• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Effortless Foodie
  • About
  • Contact
  • Recipes
  • Privacy Policy
  • Subscribe
  • Navigation Menu: Social Icons

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
menu icon
go to homepage
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Contact
  • Resources
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • About
    • Recipes
    • Contact
    • Resources
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Bars & Brownies

    Easy Blackberry Crumble Bars Recipe

    Published: Aug 22, 2022 · Modified: Aug 30, 2022 by Beth Sachs · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases · 6 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Blackberry crumble bars pin image for Pinterest.

    Easy blackberry crumble bars with sweet fruity blackberries, zingy lemon zest, and a buttery oat crumble topping.

    A classic Autumnal pudding in bar form! Best of all, they are absolutely delicious, just like my easy blackberry crumble recipe!

    A stack of blackberry crumble bars on a wooden chopping board.
    Blackberry Oatmeal Bars

    These blackberry bars are perfect for picnics and bake sales, but equally good as a dessert with custard or a scoop of ice cream.

    I generally make these bars with fresh blackberries during blackberry season, but you can make them with frozen blackberries too! You'll just need to defrost them first and pat dry with a paper towel.

    👩‍🍳 Love blackberries? Try my easy blackberry muffins next!

    Jump to:
    • ✔️ Why you'll love this recipe!
    • 🛒 Ingredient notes
    • 🔪 Instructions
    • 💭 Expert tips
    • 🍴 Serving suggestions
    • 📖 Variations
    • 🥡 Storage
    • ❓ Frequently asked questions
    • 😋 More bars and slices
    • Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    ✔️ Why you'll love this recipe!

    • A great recipe for foraged fresh blackberries during blackberry season.
    • Perfect for picnics and bake sales.
    • Serve as a pudding with custard.
    • Freezer-friendly.

    🛒 Ingredient notes

    Ingredients for blackberry crumble bars.
    • Blackberries - wash and dry foraged blackberries to get rid of any dirt or insects! If you're using frozen blackberries, defrost them first and pat dry with a paper towel to get rid of excess moisture.
    • Flour - white plain flour is best for crumble toppings. Use wholemeal for extra fibre.
    • Oats - porridge oats or rolled oats both work well. Don't use jumbo oats or quick cook oats as they don't work as well.
    • Butter - I like to use salted butter as it contrasts nicely against the sweet light brown sugar. Use unsalted if you prefer and just add a pinch of salt to the dry ingredients instead. The butter should be taken out of the fridge about 10 minutes prior to use to allow it to come up to room temperature.
    • Sugar - light brown sugar gives a lovely caramel flavour to the bars, but caster sugar or granulated sugar can also be used.
    • Nuts - chopped pecan nuts add a nice crunchy texture to the crumble. Swap for walnuts or pine nuts, or just leave them out.
    • Lemon - the zest of one unwaxed lemon is added to the crumble mixture for a citrussy zing. Lemon and blackberries pair really well together.

    🔪 Instructions

    The recipe card with ingredient quantities and detailed instructions can be found at the bottom of the post

    One: Preheat the oven to 190c (170 fan/ Gas 5/ 375F) and line a 20cm square baking tin with non-stick parchment paper or baking paper.

    Two: Place the flour and oats in a large mixing bowl and rub in the cubed butter by hand until you get large clumps forming.

    Three: Stir in the sugar, lemon zest, and three-quarters of the chopped pecan nuts. Use a metal dinner knife to cut any large clumps into smaller clumps.

    Step by step photo instructions for making crumble topping using the rubbing in method.

    Four: Press two-thirds of the mixture into the prepared tin and press down with the back of a metal spoon.

    Five: Top with the fresh blackberries.

    Six: Sprinkle over the remaining crumble mixture and lightly press down with your hand.

    Seven: Bake in the oven for 35 minutes until golden. Cool completely before cutting into bars.

    Assembling blackberry crumble bars in a 20 cm baking tin.

