Blackberry Pie Bars

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

Crumbly, tender pie crust and sweet juicy blackberries combine to make these easy Blackberry Pie Bars! Enjoy all the deliciousness of pie without rolling out the pie dough!

Dreamy Blackberry Pie in Dessert Bar Form

I’m a shameless fan of “lazy” pie recipes. Recipes like my Skillet Berry Cobbler, or these super-easy, super-delicious blackberry pie bars have all the fruity, juicy flavor of a perfect homemade pie, without the need to roll out a perfect pie crust every time!

These blackberry slab pie bars are bursting with blackberries in every bite. Surrounded by a thick and buttery pie crust, these bars are the best light dessert or sweet snack. The best part is, you can make these dessert bars with almost any berries you have on hand! Serve your bars warm with a scoop of ice cream for a blissful berry treat.

Blackberry Pie Bars topped with crumbles on a sheet pan with a serving utensil.

What You’ll Need

  • Blackberries: I just love making these easy pie bars when blackberries are in season! You can’t beat the juicy, sweet-tart flavor of fresh blackberries. If you’re looking for other options, see my suggestions in the sections below!
  • Lemon: Lemon zest brings a little something extra to the pie crust, while lemon juice brightens the berry filling.
  • Cinnamon: Including cinnamon in the pie crust gives it a nice hint of warmth and really compliments the berries!
  • Cornstarch: This helps thicken up the blackberry filling a bit.
  • Butter: Chilled, unsalted butter, cut into cubes.
  • Flour & Sugar: All-purpose flour is my go-to when making a classic pie dough, as is white granulated sugar.
  • Vanilla Extract
  • Egg
  • Baking Powder
  • Salt

Can I Use Frozen Berries Instead?

Both fresh or frozen blackberries will work for this dessert. If you do opt for frozen berries, let them thaw and drain off the excess juice beforehand.

Blackberry Pie Bars on a cooling rack.

How to Make Blackberry Pie Bars

Like classic pie dough, this recipe begins with cold butter cut into squares. A food processor will have the dough ready in minutes! You can also make the dough by hand, even if it takes a little longer. Here’s how to make these easy blackberry pie bars:

Prepare the Dough: Pulse together the dough ingredients in a food processor. If you don’t have a food processor handy, you can use a fork to cut the butter into the flour until it’s crumbly. Smooth one half of the dough into the bottom of a greased baking pan.

Assemble: Toss the blackberries in a mixture of sugar and lemon juice. Sprinkle the berries over the crust layer, and then crumble the remaining dough over top.

Bake: Bake the layered pie bars in a preheated oven until the tops are just browned. Be mindful to not leave the bars in too long, which risks burning the bottom! The bars will need to cool completely before you slice them.

Blackberry Pie Bars topped with crumbles on a rack.

Tips for Success

  • Use Fresh Ingredients: If you buy fresh blackberries for these pie bars, make sure to store them in the fridge and use them within three days for best results! 
  • Don’t Let the Tops Get Too Brown: The tops of the bars will be a light golden color, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t done! A slight browning is what you’re after. If the tops are too dark, it likely means that the bottom is burnt or overcooked.
  • Let the Bars Cool: It’s best to allow the blackberry pie bars to cool completely before slicing and serving, as the filling will hold together when it’s cold. You can even place them in the fridge to help the cooling process along, if you’re in a hurry.

Can I Use Different Fruit in These Bars?

Yes! The blackberries in this recipe can be traded for raspberries and blueberries with equally delicious results. You can even try a mixed berry medley!

Strawberries can also be used, though they’ll need to be sliced and laid out on paper towels to absorb the excess liquid. The overall texture of the bars may also be slightly different. (If you want to try something special with strawberries, check out my Strawberries and Cream Hand Pies!)

Other fruits like peaches, apples, and cranberries are all just as great in these dessert bars. Try using lemons to make easy, zesty lemon bars! This recipe is so versatile, and the best for any season!

Serving Suggestions 

Warm or cold, these juicy blackberry pie bars are wonderful served with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream for an easy dessert.

Enjoy the bars alone for a quick and tasty snack to serve with coffee or tea. You can even serve them with homemade iced tea or southern sweet tea in the summer. Bring them to potlucks, BBQs, or family gatherings – the flavor is just so delicious!

Storage Instructions

Store these berry pie bars in the fridge, airtight for up to 3 days. Use an airtight container or cover them in plastic wrap! For longer storage, I’d suggest freezing them following the instructions below.

