These super easy Blackberry Pie Bars are a real treat with a buttery shortbread crust, a berry packed fruit filling and a secretly easy lattice crust.
Happy Wednesday! I hope you are prepared for some serious blackberry goodness.
Tell me, are you a berry lover? I am obsessed! I have been on a real berry kick lately. Did you see the Skinny Blackberry Lemonade? Or perhaps the indulgent Raspberry Blondies I posted on Friday? You would think that would be enough but noooo. I always need more!
Enter Blackberry Pie Bars. Be still my heart. There really is nothing better and they are easy, I promise.
Wednesday is a good day for sweets right? I mean, its hump day and basically not Friday which means you really need a pick me up. Sugar is the answer. Maybe in the form of a vanilla bean frappuccino with LOTS of caramel. And a blackberry pie bar, or maybe two. I won’t tell. 😉
So let’s talk pie, or actually crust. A really yummy shortbread crust to be exact. Super easy and soooo good! Shortbread and blackberry is just a brilliant combo and you haven’t lived until you have tried it. I make mine by hand with a pastry cutter but you can feel free to use a food processor to make things extra easy.
The blackberry part of this recipe couldn’t be any simpler. It is fresh blackberries and good quality blackberry jam. See? Simple. I always wonder what people mean when they say good quality. So I just take that as: use a product that you really love. My favorite jam is the Knotts kind. It was a farm stand in Southern California that sold homemade jams. Eventually it became a restaurant and amusement park. Anyway, short story aside, they make some killer jam. It is sold in most major grocery stores. I am addicted to the Boysenberry variety and of course the Blackberry Jam.
Okay lets get on to the lattice crust. Have you made one before? It is sooooo easy! If you are feeling skeptical, just watch a you tube video. There are a million! If you want to go the really simple route watch this video. I really wanted to challenge myself so I made the traditional crust. The first trick is to use a cold dough. If it has softened too much it will be difficult to cut and hard to work with. I used a ruler to cut the dough into three quarter inch strips but you can estimate if you’d like. Place half of the cut strips onto a piece of parchment paper. Fold back every other strip and lay one of the remaining strips onto the flat pie strips. Lay the folded up strips back down and fold up the strips that you didn’t pull up previously. Lay another of the remaining strips across the strips lying flat. Repeat the process until the lattice crust is complete. I found that transferring the dough onto the pie pan was much easier if you pop the lattice crust into the freezer for a few minutes to slightly harden. Next, you just transfer the crust onto the top of the blackberry filling and bake until it is golden and bubbly.
You will be in absolute heaven and so will anyone you happen to share with. But if you don’t share, I won’t tell. 😉
- Shortbread Crust:
- 2½ Cups All-Purpose Flour
- ⅔ Cup Sugar
- ¼ Teaspoon Salt
- 2½ Sticks Unsalted Butter (18 Tablespoons), very cold and cut into small cubes
- Blackberry Filling:
- 1 Cup Fresh Blackberries
- 1 Cup Seedless Blackberry Jam
- Lattice Crust:
- 1 Pie Crust, homemade or refrigerated (I used Pillsbury)
- 1 Egg, beaten
- Preheat the oven to 375°. Line a 9"x13" pan with foil. Spray with cooking spray. Set aside. In a bowl combine flour, sugar, and the salt. With a pastry cutter or two forks, cut in the cold butter cubes. The mixture should be crumbly.
- Press the flour mixture into the prepared pan and bake for 15-18 minutes or until the edges of the crust have become a light golden brown.
- Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine the blackberries and the jam. Mash the berries with a fork slightly to break into small pieces. Set aside.
- On a floured surface, roll out the the pie crust ever so slightly. Using a ruler (or just eyeball it) cut the strips into ½ inch pieces with a sharp knife or a pizza cutter.
- On a piece of parchment paper, lay out half of the pie crust strips with about a ½ inch gap between each strip.
- Fold up every other strip and lay one of the remaining crust strips across the still laid flat strips. Lay the folded up strips back down and repeat, this time folding up each piece that you didn't fold up before. Repeat until you have reached the bottom.
- Transfer the pie crust (on the parchment paper) into the freezer for a 10 minutes to firm up.
- Meanwhile, lightly spread the blackberry filling evenly over the top of the hot shortbread crust.
- Using a large spatula, transfer the prepared lattice crust on top of the blackberry filling. Trim any excess off of the crust. Brush the beaten egg on top of the lattice crust. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the filling is bubbly and the crust is golden brown.
- Allow the bars to cool completely before cutting.
