Easy raspberry jam oat bars
These are deliciously buttery crumble bars that are perfect for any occasion. You’ll love the combination of the sweet fruity jam filling sandwiched between the oatmeal cookie base and the crumbly golden topping. And you’ll especially love how quick these are to get in the oven! Similar jam bar recipes call for softened butter to be creamed with an electric beater (like for oatmeal cookies) or rubbed into flour using your fingers (like for shortbread). In contrast, my recipe starts with melted butter which is just mixed with a wooden spoon with oats, flour etc. I’ve made it the standard way, and my way, and the difference is barely discernible. So my easier way it is!
What goes in raspberry jam oat bars
While these are made with raspberry jam, it can be made with any jam flavour your heart desires. Strawberry, blueberry, marmalade, apricot!
Jam – As noted above, any flavour jam you want can be used! I used raspberry. Rolled oats – Not quick oats or steel-cut oats. Just plain traditional oats. Flour – Just plain / all purpose flour. Wholemeal / wholewheat flour will work too. I haven’t tried with gluten-free flour or almond meal (ground almonds). Butter – Unsalted butter. No need to bring to room temperature as we will melt it. Sugar – Brown sugar adds lovely caramel-y flavour to the base. However, if you’re out, white sugar can be substituted. Egg – A large one, from a carton labelled with the size “large”. Industry standard is 55 – 60g / 2 oz each. Baking powder – Just 1/2 teaspoons adds a bit of lift. It doesn’t make the biscuit base cake, it just prevents it from baking into a concrete block. Salt – Just a pinch, to bring out the other flavours. It doesn’t make it salty.
The making part – quick & easy!
One oats biscuit mixture is used for the base and the crumbly topping. Convenient!
TIP to speed up the cooling: cool 30 minutes on the counter, 30 minutes in fridge. These really might be one of the fastest bars ever to make. Well, the 5 Ingredient Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars are a hot contender for the World’s Speediest Bars too. 🙂 Tuck them into lunch boxes. Take them to book club. Serve them for afternoon tea. Or, for something different, serve them as dessert, warm like apple crumble with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. YES! – Nagi x PS Those caramelised bits along the edges are the BEST. Like a chewy candy. I’ll fight you for them!
Watch how to make it
Originally published July 2016, in the days before I learned how to make recipe videos! Updated March 2023 with a recipe video, sparkling new photos and much needed clean up of the writing.
Similar format sweet things
Because I do have a soft spot for hand-held goodies.
Life of Dozer
Normally I update this section with current Dozer happenings, but I though you might like this from the original publication date – Dozer suspiciously sniffing a runaway raspberry, disappointed he didn’t get to taste test the Raspberry Bars!
