This recipe for Raspberry Bars is adapted from Cooking Light, but don't think that because they're "light" they're not as good. A smaller amount of butter, the addition of oats and the fact that raspberry jam is naturally fat free all come together to form of a bar cookie that won't leave you wishing you'd had a richer dessert. The overall texture and flavors make it a winner.
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Texture and Flavor
The bottom layer of the raspberry bars is made with flour, baking soda, salt, butter, brown sugar and oats. Before patting it in the pan you reserve ¾ cup of the mixture to use as a topping. On top of the oat crust you layer some raspberry preserves, then you add chocolate chips to the reserved oat mixture to make a crumbly oat and chocolate chip topping.
Loaf Pan Raspberry Bars
The recipe in the card makes an 8-inch square pan. That's generally considered a pretty small batch, but if you need an even smaller one you can make half the recipe and bake the bars in a loaf pan. Just line a loaf pan with foil, grease foil, and follow the same method as with the square pan. Bake time should be somewhere between 25 and 28 minutes. Here's a picture of my loaf pan version cooling down.
Storing Raspberry Bars
The bars get softer and even tastier stored in a tin overnight, but for anything longer than a day I recommend freezing the bars. If you are making them a week or two ahead of time, freeze without slicing. Just wrap tightly with plastic wrap and store in a freezer bag.
Recipe
Raspberry Bars
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (125 grams)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup quick-cooking oats
- ¾ cup packed brown sugar (150 grams)
- 5 tablespoons butter -- softened (70 grams)
- ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 jar seedless raspberry jam (280 grams)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°. Line an 8 inch square pan with parchment paper or foil. If using foil, spray with cooking spray.
- Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl and stir well. Stir in the oats.
- Combine sugar and butter in a medium bowl, and beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Add the flour mixture to butter mixture, and stir until well blended (mixture will be crumbly.) Remove ¾ cup of dough; toss with chocolate chips. Set aside. Press the remaining dough into an 8-inch square baking pan, and spread evenly with jam. Sprinkle with chocolate chip mixture.
- Bake at 375° 30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely on a wire rack.
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