Huckleberry season is short, so grab some and make these yummy Huckleberry Crumb Bars. Huckleberries are native to the Pacific Northwest and Montana. When I found these huckleberries at the local farmers market I knew exactly what I wanted to make and these bars turned out spectacular. The crust and crumble are sweet and buttery which goes perfectly together.
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Why This Recipe Tastes So Good
The right combination of all-purpose flour, sugar, and butter creates a great tasting shortbread cookie base that holds up under the weight of the fruit, and is the perfect balance of sweet and tart. The combination of white sugar and brown sugar makes for deeper flavor.
The crust is prebaked for a golden brown bottom crust before adding the fruit. The fruit is mixed with cornstarch to ensure it thickens while it bakes. In the end you'll have a beautiful fruit crumb bar that's easy to make and share.
For more crumb bar recipes check out my Strawberry Crumble Bars and Tart Cherry Pie Bar recipes.
If you're interested in other recipes you can make with Huckleberries, check out my Blueberry Coffee Cake and Blackberry Hand Pies recipes. You'll need to increase the amount of sugar in the fruit filling for the blackberry hand pies since blackberries are sweeter than huckleberries.
Huckleberry Crumb Bar Recipe Ingredients
This recipe consists of two base recipes. One for the crumb base and topping and one for the fruit filling.
Crumb Base and Topping. This is an easy to make crumb base. Melted butter is added to the dry ingredients and them mixed together until no white bits of the flour mixture remains. The combination of white sugar and brown sugar creates a beautiful flavor.
Huckleberry Filling. Huckleberries are a dark tart berry. They make a great addition to this type of dessert as the tart flavor contrasts nicely with the sweet base and topping. As with any fruit, make sure to taste the fruit as the sugar is added, since the sweetness of the fruit can vary. If you don't have huckleberries, use blueberries and make a blueberry crumb bar.
How to Make the Crumb Base and Topping
The crumb base consists of the following ingredients:
- All-Purpose Flour
- Granulated Sugar
- Light Brown Sugar. You can also use dark brown sugar which will have more molasses flavor and darker color.
- Unsalted Butter. Use unsalted butter instead of salted butter so you can control the amount and taste of salt.
- Baking Powder. The baking powder gives a nice lift to the crust, so it doesn't end up too compact.
- Kosher Salt
Preheat the oven to 350°F and line an 9x9-inch pan with parchment paper so that it overhangs the sides. The parchment will prevent the bars from sticking and be used as a sling to lift the bars out of the pan
Start my measuring all your ingredients and placing them individual bowls. Measure the butter directly into the small saucepan you'll use to melt the butter. This step ensures that you don't miss a step or accidentally forget an ingredient.
Place all the dry ingredients in a medium-sized bowl and whisk to combine all the ingredients. Add the melted butter and vanilla and together with a silicone spatula until no white flour bits remain.
Press a portion of the crumb mixture into the bottom of the pan and bake until golden brown. Place the rest of the mixture in the refrigerator. This portion will be used as the topping for the crumb bars.
How to Make and Bake the Fruit Filling
The fruit filling couldn't be simpler. Huckleberries are native to the Pacific Northwest and Montana. Huckleberries are related to blueberries, but smaller and much more tart. The colors range from dark purple to blue and sometimes appear almost black.
The filling consists of the following ingredients:
- Huckleberries. Blueberries are an excellent substitute if you can't get huckleberries.
- Cornstarch. The cornstarch thickens the fruit layer.
- Granulated Sugar. Taste the fruit and adjust the sugar based on the sweetness of the fruit. Huckleberries are really tart, so 1/2 cup was just right to add sweetness, but maintain that tart flavor.
- Kosher Salt
One the filling is done, spread it across the top of the baked crust, top the berries with the remaining crumble and bake until the berries are bubbling. Remember to increase the oven temperature to 375°F so the oven is hot enough to cook the fruit.
Remove the pan from the oven and let the bars cool until they are room temperature, about 1 hour.
Use the parchment paper to lift the bars from the pan and cut into 16 squares.
Pro Tips for Making This Recipe
- Be sure to line the baking pan with parchment paper. This step facilitates the removal of the bars from the pan.
