Easter Archives - The Almond Eater

Blueberry Pie Bars

Erin Alvarez — Thu, 17 Jul 2025 09:00:22 +0000

Why make a blueberry pie when you can whip up these Blueberry Pie Bars in half the time? Made with an ooey gooey blueberry filling and a buttery brown sugar streusel, they’re an easy and berrylicious way to use up your fresh summer blueberries.

If you love blueberry pie but not the work that comes with making a homemade pie crust, then you’ll definitely get a kick out of these Blueberry Pie Bars. They’re a sweet and berrylicious treat that tastes just like blueberry pie!

Instead of mixing, kneading, and chilling pie dough, this recipe begins with a simple brown sugar oat streusel that doubles as the crust and crumbly topping. It’s easy to make in one bowl with 8 pantry staple ingredients and is combined with the juicy blueberry filling to make every bar feel like a slice of blueberry pie.

These bars check every box on the “perfect summer treat” list: quick and easy to make, full of berrylicious flavors, and great for passing around to family and friends!

Wait… do you still have more blueberries to use up? No problem. Just blend them into this strawberry blueberry smoothie for a quick breakfast or bake them into this impressive lemon blueberry cake.

Recipe features

As gooey and sweet as blueberry pie, but much easier to make!
Fresh blueberries baked with a buttery and crumbly oat crust.
Easy to make gluten-free and vegan!
A perfect summer treat to share with friends and family, just like my cherry crumb bars and no bake chocolate pretzel bars.

Ingredients

Flour – I used all-purpose flour because it gave me a soft and tender crust every time. A gluten-free 1:1 baking flour should work as a substitute. See the Variations for more on this.

Sugar – Brown sugar is best, but cane sugar or coconut sugar will work well, too.

Oats – Opt for old-fashioned rolled oats. Their hearty shape helps hold the crust together and gives it a nice chew.

Butter – Unsalted melted butter is combined with the crust for moisture and tenderness. Salted butter also works here, but you’ll need to omit the ½ tsp salt from the crust.

Blueberries – Fresh blueberries are best! The best blueberries will be easy to find at the farmer’s market or grocery store during summer when they’re in season. However, if you’re making these outside of blueberry season, frozen blueberries do work as a substitute (head to the FAQs below for more on this).

Lemon juice – Lemon and blueberries are a match made in heaven. The tart lemon cuts through the sweetness in the blueberry filling, balancing every bite. Feel free to stir some lemon zest into the filling as well if you love the citrusy pop.

Cornstarch – A sprinkle of cornstarch will absorb some of the moisture in the filling. An equal amount of all-purpose flour will work as a substitute if you happen to be out of cornstarch.

Instructions

Step 1: Make the crust. Stir the flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl, then pour in the butter and vanilla. Stir to combine.

Step 2: Press. Press the crust mixture into the bottom of a prepared pan.

Step 3: Make the filling. Stir the blueberries, lemon juice, sugar, cornstarch, and vanilla together in a separate bowl. Pour the mixture over the crust in the pan and sprinkle the remaining streusel over top.

Step 4: Bake. Bake the blueberry bars until the berries are bubbling and the crust is golden. Set aside to cool.

Step 5: Slice and serve. Once cool, remove the bars from the pan and slice them into 9 bars. Enjoy!

Tips and FAQs

When lining the pan with parchment paper, make sure the edges hang over the sides. This way, you can easily lift the bars right out of the pan—no knife or mess needed.
Always let the bars cool completely before slicing to prevent them from crumbling and falling apart.
For the cleanest bars, slice them with a sharp knife and wipe the knife after every slice.

Tip

This recipe makes 9 blueberry pie bars. If you’re serving a crowd, you can slice them into 16 smaller bars instead.

Variations

Gluten-free option – A 1:1 gluten-free baking flour is the best substitute for the all-purpose flour in the crust. I don’t recommend using another flour, like almond flour.
Vegan option – Just replace the regular butter with a quality vegan butter. Melted coconut oil may also work here, but I haven’t tested it.
Instead of blueberries – Use a 1:1 mix of blueberries and the soft fruit of your choice, like pitted cherries, raspberries, or diced peaches.