Do Fruit Bars Freeze Well?

These bars freeze very well, and can be transferred to a freezer-safe container to store frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw the bars in the fridge before serving.

More Tempting Blackberry Recipes

Blackberry Pie Bars topped with crumbles on a sheet pan with a serving utensil.
4.5 from 440 votes
Print Pin Recipe
Yield: 12 pie bars

Homemade Blackberry Pie Bars

Crumbly moist pie dough with sweet juicy blackberries combine to make these Blackberry Pie Bars! Get the deliciousness of pie without rolling out the pie dough!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time1 hour

Ingredients

Dough:

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • Zest and juice of one lemon, divided
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1 inch slices
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Filling:

  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 4 cups fresh blackberries
  • 4 teaspoons cornstarch

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease a 9×13 inch pan.
  • In a food processor, pulse together flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and lemon zest. Add the butter, egg and vanilla extract. Pulsing until dough is crumbly.
  • Pat half of dough into the bottom of the prepared pan, saving the remaining dough for the topping.
  • In a medium bowl, stir together the 1/2 cup sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice. Gently mix in the blackberries. Sprinkle the blackberry mixture evenly over the crust. Crumble remaining dough over the berry layer.
  • Bake in preheated oven for about 45 minutes, or until top is slightly brown (you are only looking for the top to slightly brown, if you cook for too long – the bottom will burn).
  • Cool completely before cutting into squares. Store in an airtight container.

Nutrition

Serving: 1, Calories: 253kcal, Carbohydrates: 55g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 2g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 18mg, Sodium: 92mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 28g

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125 Responses
  1. Grammie Becky

    I love blackberry jam, but have never baked with whole blackberries. Do you find the seeds to be an issue with this recipe?

    1. A woman holding a camera standing in front of some shelves.
      Jessica

      Hi Grammie, no I personally don’t mind blackberry seeds. If you don’t personally like baked goods with blackberries, you could also make these bars with blueberries!

  2. Sue Hesse

    these bars look so good. my family loves blackberries. I will for sure make these. thank you for sharing this recipe.

  3. Kimberley

    I followed the directions exactly and it was like powder in my food processor… wasn’t dough-like at all… still used it… in the oven and smells yummy but not sure why it was so dry… should it only be 2 cups of flour???

    1. A woman holding a camera standing in front of some shelves.
      Jessica

      Hi Kimberley! No, 3 cups is the correct amount. If you used all the correct amounts (with 2 sticks – 16 tablespoons – of butter) it should have plenty of liquid to form the dough. Can you share how you scooped the flour? Make sure to fluff your flour with a fork (or scoop it out with a spoon into a measuring cup) before measuring cups of flour for baking recipes. If you scoop directly into a compacted bag of flour, you will get more flour than you need.

      1. Kimberley

        I did use 1 cup butter and I always scoop my flour with a spoon… it was like a powder… absolutely no moisture in the mix… so weird… I’m a home baker and for some reason this one didn’t work for me…

  4. Jennifer

    My picky mother-in-law LOVED these. We made them over the summer when we picked a bunch of blackberries as a family. My son said (in July), “These taste like Thanksgiving” so I’m making them for Thanksgiving from now on. Thank you for this delicious (and easy) recipe!

  5. Tammy

    Made this last week it went fast everyone loved it I got requests to make it again Really quick to make
    I used pastry flour instead of regular flour tho

    1. Rebecca

      In love with this recipe! Delicious use of our foraged hedgerow offerings and will be a family favourite every autumn.
      I’m not a baker but this was sooo easy and got lots of compliments. Can’t wait to try your other recipes, thank you! ❤️☺️

  6. Sharon

    I just made this recipe last night with some fresh blackberries from my garden. My 20-something year old kids LOVED it! So did I! This recipe’s a keeper!

  7. Scott Hamilton

    I love this recipe! I live in Alaska, I made it the first time with salmon berries and blueberries it came out great! the next time I made it with raspberries and huckleberries even better! I added an extra quarter cup of sugar to the berry filling and only put half the lemon juice it came out perfect amount of sweet and tart. The first time I made pie bars I should have put more crust on the bottom but they were still really good, second time I nailed it perfect! I wish I could include a picture! This is going to be my go-to recipe for all my berries! it uses way less berries than a traditional cobbler and the crust is just perfect on these! The lemon zest is a great touch to an already yummy buttery crust

    1. A woman holding a camera standing in front of some shelves.
      Jessica

      Hi Beth! I have never tried it with jam, it would be worth a shot! But I can’t guarantee your results, especially with homemade jam.

