Blueberry & Cardamom Halva Crumble Bars

These bars are the perfect balance of sticky, gooey filling and buttery, crumbly topping—all in one delicious bite. The best part? You can make them year-round with frozen berries. We love using wild blueberries from Josh Pond Farm, but any blueberries will work beautifully.

Makes 12 squares

INGREDIENTS 

Blueberry Filling:

3 cups frozen blueberries
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
Juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract (we love Heilala)
Pinch of kosher salt
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 1/2 cups boiling water

Crust and Crumble:

1 1/4 cups salted butter, at room temperature, cut into small pieces
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
4 tablespoons tahini
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (we love Unified Mills)
1/3 cup rolled oats
1 teaspoon kosher salt
8 oz cardamom halva, crumbled (or any classic halva flavor)

Method

For the Filling:

Combine all filling ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens into a syrupy, slightly sticky consistency, about 10-15 minutes. This can be made a day or two in advance and refrigerated. If the mixture hasn't thickened enough, add a bit more cornstarch or drain off excess liquid.

For the Base and Crumble:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously butter a 9x13-inch rectangular pan and line with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides for easy removal.

2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar until smooth (use a fork or mixer). Stir in the tahini, then add the flour, oats, cardamom, and salt. Mix with a spoon or your hands until just combined—the texture should be slightly lumpy or sandy.

3. Press half of the crumble mixture into the prepared pan using the back of a measuring cup or your fingers to create an even layer.

4. Bake the base for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven.

5. Add the crumbled halva to the remaining crumble mixture and set aside. 

6. Spread the blueberry filling evenly over the baked base, then scatter the remaining crumble on top, leaving some berry filling visible.

7. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the crumble is deep golden brown and the filling is gently bubbling around the edges.

8. Let cool completely in the pan, then use the parchment overhang to lift out the bars and cut into 12 squares.