Soft, buttery Blueberry Bars made with yogurt, simple to mix, easy to bake, and perfect for beginners.

Overhead view of soft, golden-baked blueberry yogurt bars cut into neat squares on a marble board, with a serrated knife beside them.

You can use fresh or frozen blueberries in these bars, and honestly, they’re the kind of treat you can make anytime.

Just like my Egg free Lemon Blueberry Butter Cookies
or Sour Cream Blueberry Cupcakes , they’re great for lunchboxes, perfect with a cup of tea, or just when you feel like baking something easy and really good.

Ingredient notes

A few notes on the key ingredients. Full measurements are in the recipe card below.

Butter: Use room temperature butter, soft enough to press a finger in and leave a dent, but not melted or greasy.

Light brown sugar: Adds softness and a caramel-like flavor. White sugar works too, they’ll still turn out great, just a bit firmer and without the deeper flavor brown sugar gives.

Plain yogurt (whole milk or low-fat, not Greek): Sour cream or buttermilk also work. Buttermilk makes a thinner batter, so texture may vary.
Greek yogurt is too thick and can make the batter dry or heavy. Flavored or sweetened yogurt can affect the taste and texture. Stick with plain, unsweetened yogurt for best results.

Blueberries: You can use fresh or frozen blueberries. If using frozen, see the tip below for how to prevent them from streaking the batter.

Visual Instructions

These visual instructions help you see the process. You can also find the full printable recipe with instructions and ingredients at the end of the post.

Dry ingredients: Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
Wet ingredients: In a separate bowl, beat the butter and sugar, then mix in the yogurt, vanilla, and lemon zest and lemon juice.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet and start mixing.
Fold in the blueberries before the flour is fully mixed in. If the dough gets too thick, it’s harder to stir them in without overmixing, which can make the bars dense. Stir just until combined.

pressing dough into pan and baked with a sprinle of sugar

Spread the batter evenly in the pan and smooth the top with a spoon or butter knife. If it sticks, wet the spoon with a little water.
Bake for 20–25 minutes, until golden and a skewer comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then lift out and slice into bars.

Storage instructions

Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days
Refrigerate for up to 6 days
Freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw at room temperature before serving

Recipe tips

Frozen blueberries: Instead of folding them into the batter (which can cause streaking and excess moisture), spread the dough into the pan first. Then scatter the frozen blueberries on top and gently press them in. This keeps the color clean and the texture light.

Baking a larger batch? Double the recipe and bake in a 12x8-inch or 9x13-inch pan. Bake for 38 to 42 minutes, or until golden and set in the center.

Golden-baked blueberry bars cut into squares, with a light sugar dusting on top. Some squares are slightly lifted to show the soft, moist interior filled with juicy blueberries. A few fresh blueberries and green leaves are placed nearby on a wooden and marble board.

Variations to try

I use a little lemon zest and freshly squeezed lemon juice in the recipe, it really brightens the flavor of the blueberries. You can stick with the base recipe as written, or try one of the simple variations below.

Blueberry white chocolate bars: Fold in 2 to 3 tablespoons of chopped white chocolate or white chocolate chips. Sprinkle a few on top before baking.
Blueberry almond bars: Add ¼ teaspoon almond extract to the batter and top with a few slivered almonds before baking.
Mixed berries: Swap some or all of the blueberries for raspberries, blackberries, or chopped strawberries. If using frozen berries, press them into the top instead of folding them in.

Recipe

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

1¼ cups (150 g) all-purpose flour (plain flour)
½ level teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt (use ½ teaspoon if baking with unsalted butter)

Wet Ingredients

½ cup (115 g) unsalted butter, softened
½ cup (100 g) light brown sugar (see note 1)
¼ cup (60 g) plain unflavored yogurt (see note 2)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon finely grated lemon zest (see variations in notes)
1 tablespoon (15 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice

Add-ins

½ cup (50 g) fresh or frozen blueberries (see note 3 if using frozen)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) fan or 360°F (180°C) conventional.
Line an 8-inch (20 cm) square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving a slight overhang for easy removal.

Mix the dry ingredients

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

Mix the wet ingredients

In a separate bowl, use a spoon or electric hand mixer to beat the butter and sugar for about 2 minutes.
Mix in the yogurt, vanilla extract, lemon zest, and lemon juice.

Combine wet and dry

Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and start mixing.
Before the flour is fully mixed in, gently fold in the blueberries.
If the dough gets too thick, it becomes harder to stir in the blueberries without overmixing. Overmixing can lead to dense bars. Stir just until combined.

Spread and bake

Spread the dough evenly in the prepared pan. Smooth the top with a spoon or butter knife. If the dough sticks, wet the spoon slightly with water.
Bake for 20–25 minutes, until golden and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool and slice

Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes.
Use the parchment overhang to lift the bars out, then slice with a sharp knife.

Storage

Room temperature: Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Refrigerate for up to 6 days.
Freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw at room temperature.

Recipe Notes

1. Light brown sugar: Adds softness and a caramel-like flavor. White sugar can be used instead, but the bars will be slightly firmer and have a lighter flavor.

2. Yogurt: Use plain yogurt (whole milk or low-fat, not Greek). Sour cream or buttermilk can be used instead. Buttermilk creates a thinner batter, so the texture may vary. Greek yogurt is too thick and can make the batter dry or heavy. Flavored or sweetened yogurt affects taste and texture. Use plain, unsweetened yogurt for best results.

3. Frozen blueberries: To avoid streaking and excess moisture, don’t fold frozen blueberries into the batter. Instead, spread the batter into the pan first, then scatter the frozen berries on top and gently press them in. This keeps the texture light and the color clean.

Variations to try:

Blueberry white chocolate bars: Fold in 2 to 3 tablespoons of chopped white chocolate or white chocolate chips. Sprinkle a few on top before baking.
Blueberry almond bars: Add ¼ teaspoon almond extract to the batter and top with slivered almonds before baking.
Mixed berries: Swap some or all of the blueberries for raspberries, blackberries, or chopped strawberries. If using frozen berries, press them into the top instead of folding them in.

See the post above for extra tips and photos of the main steps.

Nutrition

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