I look forward to a batch of these Blackberry Pecan Crumble Squares every summer when berry picking season is in full swing. But these are too good to pass up during the rest of the year, so feel free to use use your favorite jam.
Blackberry Crumble Squares are a delicious way to use fresh summer berries of any kind!
Can I just say I’m a little obsessed with Crumble bars? I’ve made them every which way, from Meyer Lemon and Apricot to my current favorite, White Peach, and I’m attached to every one of them. Today I used blackberries and pecans, because that’s what I need to use up, but feel free to experiment with other combinations of fruit and nuts. The genius of these little squares, besides the buttery nutty shortbread crust and the nubbly topping is the unexpected burst of fresh flavor that comes from using whole fruit. I can think of so many variations of fruit, jam and nuts for these bars already. I know they’re going to become regulars at our house.
Wild berries are one of the joys of summer
If you happen to have the luxury of going berry picking I’m going to go out on a limb and tell you that you MUST make these. I think they’d be amazing with wild black raspberries, or tart wild blueberries. Even better if you can get your hands on more unusual varieties like huckleberries, Olallieberries, or Marionberries. Check out my Ultimate Guide to Berry Picking to find out how you can snag yourself some fabulous local berries!
Reader Rave ~
“Just made a batch of these (yes, I’m a bit late to the party!) And they are FANTASTIC! I used blackberry with raspberry preserves (cause that’s what I had) and almonds. Amazingly easy and fast, but that cannot beat how darn delicious they are.” ~ Christine
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Blackberry Pecan Crumble Squares
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- a heaping 1/2 cup pecans plus 1/3 cup pecans, finely chopped, for topping
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- a pinch of salt
- 1 stick (8 Tbsp) unsalted butter, cut in pieces, room temperature
- 2 6 oz packs of fresh blackberries
- 1/3 cup blackberry preserves
- a squeeze of fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Set oven to 375F
- Line a 9x9 baking pan with a sling of parchment paper, edges hanging off the sides for easy removal from the pan later.
- In a food processor, pulse the flour, 1/2 cup pecans, sugars and salt a few times to combine. Add the softened butter and pulse until the butter is thoroughly incorporated and the mixture has a large moist crumb texture. Keep pulsing until there is no dry flour left.
- Measure out about 1/2 cup of the mixture for the crumb topping and set aside. Put the rest in your lined pan. Spread it out and pat down the crust with your hands or the back of a measuring cup. Press firmly and get it evenly distributed.
- Bake the crust for 15 minutes.
- Pinch the remaining crumb mixture together with your fingertips to form larger crumbs for the crumble topping. Set aside.
- Process the fresh berries and the preserves in the processor briefly to break down the fruit.
- Put the mixture in a saucepan and heat to simmering. Let it bubble away gently until the mixture thickens a bit. This took me about 20 minutes since my berries released a lot of liquid. Take off the heat and add the splash of lemon juice.
- Spread out the fruit evenly over the crust.
- Top with the remaining crumble mixture, and then the 1/3 cup finely chopped pecans.
- Bake for 20 minutes.
- Cool completely before cutting.
notes and variations
- All kind of berries and stone fruit work well in these bars.
- Try walnuts in place of the pecans.
- You might try mixing and matching the fresh fruit with different types of jam for unusual flavors.
Don’t forget to these Blackberry Pecan Crumble Squares!
26 Comments
Mary P.
April 20, 2013 at 11:00 pmJust made a batch of these (yes, I’m a bit late to the party!) And they are FANTASTIC! I used BlackBerry with raspberry preserves (cause that’s what i had) and almonds. Amazingly easy and fast, but that cannot beat how darn delicious they are.
vianney
April 28, 2012 at 1:20 amgood luck with your move…we are in the process alos… so exciting!! I love these bars and I knwo I will make them soon!!
Kathy
April 26, 2012 at 4:17 pmOh my…these look incredible! Blackberries and raspberries are my favorite! Delicious! Good luck with your move!
