These Oatmeal Raspberry Bars are the perfect mix of buttery granola and crumble topping with a layer of sweet raspberry jam in the middle. The oatmeal dough has a hint of almond flavor and is used for both the crust and topping.The best part is that these bars are incredibly easy to make and ready to eat in under an hour.
For more cozy homemade desserts, check out my Vintage Apricot Bars, Original Bakers Chocolate Brownies and sweet, Chewy Hello Dolly Bars.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- A quick and easy one bowl recipe made with everyday pantry ingredients.
- Raspberry preserves give these bars a fresh baked fruit flavor with almost no prep work.
- Perfect for bake sales, dessert trays, or make-ahead treats.
A Cozy Bakery Style Treat
These raspberry oatmeal crumble bars taste like something you’d find in a cozy little bakery. The buttery oat mixture turns golden in the oven and creates the perfect mix of texture and flavor.
I love how simple this recipe is to make because the same oatmeal dough becomes both the crust and the crumble topping. The hint of almond extract gives the bars that extra bakery-style flavor that makes people stop after the first bite and ask for the recipe.
Let’s Talk Ingredients
Unsalted Butter-Use softened room temperature butter for easy mixing.
Brown Sugar-Gives these raspberry oat bars a warm caramel flavor and helps keep the bars tender.
All-Purpose Flour-Just enough to gives some structure without taking away from the granola like crumble topping.
Oatmeal-Old fashioned rolled oats work best, but you can use quick cooking oats in a pinch.
Baking Soda-A small amount of baking soda helps lighten the crumble mixture.
Salt-Just a pinch of salt balances the sweetness of the raspberry preserves.
Almond Extract-Gives these raspberry crumb bars their signature bakery-style flavor.
Raspberry Preserves-No need for fresh raspberries here. Sweet raspberry jam give these bars a freshly baked fruit flavor with almost no prep work.
Substitutions
- Add fresh raspberries on top of the jam layer before adding the crumb topping.
- Replace almond extract with vanilla extract for a more classic flavor.
Tools You’ll Need
- 8x8 baking tray or baking pan
How to Make Raspberry Oatmeal Crumble Bars
Prepare the Pan
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8x8 baking tray with parchment paper, leaving extra parchment hanging over the sides for easy removal later.
Make the Crumble Mixture
In a large bowl, cream together the softened unsalted butter, almond extract and brown sugar until combined.
Add the flour, old-fashioned oats, baking soda,and salt. Mix until a soft crumbly dough forms.
Form the Bottom Layer
Reserve about 1 cup of the mixture for the crumb topping.
Press the remaining crumb topping firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan to create the buttery oatmeal crust.
Add the Raspberry Filling
Spread the raspberry preserves evenly over the crust. Make sure to spread the jam all the way to the edges so every bite has plenty of raspberry filling.
Add the Crumble Topping
Sprinkle the remaining crumble mixture evenly over the top of the jam layer.
Don't press the topping down. Keeping it loose helps create a nice crumbly texture.
Bake
Bake for 25-30 minutes until the crumb topping is lightly golden brown and the top of the jam is bubbling slightly around the edges.
Let the bars cool completely in the pan before lifting them out with the parchment paper.
Allyson’s Tips
Use an 8x8 pan lined with parchment paper, leaving enough parchment hanging over the edges so you can easily lift the bars out after baking.
Let the bars cool in the pan for 15 minutes on the counter. Then use the parchment paper to lift them out of the pan and transfer them to the refrigerator to chill for 45 minutes before slicing. This helps the bars set properly and gives you cleaner slices.
Storage & Make-Ahead Tips
- Store the raspberry bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- For longer storage, refrigerate the bars for up to 1 week.
- Freeze the bars in a freezer-safe container with parchment paper between layers.
Raspberry Oatmeal Crumble Bars
Video
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup brown sugar packed
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups old-fashioned oats
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 6 ounces raspberry preserves or raspberry jam
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter, brown sugar, and almond extract until combined.
- Add the flour, oats, baking soda, and salt. Mix until a crumbly dough forms.
- Reserve about one-third of the crumble mixture for the topping.
- Firmly press the remaining dough into the bottom of the prepared pan to form the crust.
- Spread the raspberry preserves evenly over the crust.
- Sprinkle the reserved crumble mixture loosely over the top of the jam layer.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly around the edges.
- Cool completely before slicing into 9 bars.
Notes
- Press the bottom crust firmly into the pan so the bars hold together well after baking.
- Keep the top layer light and crumbly instead of pressing it down.
- Cool completely before cutting for clean bakery-style squares.
- Double the recipe and bake in a 9x13 pan for a larger batch.
Packaging and Selling Tips
These raspberry oatmeal crumble bars are the perfect bakery treat to sell because they have that cozy homemade flavor customers love.
- Cool completely before slicing for clean squares.
- I cut mine into 9 bars and package 2 per box.
Grab the packaging shown in this photo here, and learn more about how I print my bakery labels and ingredient stickers here.
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