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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Easy and delicious. I have successfully substituted out the nuts for more coconut and flour to accommodate for allergies. Even better the next day when the jam soaks into the cookie.
I have a tree but allergy which includes coconuts and pecans. Can I make this recipe successfully without those ingredients? Are there substitutes you recommend? Thanks!
Hi Leah, Sure — I’d replace the coconut and pecans with additional flour and oats. Please LMK how they turn out!
Delicious!
The Raspberry Jam Bars are a heaven sent dessert!! Jen, thanks for the tip regarding the coconut…I used sweetened flaked, so used one less TBSP of sugar and the crust is perfect! In fact, that crust is amazing! To say my husband’s Valentine’s Day dessert was well received would be an understatement! He loves them! I love them! We usually buy seeded raspberry jam, but I assumed that seedless would be much better which was correct. The flavor of Trappist Seedless Raspberry Jam is wonderful in this recipe! Thanks Jen, and thank you for adding your little notes with suggestions if one doesn’t happen to have a certain piece of equipment or utensil.
First, I rarely ever give a review. However, I love to read them! But, after making these several times now (as well as other recipes of yours) I felt I had to. They are EXCELLENT! 10 stars!! I’ve made them in 8×8 as well as 9×13. You are truly talented! BTW, your new cookbook sits out on my counter and I tell everyone about you😀
❤️
I tell everyone about your blog, too, Jenn. Recipes are so reliable and I , too, love the reviews. Most of all, I love that when I ask you a question, you get back with an answer reliably within a day or two. Thank you!
Another great recipe, Jen! Just another notch up from the usual jam bars. The pecans, coconut & oats together were sublime, then topped with the raspberry jam (I used my fave brand, Bonne Maman)….perfection. Thank you, as always!
Love these jam bars because they are delicious, easy and versatile. I even made them using leftover homemade cranberry sauce after Thanksgiving in lieu of raspberry jam. They are also good with apricot or blueberry jam.
I made one adjustment to the instructions because I prefer a firmer crust. I blind bake the bottom shortbread layer for 10 minutes. Directly after removing the crust, I spread the jam on this warm layer and top with the remaining uncooked dough and then bake another 25 minutes.
These make a delightful and welcome holiday gift.
Would homemade blueberry jam work for this if i cut the granulated sugar to 1/4 cup(keeping the brown sugar at 1/4 c.)? Also, subbing the pecans with walnuts?
Yes and yes! I’d love to hear how they turn out. 🙂
I have made this recipe 100 times with all kinds of different fruits: plums, pears, bananas. It is great tasting, alittle crumbly, super fast and easy. I am even going to make it today with fall apples but my favorite fruit is with plum butter from my own home grown plums!
Can I sub whole fruits like pitted cherries or blue berries for the Jam?
Unfortunately, I don’t think that would work — sorry!
These bars are the absolute best and so easy to make! Thanks Jenn, for a great recipe!
What could I use in place of coconut which is a very unpopular ingredient in my family?
Hi Susan, I’d replace the coconut with 1/4 cup more flour and 1/4 cup more pecans or oats. Enjoy!