  8. Jimmy Edgeworth!!!

    I had to find something to do with all the berries I picked yesterday, so I just tried this recipe and it turned out amazing!!! I wish I could post a picture!!! Thanks so much!!!

  9. Lynne

    I made these earlier in the summer and they were delicious. I need to make a vegan dessert and thought I’d bake more pie bars. I can substitute vegan margarine for the butter, but what can I substitute for the egg? Many thanks!

    1. A woman holding a camera standing in front of some shelves.
      Jessica

      Hi Lynne, I’m sorry, I’m not well versed in vegan baking. However you can make a pie crust without egg, so maybe go that route and add more vegan margarine if needed to the dough? Good luck!

      1. Rosi

        I know these comments are older. Just letting y’all know I made this recipe with my egg substitute and it worked perfectly. For 1 egg, you can use 1/4 unsweetened applesauce mixed with 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder (I used pear sauce but it’s identical to applesauce). It tasted identical to when I make it
        With actual egg

    2. Kristine

      Lynne,

      Try making the crust with coconut oil. I did this with another bar recipe and it turned out good. Good luck!

    3. Cornelia

      google flax egg or chia egg. You can make these with a combination of water and the seeds. makes a good vegan egg substitute.

      1. Brenda

        This recipe sounds delicious but the fat content in the nutrition information can’t be right. It shows 2 grams per serving but a cup of butter has 184 grams which would be 15 grams per serving.

  10. Kathleen

    It would be great if you would list ingredients by weight as well as volume. Makes for more precise baking. Thanks!

  11. Melissa

    Went berry picking with my kiddos for the first time and we made this with our fresh blackberries. We followed the recipe exactly (as much as you can with a 3 year old and 5 year old stealing nibbles and spilling ingredients) and it came out DELICIOUS! Definitely simple to make and comes out picture-worthy and impressive. A little tart, a little sweet, a little buttery and perfect when served warm with vanilla ice cream!

    1. A woman holding a camera standing in front of some shelves.
      Jessica

      Hi Julia! Yes, I believe they should freeze ok. They will be best fresh, but I think if reheated, would still be tasty again after freezing!

  12. Annbb

    Made these last night – and they are delicious! My crust didn’t look at all like yours – it covered the blackberries entirely – and I followed your instructions exactly, but it was delicious! I loved the addition of lemon zest and cinnamon to the crust ingredients. Thanks for a great recipe – I’ll be making these again!

  13. Karen

    Aldi had blackberries on sale, so tried this recipe. Excellent , easy to make, crust was perfect. Will make again

  14. Brenda Brown

    I tried this recipe today with some beautiful fresh blackberries my neighbor gave me. I made a 9 x 13 pan for her and a smaller one for my family. It turned out sooo good! Thank you for the recipe!

      1. Melinda W

        Any tips for making it with only 1 cup of blackberries? I picked some wild ones but don’t have anywhere near 4 cups

        1. A woman holding a camera standing in front of some shelves.
          Jessica

          Hi Melinda! You can always divide the recipe down by 4. Or, I would recommend picking up some store bought blackberries to fill in!

  15. Pokie3inSanD

    These were so, so good! I only had frozen berries and was afraid there would be to much liquid so I ended up cooking it on stove to make sure it would thicken. Glad I did, as I needed to add a little clear gel (or cornstarch). This will be my go-to recipe for using up any berries. Thanks for a great recipe!

      1. A woman holding a camera standing in front of some shelves.
        Jessica

        Yes, but I do recommend thawing them first to try to get any extra ice or water off of them! Otherwise, they can make your bars too wet.

  16. Barbara

    I’ve made these twice now, with frozen blackberries (I strained off the extra liquid from defrosting and made blackberry ice cream). They were a big favourite with everyone – my husband says the lemon really brings out the flavour – and even though I don’t have a food processor, still easy to make.

  17. Grace Doss

    Just made the recipe. Really like it.
    A little too tangy. Would use a half a lemon instead of a whole one. Adding a drizzle on top will sweeten it.

  18. Teela

    so easy and looks incredible! Haven’t tried them yet because I’m bringing them camping in the morning. Thank you thank you

    1. A woman holding a camera standing in front of some shelves.
      Jessica

      Not for this recipe, unless you want more pie. These “pie bars” have a different style crust than a true pie crust!

  19. Donna

    My hubby and I loved this recipe! They were so dood that I had to hide them from me! I used some extra zest in the berries and just a dash of salt. Those were the only changes I made. Yummy!!!

