Buttery crumble makes for the perfect crust and topping in these Raspberry Bars. Filled with fresh raspberries and strawberry jam, these bars are a berry lover’s dream. Delicious as a breakfast or afternoon treat.
The flavor of berries picked during peak season cannot be rivaled by that of offseason berries. It’s what makes them a favorite summertime snack, and it makes for some truly amazing baking. I have vivid memories of picking fresh blueberries and raspberries near my family’s summer cottage by the lake. We would fill cartons of fresh berries (even as we ate more than we picked) that would last us weeks.
Now as parents, we enjoy taking our kids to local farms to pick berries. And as a passionate baker, I make sure to stash some for use in homemade desserts. These raspberry bars are the perfect example. A mixture of fresh raspberries and strawberry jam sandwiched together between buttery crumble topping and crust. It’s the perfect summertime breakfast or afternoon treat that’s simple to make.
Before you begin
Take out the following baking equipment.
Digital kitchen scale
9×9-inch baking pan
Parchment paper
Food processor
Medium bowl
Silicone spatula
Read the recipe through from start to finish.
Understanding ingredients
Always use unsalted butter in baking, as you are better able to control the amount of salt in a recipe. For these bars, use cold butter straight from the refrigerator so that you can produce a crumbly topping as opposed to a cookie dough-like texture.
The raspberries are the star of the show in this recipe. If possible always use fresh raspberries. Frozen raspberries have a higher moisture content, and they will make the filling undesirably runny if you use them. To compensate you will need to increase the amount of thickening agent. Wash your berries and allow to completely dry before using for these bars.
All-purpose flour is used as the thickening agent for the filling. When the raspberries bake, they will burst with flavor and juices. The flour will thicken these juices, especially as the raspberry bars cool. Instead of 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour, you can substitute 1 tablespoon of cornstarch if you prefer.
How to make the crust and crumble topping
The easiest way to make the crust and crumble topping for these raspberry bars is to use a food processor. It’s efficient, and the clean up is simple.
Begin by adding all of the dry ingredients to the bowl of a food processer and pulse together until the oats are mostly ground. The mixture should look like coarse meal. Add all of the diced cold butter to the bowl and continue to pulse until a coarse dough forms. You will see the dough begin to come together. You do not want a dry looking dough.
Chilling the bars
Although chilling the bars before slicing them is not an essential step, I would suggest doing so to allow your fruit layer to completely set. Once you remove your bars from the oven, transfer the hot baking pan to a wire cooling rack to cool for about 30 minutes. Then place the baking pan, uncovered, into the refrigerator and allow to chill for about 2 hours. Doing so will ensure that your bars are completely set before slicing them. Additionally, it is much easier to slice firm bars into perfect squares.
How to store raspberry bars
Place these bars in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Alternatively, you can freeze these bars for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw completely in the refrigerator when ready to serve.
Tips and takeaways
- I always begin with dicing my butter and sticking it back into the refrigerator while I gather the rest of my ingredients. This helps ensure that the butter is cold when added to the rest of the ingredients.
- The crumble topping freezes well. You can make it ahead of time or double the recipe and keep extra on hand in your freezer for future use.
- You can replace the strawberry jam with your favorite jam. Any berry flavor would be delicious as well as apricot, peach, or citrus flavors.
- Warm these bars in the microwave for 10 seconds and serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for an extra indulgence.
More bar recipes
Make sure to tag me @thesweetoccasion on Instagram and leave me a review below if you make these Raspberry Bars. I’d love to see your creations and read your feedback. And if you would like to make this recipe later, be sure to pin this recipe using the button on any of these images. Let’s make every occasion a sweet occasion!
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Raspberry Bars
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 16 bars 1x
Description
Buttery crumble makes for the perfect crust and crumble topping in these Raspberry Bars. Filled with fresh raspberries and strawberry jam, these bars are a berry lover’s dream. Delicious as a breakfast or afternoon treat.
Ingredients
For the crust and crumble
- 200 g (2 cups) old-fashioned oats
- 140 g (1 cup) all-purpose flour
- 165 g (3/4 cup) light brown sugar
- 2.5 g (1 teaspoon) ground cinnamon
- 2.8 g (1/2 teaspoon) salt
- 226 g (1 cup) cold unsalted butter, diced
For the filling
- 320 g (2 1/2 cups) fresh raspberries
- 40 g (3 tablespoons) light brown sugar
- 18 g (2 tablespoons) all-purpose flour
- 4.7 g (1 teaspoon) pure vanilla extract
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 110 g (1/3 cup) strawberry jam
Instructions
For the crust and crumble
- Preheat oven to 350°F/177°C. Line a 9×9-inch baking pan with parchment paper so that it hangs over the sides.
- In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together the oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt until the oats are mostly ground. Add the cold butter and pulse until a coarse dough forms.
- Press 1/2 of the dough into the bottom of the prepared baking pan. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly golden brown.
- Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, add the raspberries, sugar, flour, vanilla, and lemon zest. Gently stir to combine. Spoon the mixture into an even layer onto the warm crust and dollop the jam over the berries. Sprinkle the remaining dough over the raspberries. Transfer to the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes or until the crumble is light golden brown.
- Allow to cool completely before cutting into bars.
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