Blueberry Curd Bars
Silky smooth, very berry blueberry curd baked onto a thick layer of buttery lemon shortbread.
Silky smooth, very berry blueberry curd baked onto a thick layer of buttery lemon shortbread.
Even Better Blueberry Bars
It’s not the first time I’ve redone an older recipe, but I think it’s the first I’ve decided to address it in this way, with a new recipe and post. There is already a blueberry lemon curd bar recipe on this site, but here we are with an updated version. I didn’t want to change the original, it yields a better balance of lemon to blueberry (these here are much more berry forward) and since that recipe is older and has already been enjoyed by many, I didn’t want to change what may have become a staple for some readers.
That said; there were issues that kept coming up with those bars: how much resulting lemon blueberry juice should be used for the curd, and more worryingly, the bars were often not setting, even after baked. We’re going to rectify both of those things by using my new blueberry curd recipe, which is built to be made as *both* a spread (albeit a thicker one) and will bake nicely as bars or even a pie.
So how do we make these better blueberry curd bars?
Here I’m sticking with the initial formula but simplified: we’re throwing everything in a food processor and letting it do the work for us. Then, press it into the base of the pan and bake it.
Now you already have the blueberry curd recipe, maybe you’ve even made it already? All the tips and ingredient info you need is on that page.
But for these bars we’re going to add a bit more starch, to help them really ‘set’ so we’ll get some gorgeous clean cuts. Yes, you can whisk in the starch AFTER you’ve made the curd, when it’s completely cold, isn’t that awesome?!
Then bake! Take them out when only the center jiggles. The edges should be set. The rest will become more solid after you take it out of the oven and it cools. Chill, then slice!
Ok, cool…, what about BLUEBERRY MERINGUE BARS?
Yes, we’ve done it! Bake the bars as directed below and then make a meringue to top them with. Use the meringue from this recipe. For the ones you see in the photo, I added some blueberry powder (from ground and sifted freeze dried blueberries). It didn’t fully dissolve but it did flavor it (and turned parts of the meringue blue, lol!). If I did it again I’d make this meringue, using blueberry juice – that meringue works better because it’s naturally wetter so the powder will get absorbed (you could also skip the powder in this case as the juice will give it flavor).
See also
Blueberry Curd Bar Recipe
Blueberry Curd Bars
Ingredients
- 160 g all purpose flour
- 50 g granulated sugar
- 25 g powdered sugar
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
- Zest of two lemons
- 140 g butter unsalted, cold and sliced
- Blueberry Curd from this recipe
- ½ tablespoon tapioca or cornstarch
Method
- Make the blueberry curd from this recipe. It can be made a day or up to two weeks ahead of time.
- Line an 8x8” or 9x9” square pan with parchment paper (two sheets so you have an overhang which you can use as a sling to lift it from). Preheat the oven to 350 F.
- In a food processor, add the dry ingredients and pulse just to mix it all. Add the butter and pulse until it comes together in a rough ball. Press the dough into the bottom of the pan into an even layer - take your time packing it in and smoothing it down.
- Bake the shortbread for 25-30 minutes until it’s nicely browned on the edges.
- Whisk the tapioca or cornstarch into the blueberry curd until it’s well mixed. Pour over the cooked shortbread (while it’s hot) and tilt the pan to get it into an even layer. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the edges are set and only the center jiggles.
- Chill in the fridge for a few hours before serving. Slice with a hot, dry knife for clean cuts.
Did you make this recipe?
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I made these bars for the first time to use up a surplus of blueberries. I love love lemon bars, and these turned out just as delicious and were so easy to make. After making the curd, I’m anxious to try some other berry curd flavors.
I did have some user error in that I didn’t clock the lemon zest as part of the “dry ingredients” in step 3. It all worked out though; I ended up using the zest to garnish the top and they were still so much fun to eat.
Absolutely delightful. Made this recipe for a family gathering and everyone enjoyed the flavors. The blueberry curd I could just eat by the spoonful. You never fail to impress, Sam!
These look so good!
I was just wondering how long these would keep without the meringue?
And then how long with these keep with meringue?
without the meringue they’ll last a week probably (in the fridge), only put the meringue on the day of serving. overnight it tends to separate
These are seriously delicious! I want to make these with every fruit possible. My favorite part is that they’re the perfect sweetness level.
Thanks so much for sharing
Can I use the raspberry curd recipe instead of the blueberry??
You can! I’d increase the starch to 1 tablespoon, the raspberry curd is thinner
These are delicious! Topped with toasted meringue and the whole family loves them. Thanks for another wonderful recipe!
Loved this recipe! Sam’s curd technique is super easy and did really well here. I used fresh-picked blueberries for the curd and had slightly less lemon juice than called for. It was still really great. I added the half tbsp of corn starch, but felt like the next time I make this I’ll add a bit more than half. I wanted the set to be a touch firmer without feeling like the curd was in the oven too long. I think it was in there with the curd for about 19 minutes total. They taste great- sharp, sweet, buttery- and I will certainly make again.
How much of the blueberry curd do I need please?
The full amount from the recipe linked
Hi, how much Blueberry juice is needed if using for merengue in place of freeze dried Blueberrys?
Ria, I just added the link to the cranberry blueberry pie which has the instructions for that meringue.