Blackberry Pistachio Dream Bars
These delicious bars feature a buttery crust, a tart blackberry filling, and a crunchy pistachio topping, perfect for any occasion.
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 cup All-Purpose Flour (or gluten-free flour)
- 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter (cold and cubed)
- 1/4 cup Granulated Sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon Salt
- 1 large Egg Yolk (do not use the whole egg)
- 2-4 tablespoons Ice Water (use cold water)
Filling
- 2 cups Fresh Blackberries (or raspberries/blueberries)
- 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar (adjust as necessary)
- 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice (fresh juice is best)
- 2 tablespoons Cornstarch
Topping
- 1/2 cup Light Brown Sugar (or granulated sugar)
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1 cup Pistachios (shelled and unsalted) (or other nuts)
- 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter (cold and cubed)
- 1 large Egg
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Instructions
Preparation
- Make the crust — pulse the flour, cold butter, 1/4 cup sugar, and salt until it resembles coarse crumbs; add yolk and 2 Tbsp ice water until it holds. Press half into a lined pan and chill.
- Prepare filling — toss berries with 1/2 cup sugar, lemon juice, and cornstarch; let macerate for 10 minutes until syrupy but not liquid.
- Pistachio crumble — pulse pistachios with brown sugar, baking powder, the rest of the butter, egg, and vanilla until crumbly (not paste).
- Assemble — spread berries over chilled crust, sprinkle pistachio crumble on top, bake until golden and jam-set (watch the edges — they brown faster).
- Cool completely. Slice with a hot knife (run under water, dry, slice), because cooling is the secret adulting step.
Notes
Up to 3 days at room temp or a week in the fridge. They get denser, which is not a crime. Best to bake ahead of time and cool before serving.