Pi day is upon us (March 14)! Which means pies must be made and eaten. Sometimes a whole pie is a bit much. Especially during a global pandemic. But this is no reason not to celebrate. Make these delicious blueberry lemon pie bars. This recipe is a small batch made in a loaf pan, so it’s just the right size for you and a few lucky friends. Or just you.
Check out my other small batch recipes here:
This recipe was adapted from Joy the Baker’s Cherry Pie Bars.
Small Batch Blueberry Lemon Pie Bars
Made in a loaf pan, this small batch recipe features a buttery, soft crust and a gooey lemon filling, generously studded with blueberries and topped with a crumble.
Ingredients
Crust / Topping
- 6 Tablespoons (85 g) butter, room temperature
- ¼ cup + 2 Tablespoons (38 g) icing sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 Tablespoons rolled oats
Filling
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup + 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 3 Tablespoons (23 g) all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup fresh or frozen blueberries
Instructions
Crust / Topping
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line a loaf pan with a strip of parchment paper that hangs over the edges. Grease the paper and the exposed edges of the loaf pan with cooking spray or butter.
- In a small bowl, combine the butter, icing sugar, flour, salt, and lemon zest. Mix together using your fingers until you have a shaggy dough with big clumps of butter. The flour won't be mixed in completely either. Remove ⅓ cup of this mixture and place in another small bowl with the rolled oats and mix them together to create the crumble topping. Set aside.
- Continue to mix the remaining dough for the crust with your hands or a spoon until a soft, homogeneous dough forms. Dump the dough into the prepared pan. Rub your hands with flour, then press the dough into an even layer to the edges of the pan. Sprinkle a little more flour on your hands or on the top of the dough if the it is very sticky.
- Bake the crust for 12-15 minutes or until edges begin to brown. Meanwhile, prepare filling.
Filling
- In a small bowl (you can use the same one that you prepared the crust in), whisk together the egg, sugar, flour, sour cream or yogurt, lemon juice, and salt until mixture is smooth.
- Once crust is cooked, sprinkle the top evenly with the blueberries. Pour the filling mixture over the top, making sure it is evenly spread and that the blueberries are evenly distributed. Sprinkle the crumble topping mixture over the top and bake for 25-30 minutes. It should look set when you gently shake the pan. There might be a little jiggle in the centre but not much.
- Let cool for at least an hour before slicing. Serve cool or room temperature. Store in the refrigerator.