    💭 Expert tips

    • I wouldn't recommend using a food processor to make the crumble topping. This is a buttery crumble recipe and you risk overprocessing it. Doing it by hand ensures you achieve a nice crumble consistency.
    • If using frozen blackberries, defrost at room temperature before using, and remove any excess moisture by patting them gently with paper towels.
    • Don't be tempted to cut them into bars until they are completely cold and set firm. To speed up the process you can put the baking tin in the fridge.

    🍴 Serving suggestions

    The blackberry crumble bars are perfect for parties, picnics, and bake sales.

    If we're having the bars for dessert, I like to serve them with creamy custard, whipped cream, or homemade honeycomb ice cream.

    A blackberry crumble bar on a wooden board.

    📖 Variations

    • Swap the berries for whatever is in season! Blueberries and raspberries would both work well.
    • Use orange zest or lime zest instead of lemon zest.
    • Swap out the nuts for desiccated coconut. You could also replace the light brown sugar with coconut sugar.
    • For a healthier version, reduce the amount of butter by 50g and reduce the sugar by 25g.
    • Make apple and blackberry crumble bars and replace half of the blackberries with 100g of sliced apples (Bramley apples or Granny Smith apples would be best).

    🥡 Storage

    Store: Place the cooled bars in an airtight container or cake tin. If it's particularly warm place them in the fridge. They will keep for 4-5 days.

    Freeze: Once cool, place the bars in layers (separated with baking parchment) in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature before serving.

    Blackberry crumble bars on a chopping board with a glass of milk.

    ❓ Frequently asked questions

    Can I use blackberry jam or blackberry pie filling?

    I wouldn't recommend using jam or pie filling. There is too much moisture in jam and pie filling which will mean the bars won't stick together very well. They also contain a lot of sugar which would alter the finished taste.

    Can I make these bars vegan?

    I haven't tested the recipe with a vegan butter alternative, but try to use a block vegan butter substitute if you'd like to try these yourself.

    😋 More bars and slices

    • Sticky Date Flapjacks
    • Apple Flapjacks
    • Caramel Apple Pie Bars
    • Lemon and Blueberry Blondies
    • Raspberry Brownies
    • Blackberry Loaf Cake
    Blackberry crumble bar on a blue and white plate.

    Don't forget to subscribe to the newsletter to stay up to date with what's cooking in the Effortless Foodie kitchen! You can also follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram too!

    Recipe

    A stack of blackberry crumble bars.
    Email
    Print Pin
    5 from 7 votes

    Easy Blackberry Crumble Bars

    Easy blackberry crumble bars with sweet fruity blackberries, zingy lemon zest, and a buttery oat crumble topping.
    Course Bars, Dessert
    Cuisine British
    Keyword blackberry bars, blackberry crumble bars, blackberry oat bars
    Prep Time 10 minutes
    Cook Time 35 minutes
    Total Time 45 minutes
    Servings 16
    Calories 288kcal
    Author Beth Sachs
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Equipment

    • Kitchen Scales
    • Microplane Grater
    • 20 cm (8'') Square Baking Tin
    • Baking Paper
    • Mixing Bowl
    • Wooden Spoon
    • Knife

    Ingredients

    Metric - US Customary
    • 200 g Plain Flour
    • 200 g Oats porridge oats or rolled oats
    • 250 g Salted Butter cubed
    • 175 g Light Brown Sugar
    • 1 Lemon zest only
    • 75 g Pecan Nuts chopped
    • 250 g Blackberries if frozen defrost before using

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 190°c (170 fan/ Gas 5/ 375F) and line a 20cm square baking tin with non-stick parchment paper or baking paper.
    • Place the flour and oats in a large mixing bowl and rub in the cubed butter by hand until you get large clumps forming.
      200 g Plain Flour, 200 g Oats, 250 g Salted Butter
    • Stir in the sugar, lemon zest, and three-quarters of the chopped pecan nuts. Use a metal dinner knife to cut any large clumps into smaller clumps.
      175 g Light Brown Sugar, 1 Lemon, 75 g Pecan Nuts
    • Press two-thirds of the mixture into the prepared tin and press down with the back of a metal spoon.
    • Top with the fresh blackberries.
      250 g Blackberries
    • Sprinkle over the remaining crumble mixture and chooped nuts, and lightly press down with your hand.
    • Bake in the oven for 35 minutes until golden. Cool completely before cutting into bars.

