Soft bite-sized cake bars topped with a smear of lemon curd, then packed with blueberries and peaches, and finished with a crumb topping.
Clearly I was in a fruit bar mood when I chose this recipe. No not the kind that serves drinks where singles mingle. I'm talking food here. Dessert or breakfast bars. I think I chose my Secret Recipe Club recipe the same day I signed up a recipe for #SundaySupper, when I chose to make Apple Pie Bars. Which is all to try to explain why I haven't made any bars in about 2 years, and now I've posted two on back-to-back days.
But they're very different from each other. Yesterday's was more of a traditional fruit bar with 3 distinct layers - bottom crust, fruit filling, and crumble topping. Today's little Blueberry Lemon Bars are more like a sponge cake covered with berries and then finished with a crumb topping. But both can be eaten while walking out the door in the morning. And both are addictive.
And if you like lemon bars, and I think most everyone does, these lemon coconut shortbread squares are absolutely delicious.
Blueberry-Lemon Bars (with Coconut)
Ingredients
Bars
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 4 tablespoon coconut oil
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup coconut sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 3 tablespoon lemon curd
- 1 ½ cups blueberries
- 1 peach pitted, peeled, and sliced
Crumb Topping
- 6 tablespoon room-temperature butter
- ½ cup coconut sugar
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
Bars
- Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan with some butter, and line the bottom with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides. Butter the parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk ¾ cup of the flour with the baking powder and salt. Using a standing mixer, beat the butter and coconut oil together until fluffy with the paddle attachment, about 3 - 5 minutes. Add the sugars and the vanilla extract, and continue to beat until completely incorporated into the butter.
- Add one egg at a time, beating well after each addition. Fold in the dry ingredients all at once using a spatula. Work the batter only until the flour in completely mixed into the batter.
- Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan and lightly top with the lemon curd. Sprinkle with the blueberries and peach slivers. Finish with the Crumb Topping (recipe below).
- Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs attached, 40 to 45 minutes. Cool in pan for 15 minutes and pull out using the paper overhang. Cool completely and cut into squares.
Crumb Topping
- Melt the butter in the microwave oven, using a small microwave-safe bowl, Whisk in the coconut sugar, flour, and salt until large moist crumbs form.
Dorothy at Shockingly Delicious
Lyrical!
Lauren Everson
Fruit bars are so fun! I have a blueberry bar recipe on my blog that was one of my early posts and it's still my most popular post. I think you hit a gold mine here. Happy reveal day!
Wendy, A Day in the Life on the Farm
I love grab as you run out the door breakfasts. I always think of muffins but bars are a great idea.
Emily @ Life on Food
Bars are always a good treat. These blueberry lemon ones look fantastic. I could take some of these any day.
Kim (Feed Me, Seymour)
I love the coconut! I've seen lots of blueberry lemon flavors and they are always delicious. But the coconut in this is really doing it for me!
Tara
Such a perfect end to summer. I have never made fruit bars. Definitely need to change that.
Rebekah @ Making Miracles
Mmmm... those look fantastic!! Great pick for reveal day! 🙂
Erin @ The Spiffy Cookie
Blueberry lemon and coconut all in one bar. I approve! Great pick.
SallyBR
You and I had similar choices, blueberries in delicious forms!
Have a great Reveal Day!
Jess @ Flying on Jess Fuel
These look amazing. Blueberry coffee cake is one of my favorite breakfast indulgences... I love the addition of lemon and coconut!!
Sarah | Curious Cuisiniere
These look delicious! Great pic!
Lynn @ Turnips 2 Tangerines
One of my favorite flavor combo's Lemon and Blueberry~ Lynn @ Turnips 2 Tangerines
cheri
Hi Susan, what a great fruit bar, I use coconut oil all the time but never coconut sugar, will have to try it.
lapadia
Wonderful recipe, Susan. Love the coconut sugar usage!
apuginthekitchen
You are killing me with the delicious fruit bars, first apple now blueberry lemon, Susan they are wonderful. What a great treat.
Norma Chang
Love your coconut oil substitute, does it change the texture of the finished product? I imagine it would make the bars more moist.
Melissa
This sounds like a perfect combination of flavors. These may be dessert, but I'd definitely eat them for breakfast, too! Awesome pick this month 🙂
Oui, Chef
Lemon and blueberries are so good together, bet these are awesome!
April
Blueberries and lemon just go together in baked goods. These look delicious, and I can totally see myself popping 2 or 3 or even 4 of these in my mouth for breakfast, along with my morning coffee.
Choc Chip Uru
These lemon bars look delicious, I really like the flavour combo! Perfect for uni 😀
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
nicole @ I am a Honey Bee
Fantastic pic.
I've never used coconut sugar, sounds pretty cool to use that in these bars.
Karen @ Karen's Kitchen Stories
I love Jamie's blog! These sound amazing!
Shikha @ Shikha la mode
Blueberry and coconut are a great combination!
laurasmess
Blueberry and lemon is such a winning combination, I love it - whether it be in ice cream, fruit bars like these or (my favourite) in an oaty fruit crumble! Yum. Yours look perfect Susan! x
Jaime @ Mom's Test Kitchen
You made the bars look so good! And I love that you added the lemon curd & the coconut! Now I want to try your version! 🙂
Michelle @ The Complete Savorist
What a fun group to be part of. These look so delicious.
The Food Hunter
Thy look yummy
Diane {Created by Diane}
I just love lemon and blueberry together and WOW coconut...these must be fabulous!!!
Yankee Kitchen Ninja (Julianne)
Awesome! And I love that they're made with coconut oil. And, coincidentally, I was just visiting Jamie's blog before I visited yours!
Jamie | My Baking Addiction
I adore the lemon-blueberry combo and these bars look absolutely delicious.
Susan
Blueberry and lemon are my favorite flavors and I love the addition of the lemon curd. Definitely a little different in a traditional cake-esque bar. Keep on making them Susan, they look great.