Oatmeal Raspberry Jam Bars

Oatmeal Raspberry Jam Bars are a one bowl recipe, consisting of a simple jam layer sandwiched between two layers of oatmeal crumble. A perfect breakfast bar, snack, or dessert for any time of day!

These are so simple to make, as is my Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Blondies and my No Bake Peanut Butter Bars. And if you have extra time, my new favorite treat is my Brown Butter Toffee Cookies!

Do you have those recipes that you keep in your back pocket for the occasional emergency snack or dessert? You know, the one that you can whip together in less than an hour using items you keep stocked? Your spouse calls and says you’re entertaining coworkers like now, or your kids need something for a thing they are having at school or a club. They need it RIGHT NOW.

Well, THIS is that one. It will take you less time to make these bars than to run to the local bakery, stand in line, choose something, and then drive back home. Because you keep baking supplies on hand at the ready, and your kids love jam on their toast in the mornings.

And guess what? These taste better than store bought, are way cheaper, and I bet your family loves freshly baked goods better anyway. I’m guessing I’ve convinced you to try them.

These bars are:

• buttery
• fruity
• and completely addicting.

Ingredients needed for for these bars:

I bet you have all of these ingredients in your kitchen right now. 😀

• Old Fashioned Oats – Go for the whole oats here, not the ground up version.
• All-Purpose Flour – You could try whole wheat flour, but I tested that and it dried out the bars some.
• Salt, Baking Soda, and Cinnamon
• Unsalted Butter –  This gives the crumble that amazing buttery flavor!
• Vanilla – I use THIS brand, and it’s on constant re-order. 😀
• Jam – I used Spreadable Fruit to save on sugar and calories, but any jam would work just fine. In addition to the raspberry, I’ve also made these with other fruit flavors, like apricot, blackberries, and blueberries. You can’t go wrong.

How to make the best crumble bars:

This recipe takes only 10-15 minutes to prepare, and then just 25 minutes in the oven. So quick and easy!

1. Prep oven and pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and prepare an 8×8 dish with parchment paper. Make sure the paper hangs off the sides so you can remove the bars easily.
2. Make the crumble. Using a medium mixing bowl, combine the oatmeal, flour, brown sugar, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon. Mix, and then add the melted butter and vanilla. Using your hands, squeeze the mixture until it mostly wet; it’s not necessary for the mixture to form a ball. Reserve about 3/4 cup of the crumble, and press the remaining amount into the pan, spreading it to all sides with your hands.
3. Spread the jam. If your jam is coming from the refrigerator, warm it up for about 30 seconds so it’s easy to spread. Then use a spoon and spread the jam out evenly over the crumble.
4. Top it. Lastly, take the reserved crumble and sprinkle it all over the jam layer.
5. Bake the bars in preheated oven, for approximately 25 minutes. Let them sit about 10 minutes before removing them (using parchment paper) to a cooling rack. Slice after they are almost cool (if you can wait that long)!
6. EAT – and share with friends.

I played around with this recipe A LOT. I tried using whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose, took a stab at using applesauce for some of the butter, and also made a thinner bar with less ingredients. This one hit it out of the park, and I’m not just saying that. It really really did.

Baking is one of my very favorite parts of blogging. I feel like I’m treating YOU after all the hard work you are doing day in and day out. So this one’s for you. Take a minute to slow down, put your feet up, and enjoy some tasty treats with your family and friends. Enjoy!

Make this simple recipe next: No Bake Peanut Butter Bars

xoxo ~Sue