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Featuring a fresh raspberry filling, and an oaty brown sugar topping, these raspberry crumble bars are easy to make, and even easier to eat. The best raspberry oatmeal bars to serve at summer picnics, parties, and potluck dinners!
Why Make These Raspberry Crumble Bars?
Summer always puts me in the mood for fresh berries. I’ll work them into everything, from galettes and hand pies to crumbles and chocolate truffles.
Since I happened to have some raspberries left over from another recipe, I decided to develop these raspberry crumble bars. The resulting recipe features a cookie base (pressed into the tin, shortbread-style), a sweet raspberry filling, and a crumbly, oaty brown sugar layer on top. These bars come together in about an hour, and they’ll make your kitchen smell absolutely heavenly while they bake!
Ingredients for Making Raspberry Crumble Bars
Although the ingredient list for this one runs kind of long, it’s mostly comprised of kitchen staples. Other than the fresh berries and perhaps the orange, you probably already have everything you need to make these raspberry bars.
Begin by gathering the following:
-
- Unsalted butter – You’ll need 170 grams (12 tablespoons), or 1 1/2 sticks, to make the crumbly topping.
- Light brown sugar – If you’re out of light brown, dark brown sugar will work equally well!
- Orange zest – Freshly zested orange adds a bright, citrusy note. Use a microplane to zest the orange as finely as possible.
- Kosher salt – This recipe only requires 1/4 tablespoon of salt, so you easily can subsitute sea salt or table salt.
- All purpose flour – Or plain flour, if you’re in the UK. This forms the base for the crumbly topping.
- Rolled oats – The other key topping ingredient. Be sure to choose old fashioned or rolled oats, not quick oats.
- Baking powder – For a bit of rise.
- Raspberries – You’ll need 300 grams (about 3 cups) to make the juicy topping. I prefer fresh raspberries when they’re in season, but frozen berries will also work.
- Granulated sugar – Sugar balances the tartness of the raspberries, and helps to thicken the jam layer.
- Cornflour/cornstarch – Also acts as a thickening agent, ensuring that the raspberry layer remains slightly jelly-like, rather than watery or runny.
- Orange juice – You can use store-bought, but I simply squeezed the orange after I finished zesting the peel for the topping. You only need 1 tablespoon of juice, so no point in buying a bottle unless you like to drink it for breakfast anyway.
Tips and Tricks for Making Raspberry Crumble Bars
Don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty! To combine the ingredients for the crumbly, oaty topping, I found it easiest to just mix everything together with my hands.
Keep an eye on the oven. My combined baking time (for the base + topping) totalled about 50 minutes, but your bars might take more or less time to bake, depending on the amount of moisture in the berries.
Speaking of moisture, if you choose to use frozen raspberries, I suggest thawing the berries and draining them in the refrigerator before making the raspberry layer.
Don’t skip the pre-baking step! Pre-baking the bottom crust prevents the infamous ‘soggy bottom.‘
After baking, I find it easiest to remove the entire slab of bars from the tin before slicing. See my tips below.
Lining the Tin
For this recipe, I recommend lining your tin using a ‘sling’ or ‘criss-cross’ method. Do do so, cut two strips of parchment, each roughly the width of the tin, and long enough to allow a 1-inch overhang on both sides. Then, spritz the tin with nonstick spray, place a strip of parchment in one direction, spritz again, and add the second strip of parchment in the opposite direction:
This lining method makes it much easier to lift the slab of baked raspberry bars from the tin in one piece, then transfer it to a cutting board for slicing.
Make-Ahead and Storage Suggestions
These raspberry crumble bars taste best on the day they are made. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days.
Raspberry bars also freeze well. To freeze, layer between sheets of parchment and place in an airtight container. Thaw at room temperature when ready to enjoy.
Other raspberry recipes you might enjoy:
Raspberry Bread Twists
Miniature Berry Tarts
Chocolate Raspberry Truffles
And if you do make these, or any of my recipes, don’t forget to tag me @bastecutfold or use the hashtag #bastecutfold on Instagram. I always love to see what you’re making!
Raspberry Crumble Bars
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 16 2-inch squares 1x
Description
Raspberry crumble bars featuring a fresh raspberry filling, and an oaty brown sugar layer on top.
Ingredients
Crumble topping:
170 grams unsalted butter (12 tablespoons, or 1 1/2 sticks)
130 grams light brown sugar (2/3 cup)
2 teaspoons orange zest, packed
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
192 grams all purpose flour (1 1/2 cups)
160 grams rolled oats (1 1/2 cups)
1 teaspoon baking powder
Raspberry filling:
300 grams fresh or frozen raspberries (thawed if frozen) (3 cups)
45 grams granulated sugar (3 tablespoons)
15 milliliters orange juice (1 tablespoon)
8 grams cornflour/cornstarch (1 tablespoon)
Instructions
Line an 8 x 8-inch square tin with parchment, and spray with nonstick spray. Preheat oven to 190° C / 350° F.
In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, add butter, brown sugar, orange zest, and salt. Mix until fluffy and well combined.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, and baking powder.
Add the dry ingredients to the butter bowl. Use your hands to bring the mixture together, kneading gently until a crumbly dough forms.
Use your hands to press half of the crumble mixture to the prepared tin. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes, or until very lightly golden brown.
Meanwhile, stir together raspberries, sugar, orange juice, and cornstarch in a medium bowl.
Use a fork or plastic spoon to mash the raspberry mixture.
Spread over the partially baked crumble layer.
Drop remaining crumble mixture on top of the fruit layer, spreading it evenly over the surface of the pan. (It’s ok if the raspberries peek through in a few spots!) Return to oven and bake for 30 minutes, or until bubbly and golden brown. Transfer pan to a wire rack and allow to cool completely.
Grasping the edges of the parchment lining, the slab from the tin and transfer to a cutting board. Slice into squares and serve.
Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes, divided
- Category: Brownies and Traybakes
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Dessert