Does this recipe work with frozen blueberries?

Yes, you can swap the fresh berries for frozen berries. Do not thaw the frozen blueberries ahead of time; toss them with the rest of the filling ingredients while frozen. Remember that the blueberry filling will be juicier when using frozen berries.

Can I make the crust with quick oats?

Old-fashioned rolled oats are best and hold up better in the filling, but you can replace them with an equal amount of quick oats if that’s all you have at home. Just keep in mind that the crust may not hold together as well.

Storage

Refrigerator: Store the blueberry bars in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.

Freezer: Once cooled, transfer the bars to a freezer-safe container and place a piece of parchment paper between each one to prevent them from sticking. Freeze for up to 3 months, then thaw before serving.

Reheating: These bars are delicious served at room temperature, chilled, or warmed up. Pop as many bars as you plan on eating into the toaster oven until warm and gooey, then top with a scoop of ice cream or whipped cream. Yum!

More dessert bars to try

If you made this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!

Blueberry Pie Bars

Why make a blueberry pie when you can whip up these Blueberry Pie Bars in half the time? Made with an ooey gooey blueberry filling and a buttery brown sugar streusel, they’re an easy and berrylicious way to use up your fresh summer blueberries.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Diet Vegetarian

Keyword blueberry bars, blueberry pie bars

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 55

Total Time 1 10

Servings bars

Calories 325kcal

Author Erin Alvarez

Ingredients

For the crust:

1 ¼ cup all purpose flour
1 cup rolled oats
½ cup brown sugar
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
10 tbsp butter melted
1 tsp vanilla

For the filling:

3 cups blueberries
2 tbsp lemon juice
⅓ cup sugar
3 tbsp cornstarch
½ tsp vanilla

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F and line an 8×8 baking dish with parchment paper, leaving a 1” overhang for easy removal; set aside.
In a large bowl, stir the flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt together, then pour in the butter and vanilla and stir to combine.
Press ⅔ of the crust mixture into the bottom of the prepared baking pan and set aside.
In a separate large bowl, stir the blueberries, lemon juice, sugar, cornstarch, and vanilla together, then pour the mixture overtop of the crust. Sprinkle the remaining ⅓ crust mixture overtop of the blueberries.
Place the baking dish in the oven and bake the bars for 55 minutes, or until the blueberries are bubbling and the crust is golden. Allow the bars to cool completely in the pan before pulling on the parchment paper to remove them. Slice into 9 bars and enjoy!

Notes

*Calories are per bar and are an estimation

I typically slice bars made in an 8×8 dish into 9, but you could also slice into 16 smaller bars if you prefer.

Nutrition

Lemon Blueberry Cake

Erin Alvarez — Mon, 30 Jun 2025 09:00:33 +0000

Treat yourself to this Lemon Blueberry Cake, a summer dessert with fresh lemon and blueberries baked right into the cake and homemade cream cheese frosting on top. Every slice tastes like sunshine!

Lemon lovers, prepare yourself for this sweet and fluffy Lemon Blueberry Cake. As one of my favorite summer desserts of all time, I can never get enough of its bright lemony flavors, juicy bursts of blueberries, and luxurious cream cheese frosting on top. It’s like my lemon loaf and blueberry cake recipes had a baby!

When a dessert basically tastes like sunshine, you know it’s going to be a hit. That’s why I always bring this lemon blueberry layer cake to the Memorial Day or Fourth of July party. Whether it’s the zingy lemon, juicy blueberries, moist crumb, or creamy, tangy frosting, everyone seems to ask for a second slice before they’ve even finished their first.

Looking for more citrus desserts? Try orange cake, lemon cookies or orange scones.

