These bars are sweet, crunchy, gooey on the inside. They are the perfect sweet treat to bake when you are in a rush and looking to bake a quick dessert. The oats and pecans pair so well with the sweet raspberry jam on the inside. I have made these multiple times because I am obsessed with how easy and delicious these bars taste!
The inspiration behind these bars...
I made these over the weekend because I was looking for a sweet treat to eat that was easy to whip up. Also, I was running low on my groceries and didn't have a lot of baking supplies in my kitchen. I know. I know that is a big surprise that I was low on baking ingredients but I was lazy this week and didn't replenish my kitchen. Because I was low on supplies I needed to find inspiration to bake something with what is in my pantry. This is my FAVORITE activity to do! This sounds crazy but I promise it is fun to only work with the ingredients you have. Try it out.
So, anyway, this recipe is so simple and easy and filled with ingredients that are classic pantry items. I was staring at my cabinets and decided I wanted something fruity and got inspired to make these crumble bars. There are only a few ingredients in these bars that are needed to make these bars. Oats. Flour. Chocolate. Raspberry jam (any jam you want). Pecans (any nut you want). Butter. That is basically all you need. And they come out tasting delicious! The best part about these bars is that you can make any combination you want. You can add any nut combination you want and chocolate & jam combination. These bars are so versatile. It is great!
Here is how the setup works:
The setup and assembly for this recipe are easy and quick to do. Once you have all the ingredients measured you can make the flour oat nut mixture by hand by crumbling up chunks of butter and set aside. Then you layer an 8x8 square baking dish with the flour oat nut mixture then the raspberry jam then chocolate chips and then the oat mixture again. And you are done! Stick that beautiful dish in the oven and bake!
Why I was eating these bars for days...
These bars are sweet and so soft on the inside but of course, you get the glorious crunch in every bite from the oats. I love that there is that crunchy layer of oats and nuts on the bottom and top. It the perfect sweet raspberry chocolate sandwich. I love my fruit bars to be filled with jam so that jam oozes out from the inside. I don't like it when I pick up a jam bar and I don't even taste the fruit flavor. The best part about these jam bars is that they are a huge crowd-pleaser. Everyone will love eating these bars and they are easy to travel with. You can package them in an air-tight container for an outdoor gathering or go to a friend's house. They are the perfect treat to make for friends and family. This time I baked these for myself because I was craving a sweet treat as always I love my sugary treats. Next time I will make these bars for friends.
These bars are so DAMN GOOD. I promise you will be as obsessed as I am with them. I love that I could eat them with anything. I ate them for breakfast, for an afternoon snack, and for dessert with ice cream on top. It is crazy how good these are!
A few tips to success:
Jam - I had raspberry jam so I used that kind for these bars however, you can replace it with any jam you want. I think it will be good with blueberry or strawberry jam as well.
Nuts - I used pecans in this recipe however any nut will work well here. Chopped walnuts would taste excellent with these bars. If you have a nut allergy or just don't like nuts you can leave that out. These bars will still taste amazing!
Chocolate - Dark chocolate pairs well with raspberry jam however, you can use any chocolate chip for these bars or leave it out. A jammy bar is delicious even without the chocolate. I love chocolate in everything so I had to add it to these bars.
Layers - I split the oat-flour mixture 1/3 for the base and 2/3 for the topping because I like extra crunch on top. You can split the mixture in half or play around with the layering to get a perfect balance that you prefer.
Greasing the pan - I like to use parchment paper when making these bars because it is easy to lift out of the pan after baking. To do this I cut the parchment paper so that it lines the bottom of the pan and the flaps overhang on the sides. You don't want too much parchment paper hanging over in the oven so make sure it is just enough for you to lift after baking. Parchment paper is great to use for baking and you will have less to clean which is my favorite part of using parchment paper.
Storage - these bars will last for 5 days in an air-tight container on your counter. I put the bars in the fridge towards the end of the week and they lasted an additional 3 days. They still tasted great cold!
Check out how to make these in the video below:
Raspberry Chocolate Crumble Bars
Serving size: 16 bars
Total Time: 40 mins
Source: Adapted from 101 Greatest Cookies on the Planet by Erin Renouf Mylroie
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup oats
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup raspberry jam
3/4 cup dark chocolate chips
1/4 cup chopped pecans
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8x8 inch square baking pan or line with parchment paper.
Step 2: In a bowl, mix together the flour, oats, brown sugar, and baking soda. Using your hands, with the softened butter mix into the dry ingredients until crumbles form. Set aside.
Step 3: Press half of the oat flour mixture into the bottom of the pan. Layer with raspberry jam and then chocolate chips. Top the bars off with the rest of the oat flour mixture and pecans. Then bake for 30-35 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Let the bars cool for about 10 minutes and then slice and serve! I liked my bars with ice cream on top. Enjoy!
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