Love wholesome dessert bars? Try my strawberry oatmeal bars, zucchini bars, and oatmeal chocolate chip bars next. I know I shouldn’t play favorites, but raspberries have to be my favorite fruit. When I’ve had my fill of eating them fresh from the market, I love to use them up to make my easy raspberry bars with a gorgeous crumb topping.
Why I love this recipe
It uses simple ingredients. You only need a bunch of pantry staples and fresh berries for this recipe. In fact, both the shortbread crust and the crumb topping use the exact same ingredients! Customizable. Once you know the basics, you can make this recipe will any fruit of your choice. We like to use any berry on hand or other fruits, like apples and peaches. Versatile. These raspberry bars are perfect if you have a sweet tooth and want to finish your meal with a dessert. They also make a fabulous afternoon treat or something to entertain guests with. Great for making ahead. You can make these over the weekend and enjoy them throughout the week.
Ingredients Needed
All-purpose flour. To make the crumbly base and the top. If your flour has clumps, be sure to sift it well beforehand. Rolled oats. Rolled or old-fashioned oats are perfect for this recipe. They crisp up upon baking and impart a lovely texture to the bars. Sugar. To sweeten the base. Feel free to use brown or white sugar per your preference. Salt. To taste. Butter. Use good quality unsalted butter to make the crust. Melt the butter in the microwave and use it to bind the flour mixture. Raspberry filling. Raspberries, sugar, and all-purpose flour. I typically use fresh raspberries in the summer and when they aren’t in season, frozen ones.
How to make raspberry bars
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Step 1- Make the crust. Combine flour, oats, salt, butter, and sugar in a large bowl until you get a coarse crumbly texture. Layer it on a square pan lined with parchment paper. Press it down, poke holes, and bake until golden. Step 2- Prep the raspberry filling. Add sugar and raspberries to a saucepan and boil it over medium heat. Break down the raspberries until smooth, add flour, and simmer for another minute. Step 3- Layer. When the base is done, remove it from the oven. Layer it with raspberry jam, spread over the remaining crumble, and bake for 20 minutes. Step 4- Set, slice, and serve. Let the bars cool at room temperature. Then, transfer it to the refrigerator to firm for an hour or longer. Once set, remove it from the fridge, slice it into them, and serve.
Arman’s recipe tips
Use a food processor. For a quick crust mixture, pulse the dry ingredients in a food processor until they come together. Adjust the thickness. If you like thinner bars, make this recipe in a 9-inch pan instead. Remember to poke the base. To prevent puffing up or cracking the crust, poke the base several times using a fork.
Storage instructions
To store. Leftover raspberry crumble bars keep well at room temperature in an airtight containwr for three days. Refrigerate them for up to a week for extended storage.
Make it gluten-free. You can use certified gluten-free oats and gluten-free flour if you want these bars to be suitable for celiacs. Make a cookie base. Reminiscing good old thumbprint cookies? Revisit the nostalgia by making shortbread cookie crust instead of crumb crust. Use a mix of fresh raspberries and raspberry preserves. For a more jammy taste, you can add a layer of raspberry jam. Add other fruits, like blackberries, peaches, and apricots. Make raspberry lemon bars. A cinnamon crust tastes delightful with butter and raspberry flavors. I also add lemon zest to the crumble for a subtle lemon flavor.
To freeze. Alternatively, you can freeze the raspberry bars in ziplock bags for up to three months.
More bars and blondies to try
Peanut butter blondies Peanut butter cookie bars Banana bars Or any of these bar and blondie recipes
Originally published August 2023, updated and republished May 2024