Recipe features

One of the very best summer cakes! Just like my blackberry lavender cake and vegan strawberry cake, this blueberry lemon cake was made for celebrating the warm weather.
It’s sort of like my lemon blueberry muffins, but in cake form.
Never baked a cake before? No problem—this blueberry cake recipe is totally foolproof and beginner-friendly.
Uses fresh seasonal ingredients and baking staples to give you a sweet, bright, and moist treat.

Ingredients

Butter – Melt the butter ahead of time, then set it aside to cool fully. Using warm, melted butter in the cake batter will cook the eggs, and no one wants scrambled eggs in their cake!

Lemon – You need both freshly squeezed lemon juice and lemon zest for the cake. I highly recommend squeezing the lemons yourself—the juice is way more flavorful than the stuff from the bottle.

Flour – I like using all-purpose flour because it gives the cake a fluffy and sturdy crumb. Cake flour (use 2 1/4 cups) might work as a substitute, but it will make the cake much more delicate.

Blueberries – I used fresh blueberries because they were in season and are usually very juicy and flavorful.

Cream cheese frosting – I decorated the cake with a homemade cream cheese frosting made from cream cheese, butter, lemon juice, vanilla, and powdered sugar.

How to Make a Lemon Blueberry Cake

Step 1: Prep the ingredients. Melt the butter and set it aside to cool completely. Take the milk and eggs out of the fridge so they can come to room temperature.

Step 2: Make the lemon sugar. Combine the sugar and lemon zest in a medium bowl. Rub them together with your fingers.

Step 3: Finish the batter. To the bowl with the sugar, stir in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a large bowl, whisk the butter, milk, eggs, vanilla, and lemon juice together. Pour the dry mix into the wet ingredients and carefully mix the two until they’re just combined. Fold in the blueberries.

Step 4: Bake. Divide the cake batter evenly between the two pans, then bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean. Let the cakes cool completely.

Step 5: Make the icing. Whisk the cream cheese icing ingredients together in a bowl until smooth and fluffy.

Step 6: Decorate and serve. Spread some of the frosting over one layer of cooled cake, place the second cake layer on top, and decorate the top and sides with the remaining frosting. Slice and enjoy!

Tips and FAQs

Let the eggs, milk, and butter come down to room temperature before you do anything else. Using warm, melted butter will cook the eggs and cause the butter to solidify, thus causing your cake to bake unevenly.
Soften the cream cheese and butter at least 30 minutes before making the frosting. Just take them out of the fridge and place them on the kitchen counter while you make the cake. Once they’re soft, they’ll be much easier to whip into a smooth and creamy frosting.

My Pro Tip

Recipe Tip

The secret to the wonderful lemon flavors here is the lemon sugar. By massaging the lemon zest into the sugar crystals, you release the lemon’s essential oils and make the batter that much more fragrant and vibrant. Yum!

Variations

While I don’t recommend straying too far from the original recipe, you can make a few changes:

Not a huge fan of blueberries? Feel free to use an equal amount of raspberries, pitted cherries, chopped strawberries, or blackberries instead.
Instead of cream cheese frosting, decorate the cake with lemon or vanilla buttercream, whipped cream, or a thin vanilla or lemon glaze.
Decoration ideas: Top the iced cake with extra fresh blueberries, a sprinkle of lemon zest, extra piped icing, candied lemon slices, and/or fresh mint leaves.

Do frozen blueberries work in cake?

Fresh blueberries are the best here because frozen blueberries will cool down the batter and require the cake to be baked longer. If all you have are frozen blueberries, go ahead and use an equal amount, but don’t thaw them ahead of time—just fold them right into the batter at the end.

Why did my blueberries sink to the bottom of the cake?

This can happen when your blueberries are especially juicy or wet (like if they were washed and not dried or thawed from frozen). If the berries seem wet, pat them dry with paper towels or toss them in a pinch of flour before folding them into the batter.

Can this recipe be made gluten-free?

I have only tested this lemon blueberry cake recipe with all-purpose flour and can’t say if a gluten-free alternative would work or not. If you try using a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend or another substitute, let me know how it worked out for you in the comments!

Can I use a different pan?

