Ingredients:
Crust/ Crumble Topping:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Berry Filling:
- 1 pint fresh blueberries (about 2 cups)
- 6 ounces fresh raspberries (about 1 cup)
- 6 ounces fresh blackberries (about 1 cup)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
Instructions:
Preheat oven:
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease and flour a 9×13-inch baking pan.
Make the crust/topping:
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugars, baking powder, and salt.
- Cut in cold butter using a pastry blender or your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized pieces.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and vanilla extract.
- Stir the egg mixture into the dry ingredients until just combined—the dough will be crumbly.
- Reserve about 1 1/2 cups of the crumb mixture for the topping. Press the remaining dough into the bottom of the prepared baking pan.
Prepare the berry filling:
- In a medium bowl, gently toss together blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and lemon zest.
Assemble the bars:
- Spread the berry filling evenly over the crust in the pan.
- Crumble the reserved crumb mixture evenly over the top of the berries.
Bake:
- Bake for 35-45 minutes or until the filling is bubbly and the topping is golden brown.
Cool and serve:
- Let the bars cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before cutting into squares.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature.
Tips:
- Fresh vs. Frozen Berries: You can use fresh or frozen berries. If using frozen, don’t thaw them before adding to the filling.
- Make it Gluten-Free: Easily adapt this by using a gluten-free 1:1 baking flour blend.
- Add a touch of spice: Include a pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg in the crumb topping for extra warm flavor.
- Serving suggestions: Enjoy these bars warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.
