These layered Red, White and Blue Bars with fresh blueberries and raspberries and a sweet crumb topping are a fun and festive dessert for the Fourth of July!

A slice of the Red White and Blue Bar served on a red and blue napkin.

I love all the fun, festive recipes that have been swirling around for the Fourth of July. So much, in fact, that I felt inclined to add something to the pot. These layered bars have all the elements that make up the perfect Fourth of July dessert. A white base layered with a pie like filling of fresh blueberries and raspberries, and a sweet crumb topping mixed with sliced almonds. Are you feeling the red, white, and blue theme here?

All the required ingredients to make Red White and Blue Bars arranged on a counter top.

The grocery list – flour, sugar, cornstarch, salt, baking powder, fresh blueberries, fresh raspberries, butter, cream cheese, an egg, sliced almonds, and a lemon.

A bowl with ingredients about to be mixed by a hand mixer.

Let’s start with the white layer. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, 1 cup of the sugar sugar, the baking powder, and salt. Add the softened butter and cream cheese, in cubes, and combine with a hand mixer.

The ingredients have become a coarse crumb consistency after the mixing.

Mix until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

A measuring cup transfer the crumbly mixture into another bowl.

Now, go grab a small mixing bowl and transfer 1 heaping cup full of the crumbly mixture to the small bowl. Set this aside for later.

An egg is added to the mixed ingredients.

Add 1 egg to the mixture in the large bowl.

The mixed ingredients are about to be spooned into a greased glass pan.

Beat with a hand mixer until it begins to hold together.

Transfer the mixture to a 13″ x 9″ pan that has been coated with non-stick cooking spray. Use your hands to pat the crust down into the pan. Place it in a preheated 350 degree oven for 15 minutes. I didn’t take a picture of this step and I apologize profusely.

Remove the crust from the oven when it is slightly golden brown and let it cool.

A colander filled with berries, sitting in a kitchen sink.

While you are waiting, give the berries a rinse and allow them to drain well.

Sliced almonds and the crumb mixture are combined in a large bowl.

Combine the sliced almonds with the reserved flour crumb mixture.

A lemon being juiced over a bowl of berries.

Now we move on to the red and blue part of the recipe. After the crust has cooled for about 15 minutes, transfer the rinsed and drained berries to a mixing bowl and squeeze the juice from 1/2 a lemon in.

Sugar and cornstarch poured on top of the berries.

Add in the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and 1 tablespoon of cornstarch. Toss lightly to mix.

The crumb mixture being sprinkled on top of the Red White and Blue bars.

Transfer the berry mixture to the partially cooled crust and spread out to cover evenly. Sprinkle the reserved crumb/almond mixture evenly over the top. Place the whole shebang back in the oven for another 20-25 minutes.

It’s time to pull it out of the oven when the crumb mixture is just slightly golden brown.

Now the hard part, let it cool for at least 2 hours before slicing into bars and serving.

A slice of the Red White and Blue Bars sitting on colored napkins.

The bars keep very well either in the fridge or out. Just be sure to place them in an airtight container or cover well with plastic wrap.

A slice of the Red White and Blue Bars sitting on colored napkins with a small american flag in the background.

Happy Fourth of July! I hope you all get to enjoy the day with your loved ones, lots of delicious food, something red, white, and blue, and a sparkler or two.