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- Raspberry Crumble Bars
Raspberry Crumble Bars
Buttery and tender, these raspberry crumble bars are a simple yet scrumptious treat. Made with a thick layer of raspberry jam and melt in your mouth shortbread cookie layers, these jam shortbread bars are seriously addicting!
Raspberry Crumble Bars
Hello, my loves. I know it’s a Monday, but I promise these raspberry crumble bars are about to make your day a whole lot better. Made with simple ingredients, these jam bars come together in minutes and keep for weeks, meaning you can whip up a big batch on a whim with the intention of giving some away and having a sweet treat for weeks. Of course you’ll eat them all within two days because they’re seriously addicting, but sometimes you just have to lie to yourself a little, y’know?
What are raspberry crumble bars?
Crumble bars, jam bars, shortbread jam bars, crumb bars…they go by many names, but are an iconically simple treat my family has been whipping up for years. A traditional shortbread crumb bar is made with (you guess it), shortbread cookie dough and preserves. Simply whip up your fav shortbread recipe and press 2/3 of the dough into a pan lined with parchment paper. Spread a thick layer of jam over the bottom layer and then top with crumble of the remaining batter. Bake it up to a perfect golden brown and you’re in buttery, jammy heaven. The tender shortbread perfectly complements the sugary chew of the jam for the ultimate sweet treat.
Ingredients for Raspberry Crumb Bars
These jam shortbread bars are crazy easy to make and only call for a few ingredients you probably already have on hand. As with any simple recipe, it’s crucial that you use high quality ingredients. Every ingredient shines through and will affect the finished jam shortbread bars.
- Butter: The base of any good shortbread is some good buttahhh. Splurge on that good stuff (we love Vermont Creamery!) and you’ll be able to tell the difference in the melt in your mouth buttery crumb.
- Sugar: These shortbread bars aren’t sickeningly sweet, but they do require a little sugar to create just the right amount of caramelization and chew.
- Flour: You’ll want to use all purpose flour for the perfect crumb to your shortbread bars.
- Salt: You’ll only need a little bit, but salt is so important to deepening the flavor. It will cut the sweetness just enough and make these jam bars seriously addicting.
- Jam: We made these crumb bars with our favorite raspberry preserves (we love Bonne Maman!), but you could use any flavor you like. Blueberry, blackberry, strawberry, apricot…the options are endless.
Tips for the Best Raspberry Crumb Bars
This raspberry crumble bars recipe is super super simple, but these three tricks will guarantee you perfectly soft, melt in your mouth crumb bars!
- Don’t overwork your dough: The key to good shortbread is dough that has as little gluten in it as possible. This will make a tender, melt in your mouth texture that you expect from shortbread. Your dough will be crumbly, but this is exactly what you want!
- Use high quality preserves: You always make your own raspberry filling with fresh or frozen fruit, but you can also get the same gourmet, straight from a bakery jam bar taste from high quality preserves!
- Bake them to perfection: With shortbread there’s a fine line between doughy and overdone. The bars should take about 25 to 30 minutes to bake and you”ll know they’re done when they’re just golden brown.
How to store jam shortbread bars
If you’ve ever received a tin of Christmas cookies, you probably know that shortbread is one of the few cookies that stays good for a pretty long time. Of course, they’ll taste best fresh, but they hold up much better than other softer cookies like chocolate chip cookies or sugar cookies. You can keep these raspberry crumble bars in an airtight container for up to two weeks at room temperature or in the fridge for up to three weeks! Looking to save them even longer? Freeze them in a freezer safe plastic bag for up to three months!
Now hop to it! Join me in devouring these tasty jam shortbread bars! We can’t wait to hear how much you love them.
PrintJam Shortbread Bars
- Prep Time 10 minutes
- Cook Time 25 minutes
- Total Time 35 minutes
- Yield 16 servings
- Category dessert
- Method oven
- Cuisine american
Jam Shortbread Bars
These easy jam bars are complete with a tender shortbread crust and jammy raspberry center!
- Prep Time 10 minutes
- Cook Time 25 minutes
- Total Time 35 minutes
- Yield 16 servings
- Category dessert
- Method oven
- Cuisine american
Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter, cold and cut into cubes
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup jam
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8 x 8 pan with parchment on all sides and set aside.
- In a stand mixer fit with the paddle attachment, combine the butter, sugar, flour, salt and vanilla and beat until the dough starts to come together, about 2 minutes. The dough will be crumbly, but this is what you want!
- Press 2/3 of the shortbread dough into the prepared pan in an even layer. Top with the jam and spread into an even, thick layer. Crumble the remaining shortbread over the jam, making sure you leave some spots of jam poking through. Bake the bars for 25-30 minutes or until they are just golden brown.
- Allow the shortbread to cool before cutting into desired size and shape! Enjoy!
Notes
- Shortbread is a dry dough! Don’t be alarmed if your dough is crumbly. As it bakes the butter will melt and bind the dough together!
- Prep Time 10 minutes
- Cook Time 25 minutes
- Total Time 35 minutes
- Yield 16 servings
- Category dessert
- Method oven
- Cuisine american
Great recipe that is a breeze to make. I did have to bake mine a bit longer (probably 35 minutes) but could be attributed to the oven, personal preferences as to how “golden” we like it, and amount of jam. I tend to be a bit generous. The first time, I used a strawberry rhubarb jam and second batch was a blackberry gin jam. Both came out great. I did double the blackberry gin one and baked in a 9″x13″ pan. I’m already thinking about other variations, including a peach one with some caramel drizzle on top.
Delicious and easy bars! I followed your advice and used the jam you posted and it did make a difference. A little less sweet and more raspberry flavor. The crust was very tender and buttery. I did prebake the crust for 15 min before adding the jam and then baked the bars till the topping was lightly browned since my family likes a crispier crust. Was a real hit for Easter. I cut them in the same shape as posted and they looked so pretty with the light dusting of powdered sugar. Going to make them again this week since we didnt have any leftovers!
Fabulous! Make these often with different jams. I decrease the sugar by half because I enjoy them less sweet. Everyone raves about them.