    Notes

    Expert Tips:
    • I wouldn't recommend using a food processor to make the crumble topping. This is a buttery crumble recipe and you risk overprocessing it. Doing it by hand ensures you achieve a nice crumble consistency.
    • If using frozen blackberries, defrost at room temperature before using, and remove any excess moisture by patting them gently with paper towels.
    • Don't be tempted to cut them into bars until they are completely cold and set firm. To speed up the process you can put the baking tin in the fridge.
     
    Variations:
    • Swap the berries for whatever is in season! Blueberries and raspberries would both work well.
    • Use orange zest or lime zest instead of lemon zest.
    • Swap out the nuts for desiccated coconut. You could also replace the light brown sugar with coconut sugar.
    • For a healthier version, reduce the amount of butter by 50g and reduce the sugar by 25g.
    • Make apple and blackberry crumble bars and replace half of the blackberries with 100g of sliced apples (Bramley apples or Granny Smith apples would be best).
     
    Storage:
    Store: Place the cooled bars in an airtight container or cake tin. If it's particularly warm, place them in the fridge. They will keep for 4-5 days.
    Freeze: Once cool, place the bars in layers (separated with baking parchment) in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature before serving.
     
    Nutrition:
    The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
     
    Nutrition Facts
    Easy Blackberry Crumble Bars
    Amount per Serving
    Calories
    288
    % Daily Value*
    Fat
     
    17
    g
    26
    %
    Saturated Fat
     
    8
    g
    50
    %
    Trans Fat
     
    1
    g
    Polyunsaturated Fat
     
    2
    g
    Monounsaturated Fat
     
    5
    g
    Cholesterol
     
    34
    mg
    11
    %
    Sodium
     
    105
    mg
    5
    %
    Potassium
     
    131
    mg
    4
    %
    Carbohydrates
     
    32
    g
    11
    %
    Fiber
     
    3
    g
    13
    %
    Sugar
     
    12
    g
    13
    %
    Protein
     
    4
    g
    8
    %
    Vitamin A
     
    428
    IU
    9
    %
    Vitamin C
     
    7
    mg
    8
    %
    Calcium
     
    31
    mg
    3
    %
    Iron
     
    1
    mg
    6
    %
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Tried this recipe?Snap a pic and tag @effortlessf00d on Instagram or Twitter

    More Easy Bars & Brownies

    • Easy Mint Aero Brownies Recipe
    • Easy Christmas Tiffin Recipe
    • Easy Mincemeat Crumble Slices Recipe
    • Easy Flapjack Recipe

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jess

      August 22, 2022 at 7:44 pm

      5 stars
      Love how easy these are! And love the tips for how to make them a little bit healthier!

      Reply
    2. Renee | The Good Hearted Woman

      August 22, 2022 at 8:17 pm

      5 stars
      I love how short and sweet the ingredient list is for these crumble bars! Quick, easy, and delicious!

      Reply
    3. Aimee Mars

      August 22, 2022 at 8:26 pm

      5 stars
      So so so delicious! Made a batch and have been using for breakfast. Easy to make too!

      Reply
    4. Tavo

      August 22, 2022 at 8:29 pm

      5 stars
      super easy and fun to make recipe! My kids loved it.

      Reply
    5. Tayler

      August 22, 2022 at 8:43 pm

      5 stars
      I love fresh blackberries this time of year, so I can't wait to make these crumble bars. Thanks so much for sharing the recipe!

      Reply
    6. Kay Parry

      August 30, 2022 at 9:08 pm

      5 stars
      Such an easy recipe and tastes lovely. One which can be tweaked in several ways to give different varieties too!

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Beth Sachs Food Blogger

    Hi, I’m Beth, a Mum of three (and one crazy dog), living in Cornwall, UK. I love creating easy, delicious and fuss-free recipes, perfect for busy families, just like my own.

    More about me →

    My Web Stories

    Footer

    Footer

    ^ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact

    Copyright © 2022 Effortless Foodie