- Run a butter knife around the edges of the bars while they are still warm to loosen the bars from the parchment paper.
- Let the bars cool completely completely before lifting them from the pan, at least an hour.
Recipe - Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can use blueberries or raspberries with this recipe.
These bars can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for 2 days and in the refrigerator for a week.
These Huckleberry Crumb Bars are a delicious treat and you should definitely get the recipe and try them. If you're on Instagram, please connect with and show me your pictures if you make this desserts. I'm always happy to hear from you so please don't hesitate to ask a question or leave a comment.
If You Love Fruit Desserts, Try These Recipes Next
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Huckleberry Crumb Bars
Equipment
- Medium-Sized Mixing Bowls
Ingredients
Crumb Base and Topping
- 1-3/4 cups (225 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 6 tablespoons (75 grams) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (50 grams) light brown sugar
- 12 tablespoons (169 grams) unsalted butter melted
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Fruit Topping
- 2 cups (300 grams) huckleberries
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
Crumb Base and Topping
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly butter a 9x9-inch baking pan. Line the pan with two lengths of parchment paper so it overhangs all four sides. Set the pan aside.
- Place the all-purpose flour in a medium-sized bowl. Add the baking powder, salt, ground cinnamon, granulated sugar, light brown sugar and whisk until the ingredients are well combined.
- Add the melted butter and vanilla and mix together. The crumble will be soft. Take 350 grams of the crumble and press it into the bottom of the 9x9-inch baking pan. Refrigerate the remaining crumble.
- Bake the crumble for 18-20 minutes until it’s light brown in the center and dark golden brown around the edges.
- When the crust is done, remove it from the oven. Increase the oven temperature to 375°F.
Huckleberry Filling
- Place the huckleberries in a medium-sized bowl. In a small bowl combine the sugar, cornstarch and salt and whisk together. Sprinkle it over the berries and gently toss to combine the dry mixture and the berries.
- Wait until the oven reaches the temperature of 375°F. Spread the berries across the top of the cookie base. Take the remaining crumble and spread it across the berries. Return the pan to the oven and bake for 35 minutes or until the fruit is bubbling around the edges.
- Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire cooling rack. While the bars are still warm run a knife around the edge of the bars to loosen them from the sides of the pan.
- Let the crumb bars cool completely, then use the parchment sling to lift the bars from the pan and cut into squares or rectangles. This recipe makes 16 2-1/8 x 2-1/8 inch bars.
- The bars are good for two days at room temperature in an airtight container or in the refrigerator for 1 week. The longer the bars sit the softer the cookie base will become.
Concetta says
in case anyone is wondering if you can use frozen huckleberries, I used frozen huckleberries and just rinsed them off a little over a strainer. The recipe came out great.
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Concetta
Thank you so much for visiting my blog and making this recipe. I'm so glad you liked it. And thank you for you for the information on the frozen huckleberries and how well they worked in the recipe. I've only ever seen fresh in my local farmer's market.
Megan says
You're the best for this comment! Thank you
teta says
this is a great recipe! Thanks for sharing it and for providing very exact instructions.
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Teta
Thanks for visiting the blog and trying this recipe. I'm glad you enjoyed and I'm glad to hear that the instructions are clear and easy to follow.
Janice Lacy says
They’re in the oven as I type this! Can’t wait to give them a try 🙂
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Janice
I'm glad you're excited about this recipe. Please let me know what you think.
Kayla says
Thank you so much for this recipe! I’ve made these three times now, and they get better each time!! I’ve made them with fresh huckleberries and fresh blackberries and they are both delicious. Thanks again!
Stephanie Hammond says
These are SO good. I got a bunch of fresh huckleberries at the farmer's market and followed everything else exactly. I wish I could eat them every day! I paired with homemade vanilla bean whipped cream and served them slightly warm. Definitely a keeper recipe to make with other berries when huckleberries are out of season.
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Stephanie
I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe and that you consider it a keeper. Thank you for visiting my blog. I know you have other options, so I really appreciate it.
Concetta says
Can I double this recipe?
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Concetta
Yes, you can double this recipe. If you use a 13x9-inch pan the bottom crust will be thicker.
