Crumble bars are the ultimate summer dessert. They are flakey, fruity, and crumbly and the perfect cross between a pie and a crumble.
Can't decide between making a pie or a crumble? Well, I have the solution for you: Crumble Bars. The bars have three distinct layers—shortbread, fruit, and a crumb topping. They are super versatile, easy to make, and, most importantly, a true crowd-pleaser.
Fruit Crumble Bar Recipe
When making the crumble bars, I tend to choose fruit that is in season. Peaches, cherries, and blueberries in the summer, and apples and dates in the fall. Pretty much whatever fruit is in season will work in between those layers.
Okay, so let's get back to those layers. The bottom layer and the base of the bars are brown butter shortbread. Could you make these with regular butter? For sure. Would they be as good? Definitely not. The brown butter gives the flakey bottom an extra boost and caramelizes the butter. The flavors are rich and the perfect partner for the next layer.
Looking for more summer desserts? My Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Sandwiches and Peach Cobbler Cookies are super tasty choices.
Why I Love These Fruit Crumble Bars
- Seasonal and Customizable - I love to pick out seasonal fruit for the fruit layer of these crumble bars. Basically, any seasonal fruit will be a tasty filling.
- Easy To Make - The bars are simple to make and don't take a lot of time to put together in the kitchen.
- Super Gooey Filling - The fruit bakes up so ooey and gooey in the middle of the bars making a truly mouthwatering bite.
Ingredients To Make Fruit Crumble Bars
- Brown Butter - The browned butter takes the butter up a notch with caramelized notes.
- All-purpose flour - For both the crust and the topping.
- Seasonal fruits - cherries and peaches are the pick for these bars.
- Lemon juice - balances out the fruit flavor.
- Cinnamon - In both the crust and the crumb topping.
- Brown sugar - Give the crumb topping a deep and sweet flavor.
Directions For How To Make Fruit Crumble Bars
- Prepare.
Preheat the oven to 350 and prepare an 8x8 pan with butter or parchment.
- Brown the butter.
In a small saucepan, brown the butter. Once the butter is melted, it will start to foam and then brown. Once brown, place in a heat-proof bowl and then in the freezer to firm up.
- Make the shortbread crust.
Combine the dry ingredients and whisk together. Add in the butter and egg, and use a pastry cutter or fork to combine the ingredients.
- Prepare the fruit.
Cut the fruit into small chunks and toss with lemon juice. Set to the side.
- Make the crumb topping.
Combine the ingredients for the crumb topping and mix with a fork to form the crumbs.
- Assemble the bars.
Place the shortbread mixture into the prepared pan and press down to form a flat layer. Place the fruit on top of the shortbread layer, followed by the crumb topping.
- Bake the bars.
Bake the bars for 45-55 minutes. The fruit will be bubbling on the side when ready. Let cool before cutting.
Make-Ahead and Storage Recommendations
These fruit bars are best made fresh but can be made one or two days ahead of time if needed. Either keep the bars in the pan and cover with foil or place the bars in an airtight container. The bars will last for about 3-4 days cooking before getting too mushy.
Tips and Variations
- Don't Overload The Fruit. Don't overdo it with the fruit. Too much fruit will make the layers uneven and overly mushy.
- Skip The Brown Butter - Don't have time to make the brown butter? No problem. Regular butter will work just fine in this recipe.
- Add More Flour - If the crumbs look a little mushy and seem more like a paste than a crumb, add more flour to the crumbs. Add a spoonful in at a time until the crumbs form.
FAQs
Yes, frozen fruit will work but you will need to let it thaw before adding it to the bars. Let the fruit thaw and then drain them so extra moisture doesn't make them soggy. Use fresh fruit when available.
While you can freeze the fruit crumble bars, the texture of them will change.
Summer Crumble Bars
Ingredients
Shortbread Crust
- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
Fruit Filling
- 2-3 peaches sliced and pitted
- 1 cup chopped cherries, pitted
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
Crumb Topping
- 1 cup, plus 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons cinnamon
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
- Set the oven to 350°. Prepare a 9x13 baking dish. Set aside.
- In a small saucepan, melt the butter until brown. In order to keep the butter from burning, keep the temperature around medium/low. Once the butter is melted, it will start to foam. At this stage, make sure you are keeping an eye on the butter and giving it a consistent stir. After the foam, the butter will turn a golden color and then turn brown. Once the butter has a nutty smell, it is ready and can be taken off the heat. Be careful during the last step as it can go from brown to burnt real fast. Once cool, transfer the butter to a bowl and place in the freezer so it can solidify.
- While the butter is in the freezer, make the shortbread. In a large bowl, combine the sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Whisk and set aside.
- Once the butter is ready, add the butter and the egg into the flour mixture and combine using a pastry blender or your fingers. You want the pieces to be crumbly, but mixed. The flour mixture should have a sandy texture when done.
- Next, cut the fruit and place in a medium bowl with the lemon juice. Set aside to let the fruit marinade.
- Next, make the crumb topping. In a medium-sized bowl combine the remaining flour, brown sugar, salt, and melted butter. Mix with a fork until crumbs start to form.
- Take the flour mixture and firmly press it into the prepared pan. Try to get an even layer across so the bars will sit flat.
- Once the shortbread is ready, place the fruit on top, spreading it out evenly. Follow behind with the crumb topping.
- Place the dish in the oven and let bake for 45-55 minutes. The bars will be done when the fruit is leaking into the top layer and the crumbs have a golden brown tint.
- Let the bars cool completely before cutting.
Summer Crumble Bars
Ingredients
Shortbread Crust
- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
Fruit Filling
- 2-3 peaches sliced and pitted
- 1 cup chopped cherries, pitted
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
Crumb Topping
- 1 cup, plus 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons cinnamon
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
- Set the oven to 350°. Prepare a 9x13 baking dish. Set aside.
- In a small saucepan, melt the butter until brown. In order to keep the butter from burning, keep the temperature around medium/low. Once the butter is melted, it will start to foam. At this stage, make sure you are keeping an eye on the butter and giving it a consistent stir. After the foam, the butter will turn a golden color and then turn brown. Once the butter has a nutty smell, it is ready and can be taken off the heat. Be careful during the last step as it can go from brown to burnt real fast. Once cool, transfer the butter to a bowl and place in the freezer so it can solidify.
- While the butter is in the freezer, make the shortbread. In a large bowl, combine the sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Whisk and set aside.
- Once the butter is ready, add the butter and the egg into the flour mixture and combine using a pastry blender or your fingers. You want the pieces to be crumbly, but mixed. The flour mixture should have a sandy texture when done.
- Next, cut the fruit and place in a medium bowl with the lemon juice. Set aside to let the fruit marinade.
- Next, make the crumb topping. In a medium-sized bowl combine the remaining flour, brown sugar, salt, and melted butter. Mix with a fork until crumbs start to form.
- Take the flour mixture and firmly press it into the prepared pan. Try to get an even layer across so the bars will sit flat.
- Once the shortbread is ready, place the fruit on top, spreading it out evenly. Follow behind with the crumb topping.
- Place the dish in the oven and let bake for 45-55 minutes. The bars will be done when the fruit is leaking into the top layer and the crumbs have a golden brown tint.
- Let the bars cool completely before cutting.
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