The Best Raspberry Crumble Bars: Sweet, Tart, and Perfectly Buttery

These Raspberry Crumble Bars are an irresistible blend of buttery, soft, sweet, and tart flavors – the ultimate way to enjoy fresh, juicy raspberries!

There’s nothing quite like the arrival of summer to inspire baking with an abundance of fresh fruit. These Raspberry Crumble Bars stand out as a delightful treat, combining the vibrant flavor of fresh raspberries with the comforting sweetness of raspberry jam. The result is a dessert that’s both deeply satisfying and wonderfully refreshing, perfect for warm weather gatherings or a cozy evening at home.

Imagine a tender, almost shortbread-like crust that forms the foundation of this dessert. Layered on top is a generous, luscious mixture of sweet raspberry jam and bright, mashed fresh raspberries, creating a beautiful balance of flavors and textures. Finally, it’s crowned with a golden-brown sugar and oatmeal crumble that adds a delightful chewiness and crunch. These bars are truly decadent, offering a harmonious blend of sweet, tart, and buttery goodness in every bite.

Why You’ll Absolutely Love These Raspberry Crumble Bars

These raspberry bars aren’t just a dessert; they’re a celebration of flavor and simplicity. Here’s why they’ll quickly become a favorite in your kitchen:

• A Fantastic Way to Utilize Fresh Fruit: When raspberries are at their peak, bursting with juice and flavor, this recipe provides an excellent opportunity to showcase their natural deliciousness. The combination of fresh berries and jam intensifies that authentic raspberry taste, making every bite incredibly flavorful. It’s a fantastic way to enjoy the season’s bounty.
• Perfect Even When Raspberries Aren’t in Season: Don’t despair if fresh raspberries aren’t readily available! This recipe is incredibly adaptable. You can easily use frozen raspberries, ensuring you can enjoy these delightful bars any time of year. Simply follow our simple tip for preparing frozen fruit, and you’ll still achieve a wonderfully tasty result.
• Incredibly Versatile for Any Fruit: This is truly one of those “go-to” recipes that can be adapted to various fruits. While raspberries shine here, feel free to experiment with other berries or soft fruits. For example, these Strawberry Crumb Bars use a similar concept with strawberries. Imagine apple, blueberry, or even a mixed berry version! The base and crumble are a perfect canvas for your favorite fruit combinations.
• Simple to Make, Impressive to Serve: Despite their sophisticated taste and layered texture, these bars are surprisingly easy to prepare. The steps are straightforward, making them accessible for bakers of all skill levels. They’re also perfect for potlucks, picnics, or simply as a special treat at home because they slice beautifully and travel well.

Essential Ingredients for Your Raspberry Crumble Bars

For the exact measurements and detailed instructions, please refer to the comprehensive recipe card at the very bottom of this post.

Creating these delightful bars requires a few simple, common baking ingredients:

• All-Purpose Flour: The foundation of our tender crust and crumble topping. Make sure to measure it correctly for the best texture.
• Granulated Sugar: Provides sweetness to the crust and helps with its crispness.
• Salt: A crucial ingredient in baking that balances sweetness and enhances all the other flavors.
• Unsalted Butter: I always recommend using unsalted butter for baking. This gives you complete control over the salt content in your recipe. Ensure it’s cold and cut into pieces for the best crumble texture.
• Light Brown Sugar: Adds a rich, molasses-like sweetness and a slightly chewy quality to the crumble topping.
• Quick Cooking Oats: These provide a wonderful texture and heartiness to the crumble. While quick oats are specified for their finer texture, old-fashioned oats can also be used for a thicker, chewier crumble.
• Raspberry Jam or Jelly: This is key to boosting the raspberry flavor and adding a smooth, rich base to the filling. Choose a high-quality jam for the best taste.
• Fresh Raspberries: The star of the show! These provide the vibrant, fresh, and tart notes that truly make these bars sing. Chop them lightly to ensure a good consistency in the filling.
• Lemon Juice: A splash of fresh lemon juice brightens the raspberry flavor, enhancing its tartness and preventing the filling from being overly sweet.

Step-by-Step Guide: How to Make Raspberry Crumble Bars

Creating these delicious bars is a straightforward process, broken down into a few easy stages. Follow these steps for perfect results every time:

• Prepare the Base (Crust): Begin by preheating your oven to 375°F (190°C) and preparing a 13×9 inch baking pan by spraying it with nonstick spray or lining it with parchment paper for easy removal. In a large bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, and salt. You can use an electric mixer, a food processor, or even your hands for this step. Gradually add the cold, cubed unsalted butter to the dry ingredients, mixing until the mixture resembles coarse sand. This creates the perfect crumbly texture for the crust. Once combined, reserve about 1 ¼ cups of this mixture for your topping. Press the remaining mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom of your prepared baking pan. Bake this crust for about 15 minutes, or until the edges just begin to turn a light golden brown.
• Craft the Berry Filling: While your crust is baking, prepare the delightful raspberry filling. In a medium bowl, gently mash your fresh raspberries with a fork. You want to leave some beautiful chunks of berries for texture, so avoid pureeing them completely. Combine the mashed raspberries with the raspberry jam or jelly and the fresh lemon juice. Stir until all ingredients are well combined, ensuring a uniform and vibrant filling.
• Assemble the Crumble Topping: Now, let’s finish the crumble. Take the 1 ¼ cups of reserved base mixture you set aside earlier. To this, add the light brown sugar and quick-cooking oats. Cut in the remaining 2 tablespoons of cold butter using your fingertips or a pastry blender. Work the butter into the mixture until it forms small, coarse crumbs. This will be sprinkled over the filling, creating that signature crumbly texture.
• Layer and Bake: Once the base crust is lightly golden brown, carefully remove it from the oven. Evenly spread the prepared raspberry filling over the hot crust, ensuring it covers the entire surface. Then, sprinkle the crumble topping generously and evenly over the raspberry layer. Return the pan to the oven and bake for an additional 22-25 minutes. The bars are ready when the top is beautifully browned and the filling is bubbly around the edges.
• Cool Completely Before Serving: This step is crucial for perfect bars! Remove the pan from the oven and let it cool completely on a wire rack before attempting to slice them. Cooling allows the bars to set properly, preventing them from falling apart when cut. Patience is key for clean, delicious squares!

Can I Use Frozen Raspberries for These Bars?

Absolutely, yes! If it’s not the peak season for fresh raspberries, or if you simply have a bag of frozen berries on hand, you can certainly use them in this recipe. To ensure your bars turn out perfectly and avoid a soggy texture, there’s one important step: thaw your frozen raspberries in a colander set over a bowl. This allows any excess moisture and liquid to drain away. Once thawed and drained, you can proceed with mashing them gently and incorporating them into the filling as directed in the recipe. Skipping this draining step could introduce too much water into your filling, leading to a less desirable consistency, so make sure not to miss it!

Pro Tips for Perfect Raspberry Crumble Bars

• Don’t Overmix the Dough: For both the crust and the crumble, mix just until the ingredients are combined and resemble coarse sand. Overmixing can develop the gluten in the flour, leading to a tough rather than tender crust.
• Cold Butter is Key: Ensure your butter is very cold and cut into small pieces when making the crust and crumble. This helps create pockets of steam during baking, resulting in a flaky and crisp texture.
• Press Firmly for the Crust: When pressing the crust into the pan, make sure it’s packed firmly and evenly. This prevents it from crumbling too much when sliced and provides a sturdy base for the filling.
• Adjust Sweetness if Needed: Raspberries can vary in sweetness. If your raspberries are particularly tart, you might want to add an extra tablespoon of sugar to the berry filling mixture.
• Parchment Paper for Easy Removal: Lining your baking pan with parchment paper that overhangs the sides will make it incredibly easy to lift the entire batch of bars out of the pan once cooled, making slicing much simpler.

How to Store Raspberry Crumble Bars

These delightful bars are perfect for making ahead or enjoying over a few days. Proper storage ensures they stay fresh and delicious:

• At Room Temperature: You can store these raspberry crumble bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Ensure they are completely cooled before storing to prevent condensation.
• In the Refrigerator: To extend their freshness, place the bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They will last for an additional 1-2 days (total of 4-5 days) when chilled. Chilling also helps them firm up, which can be lovely on a warm day.
• Freezing for Long-Term Storage: Yes, these bars freeze beautifully! For best results, allow the bars to cool completely, then slice them into individual servings. Place the slices in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until solid. Once frozen, transfer them to an airtight freezer-safe container or a heavy-duty freezer bag, separating layers with parchment paper. They will keep well in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to enjoy, simply let them thaw on the counter for a few hours. While the texture might become slightly softer after thawing, their delicious flavor remains largely intact.

More Tasty Summer Dessert Recipes to Explore

If you love baking with fresh fruit or enjoy easy, crowd-pleasing desserts, here are some other recipes you might enjoy:

• Fresh Strawberry Pie
• No Bake Blueberry Cheesecake
• Pavlova
• Strawberry Crumble
• Lemon Cheesecake Cones
• Lemonade Pie
• Cherry Cobbler
• Easy Raspberry Sauce

I created a fun group on Facebook, and I would love for you to join us! It’s a place where you can share YOUR favorite recipes, ask questions, and stay updated on what’s new at Dinners, Dishes and Desserts (so that you never miss a new recipe)!

Be sure to follow me on Instagram and tag #dinnersdishes so I can see all the wonderful DINNERS, DISHES, AND DESSERTS recipes YOU make!

Stay connected and never miss a post!

Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram