Raspberry Crumble Bars
These Raspberry Bars about to become your go-to summer dessert whether for potlucks, picnic or barbecues because they require less than 20 minutes to prep and are scrumptious served cold! This recipe is bursting with soft, sweet, juicy raspberries sandwiched between two layers of buttery, brown sugar, cinnamon, oat crumble all drizzled with silky sweet-tart lemon glaze. These sensational Raspberry Oatmeal Bars are super simple to make because the crumble doubles as both the base and the crunchy streusel (without the hassle of cutting in butter!) and the raspberry filling bakes up into thick fresh raspberry jam directly in the oven without simmering first. It will be love at first bite - just try and stop at three!
Servings 16 -20 bars
Ingredients
Crust and Topping
- 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 3 cups flour
- 2 cups chopped pecans (optional)
- 1 ½ cups packed light brown sugar
- 2/3 cups granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- zest of one lemon
- 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, melted
Raspberry Filling
- 3 6 oz. pkgs. (18 ounces/4 cups) fresh ripe raspberries
- 1/2 cup sugar (up to 3/4 cup if your raspberries are very tart)
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
LEMON GLAZE
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon butter, melted
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line the bottom and sides of a 9x13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving enough overhang on all sides. Lightly grease with cooking spray; set aside.
- Crust/Topping: Add all of the Crust/Topping ingredients to a large bowl EXCEPT the butter and stir to combine. Pour in the melted butter and stir with a rubber spatula then use your hands as needed to combine until evenly moistened.
- Add two thirds of the crumble to the prepared pan and press into an even layer using the bottom of a glass. Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees F. Meanwhile, place the rest of the crumble in the freezer and prep the Raspberry Filling:
- Raspberry Filling: Combine all of the Raspberry Flling ingredients in a medium bowl. Stir for a minute or two until the raspberries start to release their juices.
- Assemble: Arrange the raspberry layer on top of the baked bottom layer (it's okay that it's still warm). Sprinkle evenly with remaining chilled topping.
- Bake: Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes, or until the streusel is golden brown and the raspberry filling is bubbling around the edges.
- Cool: Remove the pan from the oven and allow to cool for at least 30 minutes at room temperature, then chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours (or overnight). Lift the parchment out of the pan using the overhang on the sides and cut into bars.
- Glaze: Whisk the Lemon Glaze ingredients together in a medium bowl until smooth. Drizzle over the bars. Once you add the drizzle, you can pop the bars back in the fridge until ready to serve.
Video
Notes
- Oats: You must use Old-fashioned rolled oats in this recipe. Please do NOT use quick-cooking oats or instant oats; they will be powdery and will not bake up crispy, leaving you disappointed with the topping texture.
- Frozen raspberries: Place two 12-ounce bags of frozen raspberries in a colander and run warm water over them for a minute. Next, let the raspberries drain for about an hour to thaw/soften completely and release all their juices. This step is important otherwise the raspberries will release a lot of extra moisture directly into the dessert and you’ll end up with a runny filling instead of a thick jammy one.
- Raspberry Jam: Spread 1 ½ cups raspberry preserves over the crust. I also recommend adding 6 ounces of fresh raspberries over top.
- To store: Store the Raspberry Crumble Bars in the fridge for up to 5 days, noting that the crumble topping will soften over time. If serving guests, I recommend making the bars no more than 24 hours in advance. You can eat the bars chilled directly from the refrigerator or let them sit on the counter for 20 minutes or so take the chill off. If taking to an outdoor potluck, I suggest freezing the bars first so they don't become overly soft in the heat.
- To freeze: Let the bars chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours. Wrap the entire pan in plastic wrap and then a layer of foil OR wrap individual slices in a piece of plastic wrap and then carefully seal inside a freezer bag. Label, date, and freeze for up to 3 months. To thaw, place in the fridge overnight. Note the topping will not be as crunchy once frozen and thawed.