  20. Andrea

    Very very tasty. My mother absolutely loves blackberry pies and cobblers and now she loves these pies bars as well. I look forward to trying different berries in the mix.

    1. Bianca

      I just made those with frozen berries today, and this worked fine – not soggy at all. Could have been a bit sweeter for me (but maybe that was just the berries being a bit tart). My husband loved them exactly as they were.

  21. Kathryn Black

    Deeply disappointed. There is inadequate moisture in the dough and so the results taste underbaked and floury.

    1. Pokie3inSanD

      My guess is it was too much flour. I always try and measure flour by weight rather than cup. These are definitely worth another try! If you do, make sure to aerate the flour before you measure and use a spoon to fill the measuring cup. When you mix it in the food processor, the dough should hold its shape if you squeeze it in your hand. If not, you’ve added too much flour.

  22. Shirin

    It was an easy and delicous dessert let it cool completely and if you leave in a hot area i recommend to keep it in refridgerator and as you can guess it will be so fruity,if you are in love with fruity desserts,its the recipie!

  23. Carol Clarke

    HI! I made these for church choir and someone could not eat due to seeds. Can this be made with blueberries? I assume so, but someone suggested less sugar in the cornstarch/lemon juice w/fruit mix. Opinion, please. Thanks for this GREAT recipe

    1. A woman holding a camera standing in front of some shelves.
      Jessica

      Hi Carol! I would keep everything exactly the same and just use blueberries! This recipe works great with any kind of berry. Hope you enjoy your blueberry pie bars! :-) 

  24. Lauren

    I’ve made these with a berry mix and strawberries all were great. Can’t keep them. Great for lunch box. Grand kids love them

  25. Jackie

    Hi. Our friend brought over a tray full of black berries. searched the internet for recipes. ’bout died when I saw 40+ recipes available online. i thought, no way am i going to peruse let alone find one and the time to bake. luckily came across your website and decided to try your bar recipe. well… the house smells amazing. the recipe was very easy and came together in no time. i substituted vanilla extract for almond because i ran out of the vanilla. looks amazing and I can’t wait to cut into it. Thank you!!

  26. Deepika

    Made these yesterday – so delicious and tangy, wow. Blackberry and lemon make such a good combo. Thanks for sharing!

  27. mike d

    I doubled the recipe and it made 3-8×8 pans.  Substituted gluten flour and added approx a half cup of extra sugar per batch to the berries.  I sprinkled a little brown sugar on top as well before placing in the oven.  I might consider adding an extra yolk next time.  It was great and will make again.

  28. Jane

    I just made this with a mix of frozen blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries. I was a little concerned that they might be too wet, so I made just a little more dough to put on top. I don’t think they even needed the extra dough, they were delicious just as they were. I’d definitely make these again. Thanks for a great recipe!

  29. Judy

    I just made these and they are soo good! The lemon is such a perfect tangy touch, and the berries just burst with deliciousness.

    I halved the recipe to make a smaller pan. I found that I only needed 30-35 minutes cooking time, and I covered mine with foil half way through to keep the topping from burning.

    Anybody have any ideas as to how to store/freeze them?

    1. A woman holding a camera standing in front of some shelves.
      Jessica

      So glad you enjoyed them! Thanks for taking the time to come back and comment on them! To store them, I leave them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. I have not tried freezing them yet. If you do, please share how it turns out!

  30. Rebecca

    I often get skeptical of recipes found on blogs because the photographs make the desserts look so damn good and mine never turn out like that. WELL, your recipe changed that. It was absolutely easy to make (thank you food processor) and it looked (almost) as good as yours =)

    These were delicious pie bars. I didn’t have enough blackberries so I combined 2 cups of blackberries with 1 cup of raspberries and 1 cup of blueberries. Turned out wonderfully. Thank you so much!

  31. Melissa

    Made for superbowl dessert.. served warm with vanilla ice cream. Crowd was very happy! Thanks for sharing the recipe!

  32. Gabe

    Is there something to add to last bit of dough to make it more crumbley? I hand mixed my dough, it was kinda sticky, hard to add the crumbles to the top, ended up kinda like little dough balls…

    1. A woman holding a camera standing in front of some shelves.
      Jessica

      Hi Gabe, if you needed, you can add a little extra flour. But while it will be a little sticky, it should be able to turn into a crumbly top. Hope they baked up perfectly and you enjoyed them!

