Simple, 10-ingredient Blueberry Pie Bars with a cookie crust, slivered-almond coating, and 2-ingredient glaze!
The perfect easy summertime dessert.
Author: Minimalist Baker
Recipe type: Dessert
Cuisine: Vegan
Serves: 9
Ingredients
CRUST
- 1 stick (1/2 cup | 112 g) vegan butter, softened*
- 1/3 cup (63 g) coconut sugar or organic cane sugar
- 1 1/4 (170 g) cups unbleached all-purpose flour*
- pinch salt
- 2 Tbsp (30 ml) Blue Diamond Almondmilk Original Unsweetened
FILLING
- 4 cups (592 g) fresh blueberries (or other mixed berries, e.g. strawberries, blackberries, raspberries)
- 1/4 cup (55 g) coconut sugar (or organic cane or brown sugar)
- 1/4 cup (34 g) all-purpose flour*
- 1 small lemon, zested + juiced (~2 Tbsp juice | 30 ml)
- optional: 1 Tbsp vegan butter, cut into small pieces
- optional: 1 Tbsp (12 g) chia seeds
- 1/3 cup (30 g) raw slivered almonds
GLAZE optional
- 1 cup (112 g) organic icing/powdered sugar
- 1-2 Tbsp (15-30 ml) Blue Diamond Almondmilk Original Unsweetened
Instructions
- Lightly grease an 8×8-inch baking dish, or line with parchment paper. Alternatively, line with foil, but still add a bit of non-stick spray or vegan butter to ease serving.
- For the crust, add softened butter and sugar to a mixing bowl and beat until light and fluffy in texture – 1 minute.
- Add flour and salt with mixer on low and mix until combined – it should be crumbly.
- Add almond milk and mix once more – it should form a cohesive dough. If not, add a bit (1-2 tsp) more almond milk.
- Transfer dough to prepared 8×8-inch baking dish and dust the surface with flour. Use your hands to press the dough into the dish until flat and uniform.
- Chill in the freezer for 15 minutes, then preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 C).
- Bake crust for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown on edges and light golden brown in the center – you want it fairly well done. Let cool, but leave the oven on.
- In the meantime, prepare filling. Add all filling ingredients except almonds to a small saucepan over medium heat. Vegan butter and chia seeds are optional (to add flavor, richness, and thickness). Cook, stirring/mashing the berries, for about 6-8 minutes or until the filling is bubbly and resembles pourable blueberry jam.
- Remove from heat and pour over the baked crust. Top with slivered almonds and bake for another 24-28 minutes, or until filling is bubbly along the edges and almonds are slightly golden brown.
- Let cool completely – about 2-3 hours (or overnight) before serving.
- Before serving, prepare glaze by adding organic icing sugar to a mixing bowl. Slowly whisk as you add in almond milk 1 Tbsp at a time until a semi-thick, pourable glaze is formed.
- Once bars are cooled, drizzle with glaze (optional), loosen the edges with a knife and slice into 9 even bars. Serve with a spatula. The first bar can be a bit tricky to get out, so be gentle.
- Leftovers keep covered in the refrigerator for 3-4 days, though best when enjoyed within the first 24 hours.
Notes
*To speed softening time, cut butter into 1/4 inch slices.
*I haven’t tested this recipe with anything other than vegan butter, but you could try coconut oil (as I’m sure people will ask). In that case, I recommend using refined coconut oil at a “spoonable” texture rather than liquid. However, I can’t guarantee the outcome using this ingredient.
*Crust adapted from Ina Garten.
*Recipe inspired by my friend Arleigh. Loosely adapted from Everything Nothing Wonderful.
*Prep time includes chilling and cooling.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate for 1 of 9 bars with almonds and glaze.
*I haven’t tested this recipe with anything other than vegan butter, but you could try coconut oil (as I’m sure people will ask). In that case, I recommend using refined coconut oil at a “spoonable” texture rather than liquid. However, I can’t guarantee the outcome using this ingredient.
*Crust adapted from Ina Garten.
*Recipe inspired by my friend Arleigh. Loosely adapted from Everything Nothing Wonderful.
*Prep time includes chilling and cooling.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate for 1 of 9 bars with almonds and glaze.
Nutrition Information
Serving size: 1 bar (of 9) Calories: 315 Fat: 13.3 g Saturated fat: 4.2 g Carbohydrates: 46.6 g Sugar: 26.6 gSodium: 452 mg Fiber: 2.6 g Protein: 3.4 g