BeetleBuggy
April 24, 2012 at 1:10 amI could eat a bunch of these right about now…give me any berry crumble to eat and I’ll inhale it!
grace
April 23, 2012 at 7:31 pmthese are some lookers, for sure! happy and safe travels, sue. 🙂
Barbara
April 23, 2012 at 11:32 amYou chose a winner as your last recipe from your old kitchen! It looks wonderful!
I wish you luck with your move and can’t wait to read updates!
Jacquelyn Grandy
April 23, 2012 at 5:09 amThese look wonderful Sue! Best of luck on your journey west.
Mary
April 23, 2012 at 4:40 amWhat a lovely last recipe from your old home. I can’t wait to see what you share with us when you are settled in your new home. I hope you have a great day and a smooth move. Blessings…Mary
PastriesandPairs
April 22, 2012 at 4:58 pmThese look amazing! I found your blog because of your Cookie Wars submission–so glad I did! Would love it if you followed my blog as well! http://pastriesandpairs.wordpress.com/
Can’t wait to see what you make next!
Sue/the view from great island
April 22, 2012 at 4:04 pmThanks for the good wishes everyone! I’m experiencing blogging withdrawal already, I can’t wait to get to a new kitchen.
Cathy
April 21, 2012 at 7:05 pmYour poignant post has me tearing up-have a good trip and see you soon!
Katie
April 21, 2012 at 4:46 pmThese bars are just gorgeous. Safe travels!
Sarah
April 20, 2012 at 7:33 pmI sure would love to have one…or more! Have a safe trip, Sue!
Stephanie
April 21, 2012 at 12:45 amI love Amy’s blog too. I found her just as we both started our blogs, right around the time I found yours! And you’re right, I see a lot of similarities between you both. Most times I find myself drooling over your photographs. These look fabulous and I love blackberries. Good luck with your move! You are very ambitious to be blogging from the road!
Mary
April 20, 2012 at 9:23 pmThese bars look perfect for a spring dessert! Safe travels, Sue. Looking forward to hearing some updates from the road.
Nessa Robins
April 20, 2012 at 8:44 pmThese look so delicious! Wishing you all the best with your move!
Claudia
April 20, 2012 at 11:49 amI am now wishing I had some blackberries to use up – how welcoming this is! Wishing you safe and easy travels!
A Trifle Rushed
April 20, 2012 at 5:08 pmWishing you a safe journey. What a delightful last bake in your present kitchen. I’ll have to wait until August for blackberries here, but will try these delectable bars then.
Tricia @ saving room for dessert
April 20, 2012 at 4:23 pmBest wishes on your travels! This is a beautiful dessert. I may have to give this a try with a gluten free version 🙂 Thanks and be safe!
Amy
April 20, 2012 at 3:51 pmAh thanks Sue for all the kind words! I feel the same way about your blog. Just on your last post I had one of those “damn, wish I thought of that” moments because I have been absolutely loving Turkish spices and flavors lately — those stuffed eggplants are on my list for the summer.
And I’m so glad you liked these bars. I’ve been itching to try a berry/blueberry combination, it’s nice to see that they turn out great. The purple is beautiful!
Averie @ Averie Cooks
April 20, 2012 at 3:15 pmSafe travels to CA! I live in San Diego, so here’s a welcome and a greeting from CA!
I made some blackberry/mixed berry crumble bars last week. Yours look to die for good!
Hungry Dog
April 20, 2012 at 3:14 pmI’m going to make these either today or this weekend–they look amazing!
Safe travels!!
Alyce
April 20, 2012 at 1:13 pmLove anything with blackberrie!
Safe travels.
From Beyond My Kitchen Window
April 20, 2012 at 12:41 pmOh boy do these look good. The color is gorgeous. Have a safe trip and I am looking forward to hearing about your new kitchen in California.
DaniBP
April 20, 2012 at 11:49 amThis recipe looks amazing, thanks so much.
Safe travels to you, may it all go well and may you have fun along the way. Looking forward to your arrival in California!
Ocean Breezes and Country Sneezes
April 20, 2012 at 11:34 amWhat a delicious recipe you’ve made for your road trip! Hope to hear from you when you settle in CA! Travel safely!