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Delicious Lemon Blueberry Crumble Bars Easy Homemade Recipe with Cream Cheese Swirl

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These lemon blueberry crumble bars feature a buttery, flaky crumble base topped with a juicy blueberry filling and a creamy cream cheese swirl, perfect for a quick and comforting treat.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 ½ cups (315 g) all-purpose flour
  • ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup (50 g) light brown sugar
  • 1 cup (225 g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 8 oz (225 g) cream cheese, softened
  • ½ cup (60 g) powdered sugar
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 cups (300 g) fresh blueberries
  • 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • Zest from 1 lemon
  • ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch
  • Pinch of ground cinnamon (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a 9×13 inch pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides for easy removal.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, salt, and baking powder.
  3. Add the cold, cubed butter to the flour mixture. Using your fingers or a pastry cutter, work the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized bits. Do not overwork.
  4. Press about two-thirds of the crumble mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Use the bottom of a glass or your hands to pack it down well.
  5. Bake this crust for about 15 minutes until it’s just starting to turn golden on the edges.
  6. While the crust bakes, prepare the filling: In a medium bowl, combine the blueberries, lemon juice and zest, granulated sugar, cornstarch, and a pinch of cinnamon if using. Toss gently to coat the berries evenly and set aside.
  7. Make the cream cheese swirl: In another bowl, beat the softened cream cheese with powdered sugar, egg, and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy. It should be thick but spreadable.
  8. Once the crust is baked, remove it from the oven.
  9. Spread the blueberry filling evenly over the warm crust. Then dollop spoonfuls of the cream cheese mixture over the berries.
  10. Using a butter knife or skewer, gently swirl the cream cheese through the blueberry filling to create marbled patterns. Do not overmix.
  11. Sprinkle the remaining crumble mixture evenly over the top of everything, covering as much as you like.
  12. Bake for another 35-40 minutes until the topping is golden and the filling is bubbly around the edges. A toothpick inserted into the crumble should come out with moist crumbs but no raw dough.
  13. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Use the parchment overhang to lift the bars out and cut into squares.

Notes

Keep butter cold for a flaky crumble. Soften cream cheese fully for a smooth swirl. Toss blueberry filling gently to keep berries intact. Cool bars completely before slicing for clean cuts. Tent with foil if topping browns too quickly.

Nutrition

Keywords: lemon blueberry bars, crumble bars, cream cheese swirl, easy dessert, homemade bars, blueberry dessert, lemon dessert, quick baking

Find it online: https://jodierecipes.com/delicious-lemon-blueberry-crumble-bars-easy-homemade-recipe-with-cream-cheese-swirl/