I haven’t tested it, but this recipe should also work in a 10- to 12-cup bundt pan or a 9×13 rectangular pan instead of two 8-inch cake pans. The baking time will vary depending on the size of your pan, so watch the cake carefully.

Storage

Room temperature: Cover the cake and keep it on the counter for up to 3 days. Just make sure it isn’t too hot in your kitchen, or else the icing will melt!

Refrigerator: Refrigerate the covered cake (whole or sliced) for up to 5 days. It will dry out a little in the fridge, but will still taste amazing.

Freezer: The unfrosted cake layers will freeze well for up to 3 months. Wrap them individually in plastic before freezing, then thaw them in the fridge overnight before frosting and serving.

More summer desserts

If you made this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!

Lemon Blueberry Cake

Treat yourself to this Lemon Blueberry Cake, a summer dessert with fresh lemon and blueberries baked right into the cake and homemade cream cheese frosting on top. Every slice tastes like sunshine!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Diet Vegetarian

Keyword lemon blueberry cake

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 40

Total Time 1 10

Servings

Calories 633kcal

Author Erin Alvarez

Ingredients

½ cup butter melted and cooled
1 cup milk room temperature
2 eggs room temperature
2 tsp vanilla
⅓ cup lemon juice
Zest from 1 lemon
1 ½ cups sugar
2 ½ cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
1 ½ cups blueberries

Cream Cheese Icing:

6 oz. cream cheese
4 tbsp butter softened
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp vanilla
4 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

If you haven’t already, melt the butter and allow it to come to room temperature, and remove the milk and eggs from the fridge.
Preheat oven to 350°F and line two 8” cake pans with parchment paper, and spray with nonstick spray.
In a medium bowl, add the sugar and lemon zest, then use your fingers to rub them together, which will release the lemon flavor.
To that same bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and stir to combine.
In a large bowl, whisk the butter, milk, eggs, vanilla and lemon juice together, then pour the dry ingredients into the set and whisk together with a hand mixer, being careful not to over-mix. Fold in the blueberries with a rubber spatula.
Pour the batter evenly into the prepared cake pans. Place the cake in the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Leave the cakes in the pans for 10 minutes, then invert onto a cooling rack. Allow the cakes to cool completely before icing them.
For the icing: Add all ingredients to a bowl and whisk together with a hand mixer until the icing is smooth.
Dollop a large amount of icing on top of one of the cakes and spread it around, then place the second cake on top and repeat the process until the cake is coated in icing. Slice and enjoy!

Notes

*Calories are per slice and are an estimation

It’s very important that the butter, milk and eggs are all at room temperature; otherwise, the warm butter will solidify when combined with the cold milk

Nutrition

Chipotle Chicken

Erin Alvarez — Mon, 23 Jun 2025 09:00:03 +0000

This easy Grilled Chipotle Chicken recipe is made with boneless chicken thighs and it’s loaded with flavor. Prep the chicken to use on salads, tacos or in a homemade burrito bowl and thank yourself later!

Bring on the summer chicken recipes, starting with this quick and easy chipotle chicken!

Chipotle is one of my favorite seasoning options because it packs a punch and it’s incredibly versatile. Grilled chicken automatically has the best flavor, so combining the two seemed like a no-brainer.

These grilled chicken thighs are a classic, but this grilled chipotle chicken takes it up a notch.

Why this recipe works

An incredibly flavorful chicken recipe that can be made on the grill, in the oven or even in the air fryer.
No matter how you cook the chicken, the result is a juicy chicken recipe.
Marinate the chicken while you’re at work, then cook it within 10 minutes when you get home!

Ingredients

Chicken thighs – I used boneless skinless chicken thighs, but bone-in thighs or boneless chicken breasts are an option too. See “tips and tricks” section below if you prefer those cuts of chicken.

Chipotle in adobo – A key ingredient in anything chipotle-flavored, like my chipotle chicken tacos or my seared salmon with chipotle salsa.

Spices – A mix of chili powder, chipotle powder, smoked paprika, cumin, oregano, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper creates the perfect chipotle-flavored dry rub that’s anything but boring.

