Fresh Blackberry Zucchini Bars
Make these easy blackberry zucchini bars with fresh Oregon blackberries, zucchini, and oats. A delicious handheld summer dessert!
My Fresh Strawberry Crumble Bars also make a simple treat.
If you love fresh blackberry desserts and easy summer baking, these Blackberry Zucchini Bars are a recipe you'll want to keep close by. Made with juicy blackberries, shredded zucchini, flour, and hearty oats, these tender dessert bars are simple to make and perfect with a steamy cup of coffee.
There are certain desserts that seem to carry a little piece of someone with them, and for me, berry pie will always remind me of my dad. While my dad is no longer here and is enjoying his heavenly home, I was excited to add another recipe to the site that reminds me of him.
One of my dad's favorite desserts was berry pie, especially Marionberry pie, although he loved blackberry too. After Wednesday night church service, it wasn't unusual for our family to head out for pie and coffee at our local Chalet restaurant, and you could be sure my dad would order a slice of berry pie, warmed up with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Those simple evenings are some of my favorite memories.
Marionberries can be a little harder to find, but here in Oregon, blackberries seem to grow around every corner during the summer. A fresh blackberry dessert felt like the perfect way to bring those memories into my kitchen.
And while I love pie, I don't make it all that often. Give me a good handheld dessert bar any day! These Blackberry Zucchini Bars have all the things I love about a simple summer bake: juicy blackberries, tender zucchini, and a hearty combination of flour and oats that makes them sturdy enough to pick up and enjoy.
Also, zucchini is one of my favorite ingredients to sneak into baking. It adds moisture and tenderness to breads, muffins, and bars without overpowering the other flavors.
Ingredients You Need
- Fresh blackberries- Make sure the blackberries are plump and juicy for the best flavor.
- Zucchini is a way to sneak in veggies without compromising on the flavor.
- Brown sugar and granulated sugar
- All-purpose flour helps create a sturdy crust.
- Quick oats work the best for this recipes but rolled oats will work in a pinch.
- Butter- It's important the butter is cold.
- Vanilla extract
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Cinnamon
- Lemon juice to help balace out the sweetness.
How To Make Blackberry Zucchini Bars
- In a medium bowl combine shredded zucchini with white sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla extract, then fold in blackberries. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder, oats, cinnamon, brown sugar, and salt, then add cold butter cubes.
- Use a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized pieces of butter remaining.
- Scoop out a portion of the dry ingredients and toss it with the berries and zucchini.
- In a baking pan lined with parchment paper add a little more than half of the dry ingredients and press firmly in an even layer to form a base for the berries to sit on.
- Use a slotted spoon to add the berry mixture to the bottom crust, leaving behind the excess juice, then crumble the remaining dry ingredients over the berries like a crumble.
- Bake in a preheated oven set to 375℉ for 40-45 minutes or until top is golden brown. Allow to cool completely then cut into bars.
Ang's Helpful Tips For The Best Bars
- Squeeze out the zucchini moisture. Zucchini contains a lot of water, and excess moisture will make the bottom crust soggy. After shredding the zucchini, squeeze out the liquid using a layer of paper towels or a clean kitchen towel.
- Fresh blackberries work best for this recipe as frozen berries may release too must moisture during the baking time. This can cause the crust to become soggy. Although, I have not tested this recipe using frozen berries.
- Cold butter is a must. Make sure your butter is very cold before you add it to the dry ingredients. The flecks of butter will melt as the bars bake, creating tender, flaky pockets throughout the crust and topping.
- Let the bars cool before cutting. I know it's tempting to cut into them while they're still warm, but allowing the bars to cool gives them time to set. Even better, place the pan in the refrigerator after it has cooled some. You'll get cleaner slices and a better texture.
Storing Blackberry Zucchini Bars
Store leftover blackberry bars in an airtight container. Because they contain fresh zucchini and berries, I recommend refrigerating them for longer storage. Enjoy them cold from the fridge, room temperature, or warm in the microwave and top with a little vanilla ice cream, yum!
Try These Berry Treats Next
- Berry Trifle with Lemon Pound Cake
- Slow Cooker Summer Berry Cobbler
- Strawberry Pizza
- Lemon Blueberry Breakfast Cake
- Blueberry Buckle (with fresh or frozen blueberries)
Blackberry Zucchini Bars
Equipment
- 2 medium bowls
- 9×13-inch baking dish
Ingredients
Berries and Zuccnini
- 3 cups fresh blackberries
- 1 medium zucchini, shredded
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Flour and Oats
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup quick oats
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ¼ cups light brown sugar, packed
- 2 sticks, very cold salted butter, cut in small cubes 16 tbsp
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375℉. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray and press parchment paper in the bottom, leaving a little overhand on the sides to easily pull out the bars.
- Place shredded zucchini in a clean kitchen towel or a layer of paper towels and wring out the excess moisture. This should leave you with about 1 cup of zucchini.
- Add the zucchini to a medium bowl with white sugar, vanilla extract, and lemon juice. Combine together then gently fold in the blackberries. Set aside.
- In a separate medium bowl combine flour, oats, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and brown sugar. Add cold butter cubes and use a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the dry ingredients, until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized pieces of butter remaining.
- Add ½ cup of the crumb mixture to the berries and zucchini then toss together.
- Spoon a little more than ½ the crumb mixture to the bottom of your prepared baking dish. Use your clean hands or the back of a spoon to press down firmly and form an even crust.
- Next use a slotted spoon to transfer the berry mixture to the crust layer, leaving behind the excess liquid in the bowl. A little moisture is fine but too much will make the bottom crust soggy.
- Crumble the remaining crumb mixture over the top of the berries and zucchini.
- Bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes or until deep golden brown on top. Remove from the oven and cool completely.
- Slice into bars. Using the overhanging parchment paper on both ends, gently lift the bars out of the pan and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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