Description
Delicious and easy-to-make Strawberry Jam Bars featuring a buttery oat crust and a sweet layer of reduced sugar strawberry jam. Perfect as a snack or dessert, these bars combine a tender crumb with a fruity filling for a delightful treat.
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1 1/2 cups whole oats
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt or 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Wet Ingredients
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted)
- 1 cup brown sugar
Filling
- 1 3/4 cups reduced sugar strawberry jam
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350℉ to ensure it reaches the right temperature for baking the bars evenly.
- Prepare Pan: Butter or spray an 8-inch square baking pan, then line it with parchment paper leaving an overhang on the sides. This will help you lift the bars out easily after baking for clean slicing.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, combine the flour, whole oats, and salt. Stir them together and set aside.
- Combine Wet Ingredients and Dry Mixture: In a large bowl, whisk the melted butter and brown sugar until the mixture is thick and well combined. Gently fold in the dry flour and oats mixture using a spatula until everything is fully incorporated.
- Press Base Layer: Take two-thirds of the oat mixture and press it firmly into the bottom of the prepared baking pan to form the crust layer.
- Add Jam Layer: Evenly spread the reduced sugar strawberry jam over the pressed oat crust, making sure it reaches the edges for consistent flavor.
- Top Crumble Layer: Sprinkle the remaining one-third of the oat mixture evenly on top of the jam layer to create the crumb topping.
- Bake: Place the pan in the oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the top is lightly golden brown and the jam is bubbly.
- Cool and Slice: Remove from the oven and transfer the pan to a cooling rack. Allow the bars to cool completely; then use the parchment overhang to lift the bars out for easier cutting into 12 squares.
Notes
- You can substitute the reduced sugar strawberry jam with regular jam but the final bars will be sweeter.
- Using parchment paper with an overhang makes it much easier to remove the bars from the pan without breaking.
- Press the base layer firmly to ensure it holds together well after baking.
- Store bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate for up to a week.