Other Yummy Desserts:
These bars are just gorgeous, Mariah! Pie bars are my favorite to whip up since they’re so easy! And the lattice crust takes these cuties to a whole new level. Pinned!
Thanks for pinning Gayle!!
I love berries too! I also love this lattic action on these blackberry bars. What a creative idea that adds an extra special touch. Beautiful!
Thanks Rachelle!
WOW! Do these ever look good! I cannot believe how perfect your lattice work is!
Thanks Kacey! Lattice work is really so easy!
Mariah, these look so gorgeous! I absolutely love blackberry pie!
Mariah, these are just too cute! I love blackberries too, and this looks like the most delicious way possible to enjoy them!
Your dessert recipes make me rethink my aversion towards banking anything (even boxed cake mixes). Seriously! These are absolutely gorg. The fact that you busted out a ruler to get those perfect 1/2 inch pieces makes me love this even more!
so pretty Mariah! and that lattice is beautiful! Pinning 🙂
Mariah! These bars are simply amazing! I love that you did a lattice crust. So pretty. I must make these memorial day weekend!
These are gorgeous! Bring on all the berry recipes — I love them! Pinned 🙂
Love the lattice top! These bars are stunning, your photos are amazing 🙂
Thanks Medha!!
OMG yum. I saw blackberries the other day at Sams CLub. I am totally going to make these.
Wow, these are GORGEOUS!
I love blackberry pie but I am no good at pie crust, yours looks just perfect!
Yes, I am a berry lover, and these blackberry pie bars look dreamy! Your lattice work looks so good, and makes these bars look amazing!
I love blackberries, these sound delicious and are so pretty too! We have our own blackberry bushes and make our own jam, so I will have to try these when blackberry season finally arrives here in New England.
Oh my goodness! I would love to make homemade jam. I sooo wish I had my own berry bushes! So fun!
Mariah, oh my goodness, your lattice top is perfect!!! like perfect!!!! love these blackberry pie bars!!! perfect for Memorial Day weekend!!!
These bars are so gorgeous, Mariah! I love blackberry pie and everything just seems better in bar form. Thanks for the tutorial on making the lattice crust too, it’s something I need to learn!
Ahhh Mariah! These pie bars look INCREDIBLE. That lattice is perfection, and blackberry pie!? Yummm!
Thanks Alyssa!!
WOW! Blackerries, shortbread crust and lattice work. These are beautiful and if I had more confidence in my baking skills, I would make these in a heart beat. I need to work my way up to these, but I will. I want them.
It is so easy! I promise if you try it you will no longer be intimidated by a lattice crust!;-)
Oh my gosh, girl! These bars are seriously a work of art! You truly are a master with the lattice! Send some of your talent my way?? These gorgeous bars look like the perfect way to get your summer pie fix without all the fuss! Love it. 🙂
OMG Sarah you wouldn’t believe how easy the lattice crust is! This is nothing compared to your homemade bagels. THAT was an accomplishment! 😉
Wow, these are beautiful, Mariah! I don’t have the patience for that lattice top, but I sure love looking at yours 🙂
Thanks Andi! The lattice crust is so easy! Seriously!
Hi Mariah, these look delicious! Do I need to line the pan with foil or can I press the dough directly onto the pan? Thank you
Hi Loly!! I always line the pan with foil because it makes it so much easier to get the bars out. But if you would like to just spray the pan with cooking spray, that would work too! Enjoy! I would love to hear how you like them!
These pies are gorgeous, Mariah! I can’t get enough of berries lately too and these pie bars are the perfect way to enjoy them. Love the lattice crust! Pinned!
Thanks Kelly!!
Mmm, blackberries are so good right now! I wish I had a piece of this right now!
Lattice crusts are sooo pretty! I love doing them, it’s so therapeutic 🙂 And these pie bars Mariah – gorgeous!!
Those pie bars look SO delicious, Mariah!! And I love the lattice topping – it looks so pretty! Pinned 🙂
So creative! Gorgeous pictures Mariah! Pinned!
These are so pretty, Mariah! I love the lattice top– it’s so perfect! And the filling sounds so yummy.
Confusion…I have never made a pie! And another confusion…I prefer graham cracker crust to the classic pie crust. I know…I know! Its a sin but these bars are tempting me to run to my kitchen to make one! You make it look so easy. Just hope mine turns out as beautiful as yours 🙂
I loveeeee a good graham cracker crust! Pie is so easy! Seriously. Especially these bars 😉 And I bet yours would turn out even better!
I am making these right now – don;t see instructions for the 1/4 cup of brown sugar?