Raspberry Jam Bars
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Sweet, tart and gooey, these raspberry jam bars are a happy marriage of blondies and jam.
Sweet, tart, and gooey, these raspberry jam bars are a happy marriage of blondies and jam, and I love them just as much with my morning coffee as I do for dessert. The top and bottom layers are made from the same batter but they bake up differently; the bottom is soft and chewy while the top is light and crisp. Feel free to swap out the raspberry jam for your favorite flavor but avoid anything too sweet—tart-flavored jams like cherry, blackberry or raspberry work best. Also, keep in mind that these bars are quick to throw together but they do take a few hours to set up and cool before cutting.
“Great recipe! Super easy to make and a real crowd pleaser. A double batch was devoured by 8 adults.”
What You’ll Need To Make Raspberry Jam Bars
- Pecans: Add crisp and nutty flavor to the top of the bars.
- All-purpose flour: Provides structure and helps bind the ingredients.
- Unsweetened coconut flakes: Offer a hint of tropical flavor and nice texture contrast.
- Old-fashioned rolled oats: Contribute chewiness and heartiness to the bars.
- Baking powder: Helps the bars rise and achieve a light texture.
- Butter: Adds richness and moisture to the bars.
- Granulated sugar: Adds sweetness and aids in browning.
- Light brown sugar: Provides a very subtle caramel-like flavor and chewiness.
- Egg: Acts as a binder and adds moisture.
- Raspberry jam: Adds tart, fruity sweetness, and lovely color to the bars.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
To begin: In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade, place the pecans, flour, coconut, oats, salt, and baking powder.
Blend until the mixture has a fine, sand-like texture and set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter with the granulated sugar and brown sugar.
Beat until light and creamy, a few minutes.
Add the egg.
Beat until well combined.
Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture.
Beat on low speed until just combined.
Place 2/3 of the dough over the bottom of the prepared baking dish, using an offset spatula to spread it into an even layer. (If you don’t have an offset spatula, lightly wet your fingers and press the dough into an even layer.)
Spread the jam over the surface of the dough, leaving ¼-inch space between the jam and the sides of the baking dish so the bars won’t stick quite so much to the foil.
Pinch off 1-inch clumps of the remaining dough and scatter evenly over top of the jam. The dough won’t cover the entire surface; that’s okay.
Bake for about 35 minutes, until the topping is golden brown.
Let the jam bars cool in the baking dish on a rack for about 15 minutes. Using the foil overhang, lift the bars out of the pan and onto the countertop. Pull the foil away from the sides to prevent sticking, and then let sit until completely cool, a few hours. Cut into 16 bars. Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! Feel free to swap out the raspberry jam for your favorite flavor but avoid anything too sweet—tart jams like cherry, blackberry, or raspberry work best.
Yes, they can be made up to 2 days ahead and stored in a covered container at room temperature.
Yes, they freeze nicely for up to 2 months. Prior to freezing, let them cool completely and store in an airtight container, separating layers with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Before serving, remove the bars from the container and let them come to room temperature.
Yes, you can replace either of these ingredients with an equal amount of another ingredient that does not need to be avoided, such as the oats, nuts, or coconut.
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Raspberry Jam Bars
Sweet, tart and gooey, these raspberry jam bars are a happy marriage of blondies and jam.
Ingredients
- ½ cup pecans
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off with a knife
- ½ cup unsweetened coconut flakes
- ¼ cup old-fashioned rolled oats
- Heaping ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup raspberry jam
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and adjust the oven rack to the middle position. Line an 8-inch square baking dish with heavy-duty aluminum foil so that it overlaps the sides and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade, place the pecans, flour, coconut, oats, salt, and baking powder. Blend until the mixture has a fine, sand-like texture. Set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter with the granulated sugar and brown sugar on medium speed until light and creamy, a few minutes. Add the egg and beat until well combined. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat on low speed until just combined. The dough will be sticky. Place ⅔ of the dough on the bottom of the prepared baking dish, using an offset spatula to spread it into an even layer. (If you don’t have an offset spatula, lightly wet your fingers and press the dough into an even layer.) Spread the jam over the surface of the dough, leaving ¼-inch space between the jam and the sides of the baking dish so the bars won’t stick to the foil. Pinch off 1-inch clumps of the remaining dough and scatter evenly over top of the jam. The dough won’t cover the entire surface; that’s okay. Bake for about 35 minutes, until the topping is golden brown.
- Let the jam bars cool in the baking dish on a rack for about 15 minutes. Using the foil overhang, lift the bars out of the pan and onto the countertop. Pull the foil away from the sides to prevent sticking, and then let sit until completely cool, a few hours. Cut into 16 bars. Cover the bars with foil and store at room temperature for up to two days.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: These bars can be frozen for up to 2 months. Let them cool completely and store in an airtight container, separating layers with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Before serving, remove the bars from the container and let them come to room temperature.
Nutrition Information
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- Serving size: 1 bar
- Calories: 192
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated fat: 5 g
- Carbohydrates: 24 g
- Sugar: 15 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Sodium: 53 mg
- Cholesterol: 27 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Perfect! I followed your directions using Bonne Maman Mixed Berry Preserves. I made these last night and they’re nearly gone. It’s just the two of us! Thank you for the wonderful tips, techniques and photos for your recipes. You inspire me and make me a better cook.
Made these exactly by the directions using black raspberry jam. They turned out perfectly and my guests loved them. Love, love, love the 8×8 dessert recipes!
Sooo good! One of my husband’s favorites. They come out perfect every time!
I made these for my bridge club probably 3 months ago. They liked them so well they asked me to bring them again. They’re in the oven right now.
These raspberry bars are amazing. My MIL requested that I bring them with me again when we visit for Christmas. The only modification I made was to add white chocolate chips to the jam before adding the dough. This was for my MIL who loves white chocolate. But, I think it added another nice dimension to an already fab treat so I plan to keep adding those.
Hi Jenn, what could one substitute the coconut flakes in the recipe for? More pecans or oats? Or simply more flour?
You can go with either more nuts or oats. Enjoy!
Fabulous bar, I made it with Quince jam. Any jam would be great in this crust.
Hi, I made two batches of these so our family could compare flavors: one, this recipe spread half with raspberry preserves and half with apricot preserves (both Bonne Maman brand) and for the second batch, we used gluten-free flour, half raspberry and half apricot again. Both batches were delicious. The gluten-free didn’t taste any different. I preferred the raspberry over the apricot because it had more flavor. Love these!!
Yesterday when I was looking for Raspberry bar recipes, I was sure I saw one here that used slivered almonds pulsed with flour and oats in the base. It used fresh raspberries and jam in the middle layer.
I thought I saw that you had given credit as you adapted it from another recipe. Love your recipes and trust your recipes.
Hi Val, So glad you like the recipes! The recipe you’re referring to is not mine though — hope you find what you’re looking for! 🙂
I used homemade blackberry and damson plum jam. Delicious flavour. Making again today with homemade nectarine jam. Makes a nice snack with coffee.
I made these over the weekend and served them at a backyard party. They are wonderful; a nice little summer dessert or a morning pastry with your coffee. I left the crust in the oven for about a minute longer than was directed and it was a little overbaked. I’ll be sure to follow directions as written next time.