Raspberry Oatmeal Crumble Bars

Moist and chewy raspberry oatmeal crumble bars, with a crumbly oatmeal and brown sugar crust and topping, filled with tart raspberries and sweet raspberry jam. These yummy raspberry crumb bars are easy to make, and simply delicious served warm from the oven with a scoop of ice cream.

You might also love these raspberry thumbprint sugar cookies, chocolate chip oatmeal cookie bars, and old fashioned iced oatmeal cookies.

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Moist, Chewy, Crumbly, Fruity. The combination of the hearty texture of the buttery oat crumble crust and topping with the sweet and tart raspberry filling is just so good. And I’ve based the recipe for these raspberry oatmeal crumble bars on my popular rhubarb oatmeal bars, which have had so many rave reviews over the years. I know you’ll love this raspberry variation!

Enjoy Warm or Cold. If you can’t wait for these raspberry bars to cool, then just scoop them up with a spoon to eat warm, like raspberry cobbler. They’re so good topped with a scoop of creamy vanilla bean ice cream.

Easy to Make. The oatmeal crumble mixture doubles as both the crust and the topping, making less prep work for you. You’ll be baking the bars in stages, first by baking the crust, then adding the filling and baking a little longer. Finally, add the crumb topping and finish baking. This ensures that each layer of the bars is perfectly baked, with a perfectly set raspberry filling and no soggy bottom crust.

High Altitude Tested. While today’s recipe will work at any altitude, mountain bakers can bake with confidence since I test all of my recipes at Denver’s altitude of 5,280 feet.

See the recipe card at the end of the post for the full ingredients list and instructions.

Ingredients

Crust and Topping

• Flour. All-purpose flour gives the crust and topping structure, and binds everything together.
• Oats. Be sure to use old fashioned rolled oats, not quick cooking oats or steel cut oats.
• Brown Sugar. Sweetens the crust.
• Salt. Balances the sweetness.
• Baking Powder. Leavening agent, giving the crust and topping a bit of lift as it bakes.
• Cinnamon. The cinnamon adds warmth and spice to complement the flavor of the raspberries.
• Butter. Makes the crust and topping deliciously buttery and golden brown.

Filling

• Raspberries. A bag (12 oz) of frozen raspberries works well for this recipe. You’ll need to thaw the raspberries first, then lightly drain the excess juice. Note that it’s totally normal for frozen raspberries to turn into a pile of mush when they thaw. I also decorated the top of the bars with a few fresh raspberries.
• Raspberry Jam. In addition to the raspberries, you’ll also need some raspberry jam. The jam adds some sweetness, and also helps to thicken and set the filling.
• Sugar. Granulated sugar sweetens the filling to balance the tartness of the raspberries.
• Flour. All purpose flour thickens and sets the filling.
• Lemon Juice. Enhances the flavor of the raspberries. And since lemons are naturally high in pectin, the lemon juice also helps to set the filling.
• Vanilla Extract. Flavor.

Instructions

Make the crumble and bake the crust.

• Preheat the oven to 350 F. Spray a 9 inch square baking dish with non-stick spray, or line with parchment paper.
• In your food processor, or with a pastry cutter, combine the crust/topping ingredients until pea-sized pieces of butter remain.

• Reserve 1 ½ cups of the crumbs for the topping (chill in the refrigerator until needed), and press the remainder of the crumbs firmly against the bottom of the baking dish.
• Bake the crust for 20 minutes.

Make the filling.

• Meanwhile, make the filling. Drain the frozen (and thawed) raspberries over a colander to get rid of excess juice. In a bowl, stir together the frozen (and thawed) raspberries with the rest of the filling ingredients (except for the fresh raspberries), until combined.
• Spread the raspberry filling over the hot crust. Bake for 20 minutes.

Add the crumble topping and finish baking.

• Sprinkle the reserved crumbs over the filling. If you like, press the fresh raspberries into the topping for a pretty finish.
• Bake the raspberry bars for an additional 20-25 minutes until the topping is golden brown.

• Let cool on the counter for at least 2-3 hours, if you want to cut neat squares. Or, you can serve the bars warm and messy, topped with a scoop of ice cream.

Recipe Variations

Half Sheet Pan. You can make a larger pan of these raspberry oatmeal crumble bars by doubling the recipe and baking them in a 9×13 inch pan. The bake times should be about the same, or possibly a few minutes longer.

Make with Other Berries. Instead of raspberries, try making these oatmeal crumb bars with blueberries or blackberries. For sweeter berries, I’d probably reduce the sugar in the filling by several tablespoons. Also, be sure to swap out the raspberry jam for blueberry or blackberry jam. Strawberries might be too watery to use for this recipe.

Be sure to read all of my BAKING FAQs where I discuss ingredients, substitutions and common baking questions, so that you can be successful in your own baking!

Frequently Asked Questions

How long do raspberry oatmeal crumble bars stay fresh?

These raspberry oatmeal bars are best eaten within 1-2 days.  On the first day, the crust will be crisp, but it starts to soften by the second day from the moisture in the filling.

How should I store leftover raspberry bars?

After the bars cool, store them at room temperature for up to 1 day, or in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Can these be frozen?

You can freeze the bars, but the crust will be a bit softer after thawing out.

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