paleo blueberry crumb bars have an almond flour crust and crumble topping that's filled with a juicy blueberry filling. They are baked in a small loaf pan, making them perfect for a small-batch summer dessert. These blueberry bars are paleo, vegan, gluten free and oat free.
As someone who LOVES chocolate, I always forget how delicious crumb bars, crisps and cobblers are until I make them! There's nothing quite as satisfying as a simple shortbread dough baked together with a gooey fruit filling.
These paleo blueberry crumb bars are an easy recipe that's great for a small family dessert or single serving dessert to enjoy throughout the week. The bars are made in a loaf pan and store well in the fridge.
They have an almond flour crust and crumble topping that is lightly sweetened with maple syrup. It's similar to a shortbread cookie with a rich, buttery flavor and cookie-like texture. The blueberry filling is sweet and gooey and pairs so well with the crust and crumble.
My boys all begged me to make these bars over and over! So needless to say, they will definitely make a frequent appearance at our house.
Why You'll Love these Blueberry Crumb Bars
- paleo friendly - made with simple, minimally processed ingredients you can feel good about
- gluten free and grain free - these blueberry bars are made with almond flour and tapioca starch, no oats
- dairy free and vegan - perfect for anyone with a dairy allergy or following a vegan diet.
- easy to make - no complicated steps or fancy equipment
- taste delicious eaten warm or chilled
Ingredients
You can find the full recipe for these almond flour crumb bars in the recipe card below, but here's an overview of the ingredients you'll need:
- blanched almond flour - for the crust and crumble topping. You can swap almond flour for tigernut flour if you need this recipe to be nut free.
- tapioca starch - for the crust and crumble and to thicken the blueberry filling. Arrowroot starch will be the best swap for tapioca starch.
- baking powder - I used Otto's grain free baking powder, but often make my own paleo baking powder.
- salt - enhances the flavors
- palm shortening - this is a great dairy free and paleo friendly alternative to butter. That being said, butter should work as well.
- maple syrup - to sweeten the crust/crumble and filling.
- vanilla extract - for added flavor
- blueberries - I used fresh, but frozen should work too
How to Make Blueberry Crumb Bars
- For these crumb bars, first preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and line a loaf pan with parchment paper. (I used a 9x5 inch loaf pan.)
- Crust and Crumble: Combine all of the dry ingredients, then mix in the wet ingredients. The dough may seem too dry at first, but keep kneading it with your hands until it comes together and can be shaped into a ball.
- Blueberry Filling: Combine all of the filling ingredients in a small saucepan. Place the pan on the stovetop and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently. Cook the filling for 15 minutes. By this time, most of the blueberries should have burst and the filling will be a slightly runny liquid.
- Assemble the Bars: Split the dough for the crust and crumble in half. Press one half of the dough into the lined baking pan. Set aside the rest for the crumble topping.
- Pour the blueberry filling over the crust.
- Crumble the remaining dough over the blueberry filling. Then lightly pat it down with your hands.
- Bake and Cool: Place the blueberry crumb bars in the oven and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
- After baking, remove the bars from the oven and let them cool to room temperature in the baking pan.
How to Serve Blueberry Crumb Bars
These bars can be served warm or chilled. They cut better after chilling in the fridge overnight. This allows the filling to fully set, making the bars cut more evenly.
Enjoy them as-is or top with vanilla ice cream or coconut whipped cream.
Storage
These healthy blueberry crumb bars are best kept in the fridge. Either store them in the baking dish or transfer them to a sealed container. Enjoy within one week.
Frequently Asked Questions
Although I have only tested these bars with fresh blueberries, frozen should work just fine.
Yes! Simply double the recipe to make these blueberry crumb bars in an 8 inch square pan.
Yes, this is required for the proper dough texture. You can swap it at a 1:1 ratio with arrowroot starch.
More Paleo Blueberry Recipes
Paleo Blueberry Crumb Bars (No Oats)
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 8x4 inch loaf pan 1x
Description
These healthy blueberry crumb bars have an almond flour crust and crumble and a gooey blueberry filling. They're great chilled or eaten warm and topped with vanilla ice cream.
Ingredients
Crust and Crumble
- 1 ½ cups blanched almond flour (140g)
- ½ cup tapioca starch (62g)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- ⅓ cup palm shortening (or butter), room temp
- 2 Tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Filling
- 2 cups fresh blueberries
- 1 Tbsp maple syrup
- 1 Tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp tapioca starch
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and line a loaf pan with parchment paper.
- Make the dough for the crust and crumble. Combine all of the dry ingredients, then mix in the wet ingredients. The dough may seem too dry at first, but keep kneading it with your hands until it comes together and can be shaped into a ball.
- Split the dough in half. Press one half of the dough into the lined baking pan. Set aside the rest for the crumble topping.
- Make the blueberry filling. Combine all of the filling ingredients in a small saucepan. Place the pan on the stovetop and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently. Cook the filling for 15 minutes. By this time, most of the blueberries should have burst and the filling will be a slightly runny liquid.
- Pour the blueberry filling over the crust.
- Add the crumble topping. Crumble the remaining dough over the top of the blueberry filling. Lightly pat it down with your hands.
- Bake and Cool: place the blueberry crumb bars in the oven and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
- After baking, remove the bars from the oven and let them cool to room temperature in the baking pan. If you want to cut the bars into squares, then chill them in the fridge overnight, or for at least 4 hours before serving.
- Storage: keep the bars in a sealed container in the fridge for up to one week.
Notes
I recommend using a loaf pan that's 9x5 inches or smaller for this recipe. You can also double the recipe and bake these bars in an 8x8 inches or 9x9 inches baking dish.
Katie
My family and I love these blueberry crumb bars. Enjoy!
Janell
Used a different base But the blueberries! Yum!