Raspberry crumble bars are the perfect bright, not overly sweet dessert for spring and summer. With a buttery oat crumble and a fresh raspberry filling, they’re great for breakfast, a midday snack, or (of course) dessert. They’re also perfect for picnics, potlucks, or an easy treat to take on the go.
Many raspberry bar recipes rely solely on jam for the filling, but during testing, I found that adding fresh raspberries gives the bars a brighter, fresher flavor while helping cut back on the overall sweetness. For an extra decadent dessert, I like to warm the bars slightly and serve them with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!
How to Make Fresh Raspberry Crumble Bars
Preheat your oven to 350℉.
Line a 9″ x 9″ baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides to easily lift the bars out after cooling. If your pan is not a non-stick, I suggest lining with an overhang on all sides to prevent sticking.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, add in the flour, brown sugar, white sugar, and kosher salt, then whisk together with a wire whisk or fork until evenly combined and there are no lumps of brown sugar.
Next, with the paddle attachment on low speed, add in the oats and mix until evenly distributed.
Add in the chilled, cubed butter and continue to mix on low speed until the butter has been fully incorporated and the mixture forms the consistency of wet sand that holds its shape when squeezed in your hands.
Note: this should take at least 3 to 5 minutes on low speed, and the mixture will appear dry at first.
Sprinkle ⅔ of the mixture into your prepared pan (on top of the parchment paper) and press it firmly into the bottom. I use the back of a measuring cup to help press the mixture evenly.
Place the bottom crust into your preheated oven and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the crust starts to have a dry (not mushy) appearance and the edges begin to turn a light golden brown color. Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire cooling rack to cool for 10 minutes while preparing the raspberry filling.
In a large bowl, mash together the fresh raspberries and jam with a fork. You want chunks of fresh raspberry but not whole raspberries.
Spread the filling over top of the crust.
Squeeze the remaining crumble mixture in your hands and roll it between your fingers to form larger chunks. Sprinkle them over the top of the raspberry filing.
Bake the bars in the centre of the oven for 50 to 60 minutes, until the filling begins to bubble in the centre of the bars and the top is nice a golden brown.
Note: If you don’t have a convection oven, you may need to put the bars under the broiler for a few minutes.
Remove the bars from the oven and place them on a wire rack to cool for at least 90 minutes. Once cooled, carefully lift them out of the pan and cut into squares.
Serve immediately or store any leftover bars in an airtight container in the fridge.
Raspberry Crumble Bars (with Fresh Raspberries)
Ingredients
For the Crumble
- 1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
- ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ tsp kosher salt (I use Diamond Crystal)
- 1 ½ cups oats (rolled or large flake)
- 12 Tbsp (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into ¼" cubes
For the Filling
- 12 oz (2 half-pint containers) fresh raspberries
- ¾ cup good-quality raspberry jam
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉.
- Line a 9" x 9" baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides to easily lift the bars out after cooling.Pro tip: If your pan is not non-stick, I recommend lining the pan with an overhang on all sides to prevent sticking.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (fitted with the paddle attachment), combine the flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and salt. Before turning on the mixer, whisk the ingredients together with a wire whisk or fork until evenly combined and no lumps of brown sugar remain.1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour½ cup light brown sugar, packed¼ cup granulated sugar½ tsp kosher salt
- Turn the mixer on low speed, add in the oats, and mix until evenly distributed.1 ½ cups oats
- Add in the chilled, cubed butter and continue mixing on low speed until the butter is fully incorporated and the mixture resembles wet sand that holds its shape when squeezed in your hands (about 3 to 5 minutes… longer than you think!). Note: The mixture will appear dry at first; this is OK.12 Tbsp (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into ¼" cubes
- Sprinkle ⅔ of the crumble mixture into the prepared pan and firmly press it into the bottom of the pan. (I use the back of a measuring cup to help press the mixture evenly.)
- Bake the crust until it starts to look dry (not mushy) and the edges begin to turn lightly golden brown (about 12 to 15 minutes). Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes while preparing the raspberry filling.
- In a large bowl, mash together the fresh raspberries and raspberry jam with a fork. (You want some chunks of fresh raspberry remaining, but no whole raspberries.)12 oz (2 half-pint containers) fresh raspberries¾ cup good-quality raspberry jam
- Spread the filling evenly over the baked crust.
- Squeeze the remaining crumble mixture in your hands and roll it between your fingers to form larger clumps. Sprinkle the crumble evenly over the raspberry filling.
- Bake on the middle rack of the oven until the filling begins to bubble in the center (not just at the edges) and the top is nicely golden brown (about 50 to 60 minutes).Note: If you don’t have a convection oven, you may need to place the bars under the broiler for a few minutes to get that nice golden brown topping.
- Remove the bars from the oven and place the pan on a wire rack to cool completely (about 90 minutes). Once cooled, carefully lift the bars out of the pan and cut into squares.
- Serve immediately or store leftover bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
