Sourdough Blueberry Lemon Bliss Bars
These Sourdough Blueberry Lemon Bliss Bars are soft, chewy, and packed with sweet blueberries and fresh lemon flavor in every bite. The base is rich and buttery, then topped with a luscious lemon cream cheese frosting, a drizzle of white chocolate, and a pop of extra blueberries and lemon zest on top. They're fresh, pretty, and the kind of bar that is perfect for spring.
Equipment
- 9x13-inch baking pan - I love this pan from USA Bakeware linked here.
- Parchment paper - to line pan to avoid burning and for a clean release. Don't skip this!
- Measuring cups and spoons - for measuring ingredients.
- Mixing bowls - for batter and cream cheese frosting.
- Whisk + spatula - to mix ingredients and spread batter and frosting.
- Hand mixer - for whipping the frosting.
- Digital scale (optional) - recommended for accurate measurements. I love this scale linked here.
- Frosting knife (optional) - to spread icing.
- Microplane or zester - for zesting lemons. I love this zester linked here.
- Ziplock or pastry bag - for drizzling white chocolate.
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients:
- 10 (140g) tbsp unsalted butter melted
- ¾ (150g) cup brown sugar
- ¼ (50g) cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 egg yolk
- ⅓ (80g) cup sourdough discard
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp lemon extract
- 2 tsp lemon zest or one lemon
Dry Ingredients:
- 1½ (180g) cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- ½ tsp salt
Inclusions:
- 1 (120g) cup blueberries dried or fresh
- 1 (150g) cup white chocolate chips
Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 8 (226g) oz full-fat cream cheese softened
- 2 (30g) tbsp unsalted butter softened
- 1½ (180g) cups powdered sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla
- ⅛ tsp salt
- 1 tsp lemon extract
- 2 tsp lemon zest or one lemon
Toppings:
- 1/2 (60g) cup blueberries dried or fresh
- 1/2 (85g) cup white chocolate chips
- zest of one lemon
Instructions
Step 1: Mix the Blondie Base
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment, leaving overhang. Don't skip this step, it'll make removing the bars so much easier.
- In a microwave safe bowl or a small pot, melt your butter and whisk until smooth. Transfer to your mixing bowl.10 (140g) tbsp unsalted butter
- Next add the brown sugar and white sugar to the butter, whisking to melt them together until the mixture is glossy.¾ (150g) cup brown sugar, ¼ (50g) cup granulated sugar
- Add the eggs, egg yolk, sourdough discard, vanilla, lemon zest, and lemon extract to the bowl and whisk until smooth.2 large eggs, 1 egg yolk, ⅓ (80g) cup sourdough discard, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1 tsp lemon extract, 2 tsp lemon zest
- Measure your flour, baking powder, cornstarch, and salt into the wet ingredients, and combine until the dry ingredients are just mixed in and streaks don't remain. Don't overmix at this stage, or the bars will be tough.1½ (180g) cups all-purpose flour, ¾ tsp baking powder, 2 tsp cornstarch, ½ tsp salt
- Fold in the blueberries and white chocolate into the blondie batter gently, then spread the batter into the prepared pan evenly.1 (120g) cup blueberries, 1 (150g) cup white chocolate chips
- Optional Overnight Fermentation: if you want to let this batter rest to have the sourdough discard work it's magic, cover the blondie in the pan with plastic and transfer to the refrigerator overnight and bake the next day.
- Bake the bar for 26-28 minutes, the edges should be browning and the center matte not shiny. You don't want to overbake these or the centers will be dry! Internal temperature of the center when done should be 195 F.
- Remove the pan from the oven as soon as the bar is done, and allow to cool completely before proceeding with frosting the bars.
Step 2: Frost the Bars
- Make sure your cream cheese and butter are room temperature before mixing the frosting.8 (226g) oz full-fat cream cheese, 2 (30g) tbsp unsalted butter
- In a bowl, add the cream cheese and butter. Whip on high with hand beaters until smooth and light.
- Add the vanilla, lemon extract, lemon zest, and salt to the frosting. Beat to mix in the ingredients for 30 seconds.½ tsp vanilla, 1 tsp lemon extract, 2 tsp lemon zest, ⅛ tsp salt
- Lastly, add the powdered sugar to the frosting and combine on low to incorporate for a minute then increase the speed to high and whip the frosting for a minute until it's fluffy and creamy.1½ (180g) cups powdered sugar
- In a microwave safe bowl, melt your white chocolate chips in 30 second intervals in the microwave until just melted. If needed, you can add a little coconut oil (1 tsp) to thin the chocolate. Transfer the chocolate to a ziplock or pastry bag for later.1/2 (85g) cup white chocolate chips
- Spread the lemon cream cheese frosting evenly over your cooled bars, making sure to meet the edges.
- Sprinkle chopped blueberries over the top of the bars.1/2 (60g) cup blueberries
- Snipping off a small piece of the corner of your Ziplock or the pastry bag, drizzle the top of the bars in circular motions with the white chocolate. If you don't have a pastry bag, you can also use a whisk to drizzle the chocolate.
- Zest one lemon over the top of the bars for extra lemon flavor and color.zest of one lemon
- Garnish the bar with the frosting, white chocolate drizzle, and more blueberries and lemon zest
- Transfer the bar to the refrigerator for about 1 hour to allow the icing and the white chocolate to set up.
- After the icing has hardened, cut the bars into 12 even squares (4 rows across and 3 top to bottom). If you want them to look like the classic Bliss Bars, cut each of the squares in half to form rectangles.
- Enjoy!
- Yields 24 bars
Notes
How to Store:
Refrigeration- Store bars in an airtight container up to five days in the refrigerator. Because of the cream cheese frosting, these bars require to be refrigerated. Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!