These Blackberry Pie Bars are everything I want in a dessert – sweet, buttery, and just the right amount of fancy without actually being hard to make. They start with a tender shortbread crust, get filled with a creamy, fruity custard, and finish with a golden crumble on top.
You get all the cozy pie vibes without the fuss of rolling dough. Perfect for potlucks, brunches, or just a random Tuesday when you need a treat that looks impressive but comes together with minimal effort.
Check out my Cherry Pie Bars too!
Step-by-step photos and instructions are below!
Why you’ll love this recipe:
- It’s pie, in bar form. What could be better?
- Super easy to make.
- Budget friendly (if you use in season berries!)
Fresh blackberries or frozen blackberries?
Either can be used! If using frozen berries, make sure to thaw and drain before using.
Looking for more berry recipes? Try these Blueberry Scones, Cranberry Muffins, Strawberry Eton Mess or Raspberry Sweet Rolls.
I have included step-by-step photos and instructions, as well as tips and tricks in the post. If you’d rather skip all that, scoot right on down to the full recipe card located at the bottom of the post.
Recommended Equipment/Tools
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Key Recipe Ingredients
The full list of ingredients and amounts is found in the printable recipe card below.
- Flour. All purpose flour, that we use in both the crust/topping and the fruit filling.
- Sugar. Plain white sugar. Used in both the crust/topping and the blackberry filling.
- Salt. This helps balance the sweetness.
- Butter. You can use salted or unsalted butter.
- Eggs. I use large eggs, at room temperature.
- Sour Cream. This is in the filling and makes it super yummy, creamy and custardy. You can use regular or low fat with no major taste difference.
- Lemon Zest. Part of how we make these so tasty! Did you know lemon enhances already present flavors? Just like salt, it is a balance.
- Vanilla Extract. Vanilla has a similar role to the lemon zest. It stops flavors from being flat or bland. Don’t leave it out!
- Blackberries. Or raspberries, blueberries, huckleberries, boysenberries etc.
How to make this recipe
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This next part is only a photo tutorial of the recipe steps. The full list of ingredients, quantities and instructions can be found in the printable recipe card below.
STEP 3: Get prepped
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9×13 baking pan with parchment paper, or grease (you choose). Wash your blackberries if you are using fresh ones.
STEP 2: Crust and Topping
Make the shortbread crust by pulsing flour, sugar, salt, and butter in a food processor until crumbly. Set aside 1 ½ cups for the topping, then press the rest into a baking dish and bake for 15 minutes until just lightly browned at the edges. Let it cool.
STEP 3: Make the filling
Whisk together the eggs, sugar, sour cream, flour, salt, zest, and vanilla, then gently fold in the blackberries. Pour over the cooled crust and top with the reserved crumble.
STEP 5: Bake and Cool
Bake for 45–50 minutes until the center is set and the top is golden. Let cool completely before slicing into bars – then dig in!
Kylee’s Notes
If you don’t have a food processor, no problem. You can cut the butter into the flour using two forks, or grab an inexpensive pastry blender tool.
How to store
Store Blackberry Pie Bars covered on the counter for a few days. Hide them from your family.
Substitutions/Additions
Any kind of berry does great in this recipe. Try blueberries and raspberries!
If using frozen berries, make sure to thaw and drain before using.
Other recipes you’ll love:
- Old Fashioned Buttermilk Pie. Flaky pie crust filled with a custard-like filling, that will invoke memories of times gone by.
- Apple Dumplings. Tart apples wrapped in a flaky biscuit and smothered in a buttery vanilla sauce. Topped with crunchy cinnamon sugar, this is a super easy recipe that delivers on taste!
- Blackberry Lemonade (from Yellow Bliss Road). A refreshing summer drink that celebrates the flavors or the season!
- Blackberry Upside Down Cake (from Grumpy’s Honeybunch). A delicious vanilla cake baked on top of a sweetened blackberry bottom. When flipped the blackberry bottom becomes the top.
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Blackberry Pie Bars
Recommended Equipment
Ingredients
Crust and Topping
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups granulated white sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups butter (chilled, 3 sticks)
Filling
- 4 large eggs
- 2 cups granulated white sugar
- 1 cup sour cream
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- pinch salt
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 lb blackberries (fresh)
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a 9×13 baking pan with parchment paper, or grease (you choose)
Crust and Topping
- In a food processor, pulse together the flour, sugar and salt.
- Add the butter and pulse until the butter is crumbly (about a minute)
- Reserve 1 1/2 Cups of the crust mixture (this is the topping)
- Press the remaining mixture into the baking pan (distribute evenly)
- Bake for 15 minutes – the edges should be JUST starting to brown.
- Cool.
Filling
- Whisk the eggs together in a bowl, and add the sugar, sour cream, flour, salt, zest and vanilla.
- Add the blackberries and gently fold in.
- Pour the mixture over the crust, then sprinkle the crumble topping evenly over the top.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes (until center is not jiggly).
- Cool completely before cutting into bars.
- Devour.
Notes
Nutrition Facts
Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Update: Posted in 2011, rewritten in 2016, and now reposted in August 2021 with updated photos and process shots.
30 responses
Could this recipe be used, but substitute the blackberries for blueberries?
ABSOLUTELY! I’ve done it with raspberries, and a friend of mine has done it with blueberries – and reports it works great!