Sharon says
Hi,
If I double the recipe and use a 9x13 pan, how much time should I bake it?
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Sharon
I haven't baked a doubled version. Bake the crust until the edges are brown and the center is golden brown. Bake the filling until it starts to bubble all the way around the edges of the pan and in various places about 2 inches from the edge. That will take at least 40 minutes with that much fruit. Let me know if you have any other questions.
Helen says
I baked two at the same time, one in a 9x9 and one in a 9x13 - I multiplied all the ingredients by 2.33 and then just eyeballed how much went into each! The crust and berry layers on the bigger pan I left thinner and came out great. I baked for the same amount, but could have used another 5 minutes just for the crumble to be stiffer. As for the berries and topping, they were perfect and cooked through. I brought these to work and got asked the recipe more than once so 10/10 thank you!
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Helen
Thank you so much for trying this recipe and writing this detailed review. I love the information on what you did. I'm so glad you and your co-workers enjoyed these bars.
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Helen
Thank you so much for sharing your experience with these bars, and for doing the math to scale up the recipe. I’m glad both pans turned out so well, and it’s great to hear the thinner layers worked in the larger pan. Sounds like they were a big hit at work, which makes me so happy. I appreciate you taking the time to leave such detailed feedback and a 5 star rating!
Kadie says
Would I be able to use huckleberry jam instead as I don't have access to fresh or frozen huckleberries?
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Kadie
I have not tried this recipe with jam before. But I would recommend using about 1-1/2 cups of jam (at least enough to cover the surface of baked crust). Cover the jam with the crumble topping then bake until the crumble is golden brown, about 25-30 minutes. Please let me know how it turns out.
Kadie says
Hi Cheryl,
As it transpires I had syrup and not jam! So I found myself in more of a pickle than expected. I followed your recipe for the base and topping, everything was perfect.
I wound up adding cornstarch to the syrup and boiled it to thicken. Per your recipe I also added salt as there was already sugar in the syrup. I decided to add cinnamon as well since it was already in the recipe!
All in all it turned out perfect and was a great recipe, thank you!
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Kadie
I love the flex! That was a great way to make the recipe work with an alternate ingredient. Thanks for letting me know how it turned out. I'm glad you enjoyed the recipe. 😊
Sheena says
Seriously easy and delicious! Can't say that we have ever seen a huckleberry here in Ohio, but I made this recipe with blueberries and just 1/3 cup of sugar and these bars are fabulous. So easy to make with simple ingredients. Thank you, Cheryl, for sharing another great recipe.
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Sheena
Thank you for making this recipe! I'm so glad you enjoyed making it with blueberries. There is something so good about baked blueberries.
Donna R says
No cinnamon for me, but this is a simple and excellent recipe I made a number of times (sans cinnamon) last summer. And it works for blackberries too! Can you tell I'm looking forward to berry season?
Jen says
I made this recipe last night with freshly picked huckleberries in Idaho! I used gluten free flour, and it tastes amazing! I let it cool overnight, and just cut them up into little squares and popped them in the fridge. Can I freeze them or will that change the texture?
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Jen
Since these bars use cornstarch as a thickener I don't recommend freezing them. Cornstarch can form a watery layer when it's frozen and then thawed as part of a baked good. If you want to freeze them replace the cornstarch with tapioca flour or potato starch.
Jean DePue Paschke says
This is a fantastic recipe. Melting the butter vs cutting it in to the flour makes it so easy to put together. Wonderfully flavorful. We served it by itself as a bar and also with icecream for company dessert. Everyone loved it! A keeper.
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Jean
Thank you so much for visiting the blog and trying this recipe. And thank you for the compliments on the recipe. One of my goals is to help you impress at social occasions, so I'm happy to read that everyone loved the bars and that you consider it a keeper. 😁
Sara says
These have quickly become my favorite Huckleberry recipe! Have been recommending to all my family and friends. Will definitely be making these time and time again!
chass WF says
These were delicious. I used frozen huckleberries. The bars held together perfectly, and not overly sweet. Great recipe with grams which I always convert to. Thanks for sharing.
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Chass
Thank you for visiting the blog and trying this recipe. I'm glad to read that the recipe worked for you and you enjoyed it that you like seeing the recipe in grams 😊. I find baking by weight so much easier and I'm glad you like it too.