  33. Daniel Tandy

    Just made these and were delicious! I decided to glaze half of them with a thin orange juice and icing sugar mix. It just takes the edge of the sharpness for those with a slightly sweeter tooth. Thanks for posting!

  34. Emily Rose

    surprised my mom with a batch of these when she got home from work. she loved them and so did I!! Best with fresh picked blackberries!

  35. Ilona

    Awesome! I brought this bars to work – my colleagues were so delighted!
    I love the lemon zest in the dough, great idea.

  36. Carolina

    These look delicious! One question, I don’t have a food processor or a powerful blender. Should I just cut in the butter and then add the egg and vanilla or should I just put it all in a bowl and cut on the butter with it?

    1. A woman holding a camera standing in front of some shelves.
      Jessica

      Yep – you can do it by hand! Just prepare for it to take a while. It’s a lot like making regular pie crust – just not as moist.

        1. A woman holding a camera standing in front of some shelves.
          Jessica

          No, but you could use two knives, forks or a pastry cutter instead. It’s just harder to do by hand, but not impossible!

  37. Aimee

    I just made these today and the only thing I changed was I made them in an 8×8 pan and halved the recipe. They were delicious!! I think when I make them again I might add a little more flour to the dough if I am going to half them because I still had to use 1 egg and it made them a little wetter.

  38. Lisa C

    I made these for our Sunday School class a couple of weeks ago, and they were devoured! They really do taste like blackberry pie. I will be making them again for a girl’s weekend away. Bring on the ice cream!! Thanks for the great recipe.

  39. ErinsFoodFiles

    I’ve made a version of this same recipe (via Smitten Kitchen, who cited All Recipes). MAN, SO GOOD.

  40. Alexandra @ Confessions of a Bright-Eyed Baker

    These look heavenly! All that fresh fruit bursting through is just gorgeous. :) And I kinda think that when you can make pie bars that are just as good as pie, why go through the pie-making hassle?

  41. Gerry @ Foodness Gracious

    I freakin’ love pie bars, almost more than pie itself! Gimme one of these and an espresso now..

  42. AJ

    I tried these this afternoon. They were easy to make and got rave reviews all around. Do you think frozen blackberries would work?

    1. A woman holding a camera standing in front of some shelves.
      Jessica

      I think you could use frozen berries if you made completely positive there was no extra water/frozen ice stuck to them. Would hate for the bars to turn out soup-y!

      1. Sharon

        Jessica,
        Would you recommend defrosting frozen berries completely? Would I want to drain them and omit the liquid?
        Thank you

  43. Joanne

    That is a LOT of traveling! I’m exhausted just thinking about it! In fact, I think I”ll need a few of these bars to sustain myself!

    1. Meg

      Made these today and they are absolutely AMAZING!! Thanks for the recipe!! Will definitely be making these more often!

  44. Laura Dembowski

    Blackberries are one of my favorite fruits and it’s hard to find good recipes using them. These looks so great!

  45. Leah | So, How's It Taste?

    These are absolutely stunning…and calling my name! I’m so down with anything that tastes like pie but doesn’t require making the dough. I love blackberries, too, so I’m sold!

    1. Natasha Manning

      Ordered 3.5kg of frozen blackberries by accident so was looking for recipes & found this one!! 
      They are delicious & frozen berries worked fine, I had to be careful of extra juice so used a strainer but results were delicious. Will definitely be adding it to my collection & it would seem I do quite like blackberries :))  xx 

  46. Averie @ Averie Cooks

    I love baking with fruit and have a cake next week that uses blackberries. I love love these bars! And glad they’re bars rather than a pie – faster and less fussy :) Pinned.

      1. A woman holding a camera standing in front of some shelves.
        Jessica

        Yes but you will need to use one of the baking blend ones – like Splenda baking blend. You need the bulk of the sugar for this recipe to turn out well. Hope this helps!

  47. Rachel @ Baked by Rachel

    Boston?! Yay! Sorry totally distracted by that. Okay these bars… helloooo! Love your styling and I bet they tasted beyond delicious.

  48. Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar

    Oh my, you DO have a jam packed rest of summer! Good luck with the rest of it. Sweets sure help when I’m feeling stressed…like these bars! Yum!

    1. lauren

      Made these today with blueberries and rasberries, the turned put great. Cut in squares for school and work lunches. MMM good. Its a keeper.

Thank You For Being Here!

Jessica
For the past 15 years, Jorge & Jessica have loved getting to share their families' favorite recipes with all of you. They live in Florida with their 3 kids.