Olive oil – Oil mixes with the spices to create a nice marinade. Avocado oil or another neutral-tasting oil is an ok alternative, but olive oil provides more flavor.

Lime juice – The acidity balances out the spiciness of the dry rub, so I do recommend including it. Always use fresh lime juice, not juice from a jar.

Instructions

Step 1: Combine spices. In a small bowl, stir the olive oil, chipotle in adobo sauce, and all of the spices together.

Step 2: Marinate chicken. Place the chicken in a plastic bag or shallow dish, then pour the chipotle chicken marinade overtop. Seal the bag and shake it so that all of the chicken is coated, and marinate the chicken for at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours in the fridge.

Step 3: Grill chicken. Heat a grill or grill pan to medium-high heat (around 400° F). Once hot, add the chicken smooth side down and cook for 5-6 minutes, then use kitchen tongs to flip and cook for an additional 5-6 minutes. Let the chicken rest on a cutting board for 5 minutes before slicing.

Step 4: Serve. Serve this chicken on its own alongside cilantro lime rice and guacamole, or create a homemade burrito bowl similar to this vegan burrito bowl, but with chicken!

Tips and tricks

Make sure to use only the adobo sauce from the can of chipotles in adobo, not the actual chipotle peppers. The first time I tested this I only used the chipotle sauce and found it wasn’t enough chipotle flavor, hence why I suggest using both the sauce and the actual chipotle chili powder seasoning.

Using different cuts of chicken

Cook times vary depending on the thickness of the chicken; always use a meat thermometer to confirm the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165° F.

Bone-in chicken thighs: Cook skin-side down for 7 minutes, then flip over and cook for 8-12 additional minutes.
Boneless chicken breasts: Cook for 5 minutes smooth side down, then flip and cook for 3-5 more minutes.

Cooking chicken in the oven or air fryer:

Oven: Place chicken on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and heat the oven to 425° F. Bake chicken for 20 minutes, then broil it for 2-4 minutes.
Air fryer: Preheat air fryer to 380°F. Air fry the chicken smooth side down for 12 minutes, then flip over and cook for an additional 6-8 minutes.

Are chicken thighs healthy?

I think so! As long as they’re eaten within a balanced diet filled with vegetables and whole grains, chicken thighs are an excellent source of protein. They include more fat and are higher in calories than chicken breasts, but again, I’m all about everything in moderation.

What should I serve this with?

Serve the chicken on tacos, salad, or make your own burrito bowl filled with rice, lettuce, pinto beans, sour cream, pico de gallo, cheese, avocado, etc. You could also prep a side of black bean corn salsa, corn dip or serrano salsa for extra heat.

Storage

Refrigerator – Store chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Freezer – Wait for the chicken to cool, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before using.

More chicken recipes

If you made this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!

Chipotle Chicken

This easy Grilled Chipotle Chicken recipe is made with boneless chicken thighs and it's loaded with flavor. Prep the chicken to use on salads, tacos or in a homemade burrito bowl and thank yourself later!

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Diet Gluten Free

Keyword chipotle chicken

Prep Time 45

Cook Time 10

Total Time 55

Servings

Calories 246kcal

Author Erin Alvarez

Ingredients

1.5. lb boneless chicken thighs

For the marinade:

2 tbsp chipotle in adobo sauce
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp chipotle powder
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp lime juice

Instructions

Whisk all of the marinade ingredients together in a small bowl.
Next, place the chicken into a plastic bag or a shallow dish, then pour the marinade overtop. Seal the bag and shake, ensuring all of the chicken is coated.
Marinate the chicken at room temperature for 30 minutes, or place in the fridge for up to 24 hours.
Once ready, heat a grill or grill pan over medium heat, then place the chicken smooth side down and grill for 5 minutes. Flip over, then cook for 4-5 minutes.
Transfer chicken to a cutting board and wait a few minutes before slicing. Enjoy!

Notes

*Calories are per serving and are an estimation

Nutrition