Jonah says
Very tasty! Be sure you don't press the bottom crust too much. It can get hard. And I cooked mine more and more trying to get some browning on top but ended up taking them out at the point when the fruit around the edges was bubbling.
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Jonah
Thank you for trying this recipe and leaving such a helpful review. I appreciate your comment about not pressing the crust too hard. I hope you enjoyed these bars.
SM says
Absolutely delicious!!❤️ Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!! We were traveling in Montana & brought some fresh huckleberries back home & frozen them. I finally used them in your recipe! Now I just wish huckleberries were easier to get!!🙂
(One note - please add a non-weight measurement to approximate the portion (350 grams) of crumble to press into the bottom of the pan for those of us who do not have a digital scale.) Thank you!!
Cheryl Norris says
Hi SM
Thank you for trying this recipe and the glowing review. I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe and thank you for the feedback on adding volume measurement to the recipe.
HHHucks says
Nice recipe that works with several types of berries and fruits. If you're in the PNW, try to find a patch of V. deliciosum; they're the best of all the hucks, by far.
Cheryl Norris says
Hi HH
Thank you for the nice review. And you're right it, the recipe does work with different types of fruits.
Jessica says
Good base recipe, but the measurements are difficult to double. I upped the berries to 2.5 cups and added half a cup or rolled oats to the crumb mixture. It baked firmer with more crunch to the base layer. Perfect with the revisions.
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Jessica
Thank you for trying the recipe and sharing your experience! I’m glad to hear you enjoyed it with your adjustments, and I appreciate you taking the time to experiment and let me know what worked for you.
The original recipe was developed with specific measurements to create the balance of flavors and textures I envisioned, but I love hearing how others make it their own. Your idea to add rolled oats for extra crunch sounds like a delicious twist!
If you have any questions or would like tips for scaling recipes in the future, feel free to reach out—I’m always happy to help. Thank you again for your feedback!
Sarah says
Oh. My. Heavens. I pick fresh hucks up here in Montana each summer and I am strategic about which recipes to use them in because it’s hard work to find and pick them. Well, I am SO happy to have stumbled upon your recipe. The bars turned out FANTASTIC!! We shared some with our Amish neighbors and they loved them, too. The bottoms were a tiny bit too hard so I will shave off a minute or two next time I bake the crust. I’m going to try these with blueberries next!
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Sarah
Thank you for trying my recipe with your huckleberries. In Portland they are hard to come by and expensive so I understand being picky about how you use them. I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe and that your neighbors liked them too. Please let me know how the blueberry version goes.
Jackie Naney says
Holy cow these are amazing! My Husband said it was the best dessert I have ever made and I like to bake a lot! Thanks so much for this awesome recipe!
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Jackie
Thank you for trying this recipe and leaving such a wonderful review. It made my day to read your words. I'm so glad you and your husband enjoyed these bars.
Jessi says
This recipe is amazing! We have so many huckleberries and everyone loved this the first time that I made it that I have made it 6 times. I made it with BOBs 1 to 1 gluten free flour a few times and with regular baking flour and both were a great hit!
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Jessi
I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe so much so that you made it 6 times! YAY! And thank you for writing such a wonderful review.
Denise says
These are in my oven right now ! Very excited to try them 💜
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Denise
How were they?
G.S. says
Delicious!! Thank you for this great recipe that we will enjoy for years to come.
Cheryl Norris says
Hi G.S.
You are more than welcome and I'm so glad you enjoyed it. Thank you for trying it.
Debbie Schauer says
Can frozen huckleberries be used?
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Debbie
Yes, frozen huckleberries can be used. Don't let them thaw out.
SuzyQ says
So delicious!!!
Cheryl Norris says
Thank you so SuzyQ. I'm glad you enjoyed these bars.
Sally G. says
I love to bake, and this is one of my very favorite recipes!!!
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Sally
As one fellow passionate baker to another I'm so glad you like this recipe. Thank you!
G Schrawyer says
Delicious! Thank you for this AWESOME recipe!!
Cheryl Norris says
Hi G
Thank you so much for trying these bars. I'm so glad you enjoyed them.