Raspberry Bars with Almonds

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Easy, quick and tangy Raspberry Bars with toasted almonds.

A quick and easy sweet treat perfect for packing, snacking, parties and lunchboxes!

These yummy Raspberry Bars are buttery, crispy, sweet and delicious with a nice tangy bite from the jam filling. This thick ribbon of jam has an unforgettable, intense flavor and gorgeous jewel toned color. Jam is the perfect add-in for many different desserts, but especially bars and cookies.

As you may have noticed, raspberry jam is a favorite ingredient here in the SRFD kitchen. It’s one of the stars in our uniquely delicious Oatmeal Jammy cookies and these very popular Raspberry Almond Shortbread Thumbprints.

Ingredients you’ll need to make easy Raspberry Bars

For the crust:

• granulated sugar
• baking powder
• salt
• all-purpose flour
• unsalted butter or, omit the added salt if using salted butter
• egg – lightly beaten
• almond extract

For the filling and topping:

• raspberry jam – we use our favorite Stonewall Kitchen’s Red Raspberry Jam. Make sure the jam is at room temperature for easy spreading. Warm gently in the microwave if needed to easy spreading consistency.
• sliced almonds

We’ve included weight and volume measurements for all ingredients where needed. If you’re using a digital scale these days, you’re welcome to use our gram weights with confidence.

Have you ever wondered if your baking soda and baking powder are too old? We have a quick and easy method to check and see if they’ve still active in our Top 9 Baking Tips and Tricks post. Replace your leaveners before holiday baking begins to ensure perfect baked goods.

How to make Raspberry Bars at home:

For this recipe you can use a mixer or wooden spoon. Both methods work well for making the crust and crumble topping.

1. First, preheat the oven and lightly grease your best 9-inch square baking pan. Line the pan with parchment paper creating a sling with an overhang on two sides for easy removal. You can also bake these bars in a 13×9-inch pan for a thinner Raspberry Bar.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.
3. Add the butter and mix until blended. Next add one lightly beaten egg and a little almond extract.
4. Gently press three-fourths of the crumb mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Refrigerate the remaining crust mixture until needed.
5. Bake the bottom crust for 15 minutes until set. Remove from the oven and cool slightly.
6. Spread jam evenly over the warm crust leaving a 1/4-inch border around the edges. Crumble the remaining chilled dough over the jam leaving some large clumps.
7. Sprinkle sliced almonds over the crust and bake for 40 minutes or until the top is lightly browned and the jam is bubbly.

Cool before cutting into bars or squares.

Serve Raspberry Bars slightly warm with ice cream or a dusting of powdered sugar if desired. They’re also terrific served at room temperature or chilled.

How long will these Raspberry Jam Bars keep?

While you really don’t need to worry about how long these will last (because they’ll be eaten up in a flash!) they will keep for 3 days at room temperature or up to 5 days well sealed and refrigerated. Like many baked desserts, these Raspberry Bars are best served on the day they’re made. They soften a bit over time, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Can you freeze Raspberry Bars?

Yes! Freeze these bars layered between pieces of wax paper in a well sealed container. They keep well for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, or at room temperature.

Can you use other jam flavors besides raspberry?

Yes you can! Wild Blueberry Jam is another one of my favorites with apricot, peach and strawberry coming in close behind. I don’t recommend using jelly for these bars, however. Jelly can be too sweet and may burn if baked for 40 minutes.

Any kind of jam or preserves will work and you can even used canned pie filling, too. It’s all good!

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5 from 5 votes

Raspberry Bars with Almonds

Prep Time: 15 mins

Cook Time: 55 mins

Total Time: 1 hr 10 mins

Yield: 9

Course: bars, Cookie Bars, Dessert

Author: Tricia

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A quick and easy sweet treat perfect for packing, snacking, parties and lunchboxes.

Equipment

• 9x9-inch baking pan

Ingredients

For the crust:

• 1 cup granulated sugar (222g)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 3 cups all-purpose flour (378g)
• 1 cup unsalted butter, melted (8oz or 226g)
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• ½ teaspoon almond extract

For the filling and topping:

• 1 (12.5oz) jar raspberry jam, room temperature
• ⅓ cup sliced almonds (30g or 1oz)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Light grease or spray a 9x9-inch baking pan with vegetable cooking spray. Line the pan with parchment paper creating a sling for easy removal. Set aside.

To make the crust:

• In a medium bowl whisk together the sugar, baking powder, salt and flour. Add the butter and mix with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until lightly blended. Add the egg and almond extract and mix until the dough comes together and all ingredients are incorporated.
• Gently press three-fourths of the mixture into the prepared pan building up a lip around the edges to hold in the jam.
• Transfer the remaining dough to the refrigerator. Bake the bottom crust for 15 minutes then remove from the oven to cool slightly.

For the filling and topping:

• Spoon the jam over the lightly baked crust. Spread the jam evenly over the crust leaving a dry ¼-inch border around the edges. This helps prevent the jam from sticking to the sides of the pan and burning.
• Crumble the remaining chilled dough over the jam, leaving some large clumps. Sprinkle the almonds over the crumbled dough. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until the top is lightly browned and the jam is bubbling. Remove from the oven and cool to room temperature or serve slightly warm.
• Cut into bars. Dust with powdered sugar, if desired, or serve with a scoop of ice cream.

Recipe Notes

• Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 or 4 days. These raspberry bars can also be frozen but may not retain the crisp exterior.

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. When multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.

Nutrition

Calories: 477kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 72mg | Sodium: 187mg | Potassium: 120mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 657IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 65mg | Iron: 2mg

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