Bumbleberry Crumb Bars

By
Leah Maroney
Leah Maroney
Leah Maroney
A recipe developer and food photographer, Leah Maroney is an ardent home cook and food blogger who has written over 300 recipes for The Spruce Eats.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 05/28/21
Bumbleberry crumb cake recipe

The Spruce / Cara Cormack

Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 50 mins
Total: 65 mins
Servings: 12 servings
Yield: 12 bars

These delicious berry crumb bars are a tasty addition to any brunch or tea. Serve with sangria, pancakes, or cinnamon rolls. They are super easy to make ahead of time and store well for a few days.

Bumbleberry is a term my family discovered while vacationing in Canada. It just means a bunch of different berries all mixed together (and it sounds cuter than mixed berry). It can also mean adding rhubarb or peaches. Any combination of summer fruits work really well together.

Ingredients

For the Fruit Mixture:

  • 2 cups chopped rhubarb

  • 1 1/2 cups mixed berries

  • 1 lemon, juiced

  • 1/3 cup sugar

For the Cookie Base:

  • 2/3 cup butter, softened

  • 3/4 cup sugar

  • 1/2 teaspoon orange zest

  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

  • 1 large egg

  • 4 teaspoons milk

  • 2 cups flour

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

For the Streusel Topping:

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 3/4 cup brown sugar

  • 1/2 cup butter, melted

  • 1 1/2 cups flour

Steps to Make It

Fruit Filling

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Fruit filling
    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  2. In a medium bowl, combine the rhubarb and berries with the lemon juice and sugar. Stir to combine and let sit for at least 10 minutes. 

    Fruit in bowl
    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

Cookie Base

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for cookie base
    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  2. Preheat the oven to 375 F.

  3. Cream together 2/3 cup of softened butter with 3/4 cup of sugar.

    Cream together
    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  4. Then add in 1/2 teaspoon of orange zest, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, and 1 egg, beat until fluffy. Then stir in 4 teaspoons of milk.

    Add lemon
    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  5. Add in 2 cups of flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt.

    Add baking powder and salt
    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  6. Line a 9 x 9-inch baking pan with parchment paper and spread the cookie mixture evenly in the pan.

    Cookie base in pan
    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  7. Bake for about 10 minutes, just to set the base.

    Bake
    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

Streusel Topping

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingrediens for streusel
    The Spruce / Cara Cormack 

  2.  Whisk the salt and brown sugar with the melted butter.

    Mix
    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  3. Use a fork to stir in the flour until it forms large crumbs.

    Mix topping
    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

Putting It All together

  1. Strain the fruit mixture and add it on top of the cookie base evenly and top with 1/2 to 3/4 of the streusel topping.

    Add topping to fruit
    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  2. Bake for about 40 minutes until the crumb topping is browned and the fruit is softened.

    Bake
    The Spruce / Cara Cormack 

  3. Serve and enjoy.

    Serve and enjoy
    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

Tips

  • This recipe makes extra streusel topping. You may add as much or as little streusel as you like.
  • Make sure to line the pan with parchment paper to make sure nothing sticks. If you don't have parchment paper, you can generously grease and then lightly flour the pan. 

Recipe Variation

  • In this recipe, I used blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, and rhubarb. However, strawberries or any other berry work perfectly well. You can use frozen but make sure to thaw and drain them before using in this recipe. I also used orange zest but lemon zest works as well.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
427 Calories
19g Fat
61g Carbs
5g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12
Amount per serving
Calories 427
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 19g 24%
Saturated Fat 12g 58%
Cholesterol 63mg 21%
Sodium 347mg 15%
Total Carbohydrate 61g 22%
Dietary Fiber 2g 8%
Total Sugars 31g
Protein 5g
Vitamin C 12mg 61%
Calcium 82mg 6%
Iron 2mg 12%
Potassium 165mg 4%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)