Fan of crumble or blueberry pie? Then you’ve got to try these gluten-free blueberry crumble bars! They’re way easier to make than a traditional pie and so delicious.

I often make these blueberry crumble bars for birthdays. You can have them in the oven within 30 minutes. Just bake, let them cool, slice into squares and you’ve got yourself a tasty treat!

Why you’ll love these gluten-free blueberry crumble bars

• Sweet blueberries in every bite
• Ready in just one hour, it makes dessert for 12–16 people
• The crumble crust is so good, that I can never stop sneaking little bites.
• You only need a handful of ingredients, and if you’re a gluten-free baker, you might already have them in your pantry.

The ingredients of the blueberry crumble bars

• Gluten-free flour blend: You can use a store-bought gluten-free flour blend. I personally like to use Schär Mix It Universal, but you can also use a similar blend.
• Xanthan gum: Xanthan gum is a substitute for gluten in gluten-free dough. It helps make the dough easier to work with.
• Butter: Butter is low in lactose and suitable for the FODMAP diet. If you want to make this recipe completely lactose-free, you can use lactose-free margarine instead.
• Blueberries: I usually use frozen blueberries, but fresh ones work too. Just keep in mind that the crumble may need a slightly shorter baking time with fresh berries.

How to make the gluten-free blueberry bars

Step 1. Add the gluten-free flour blend, xanthan gum, salt, sugar, and vanilla sugar to a bowl. Stir to combine. Then add the cold butter cubes.

Step 2. Mix the dough with your hands or use a mixer with dough hooks until it forms a crumbly texture.

Step 3. When you squeeze the dough in your hand, it should hold together but it doesn’t need to be a firm dough.

Step 4. Press 2/3 of the dough evenly into the bottom of the baking pan.

Stap 5. Put the blueberries, sugar, lemon juice, and cornstarch together in a bowl and stir.

Stap 6. Divide the blueberries over the dough.

Step 7. Sprinkle the remaining crumble dough over the blueberries and gently press it down with your fingers.

Step 8. Bake the gluten-free blueberry crumble bars for 60 minutes at 350°F (180°C), or a little longer if needed, until the top is lightly golden. If you’re using fresh blueberries, you can reduce the baking time by about 10 minutes.

Tips for baking the crumble bars

• If you bake often, I definitely recommend getting an oven thermometer. You place it inside your oven, and it shows you the actual temperature once it’s preheated.
  
  A lot of people assume that when you preheat your oven to, say, 350°F (180°C), it actually reaches that exact temperature but that’s not always the case.
  
  For example, I discovered that my oven often isn’t truly up to temperature when it says it is, and I actually need to wait a bit longer. It’s a good thing to check once in a while so you can adjust your oven settings if needed.
  
• Bake the crumble bars until they’re golden brown. Do they still look a bit pale at the end of the baking time? Just give them another 5 to 10 minutes.
  
• Let the bars cool completely in the pan. Then loosen the edges with a knife and lift them out. I always leave a strip of parchment paper sticking out on two sides. That way, I can easily lift the bars out of the pan.

More baking recipes?

On my blog, you can also find two other recipes for crumble bars:

• Gluten-free apple crumble bars
• Gluten-free lemon curd crumble bars

Or check out these recipes with blueberries:

• Gluten-free blueberry pie
• Gluten-free blueberry cake
• Gluten-free berry cobbler

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