Do You Love a Classic Crispy Raspberry Jam Bar?

We made these with both raspberry and apple filling for a welcome change. The secret? Use a hard pan, not a disposable for perfect crispiness in every bite. 

Sure, you can make these in a 9×13 pan.
But, skip the disposable this time. Use a real, hard pan.

Since we love these bars so much, we tripled the recipe and baked them on a sheet pan.
Cover that sheet pan with foil and line with parchment paper.

Most of the crumb mixture goes on the bottom (save ⅓ for the top).
We made the big batch using a whole jar of raspberry preserves.

When this bakes, every bite is crispy. Imagine every bite being just as good as an edge piece?!?

Line a hard baking sheet with aluminum (to cover the edges), then with a piece of parchment paper.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream margarine and sugars.
Add extracts, flour, oats, salt, and cinnamon.
Mix to combine.

Press two-thirds of the mixture into the lined baking sheet.
You should be able to cover the entire sheet in an even, thin layer.

Spread raspberry preserves across the whole pan, leaving a border at the edges.

Crumble remaining dough over the preserves.

We also wanted to try an apple version.
We made this one in a hard 9×13 pan – divide the recipe in 3 and it will fit perfectly.  

So here it is, the best version of a classic recipe you’ll love for years to come. And, take note moms of allergic kids, there’s no nuts or eggs, so this is one recipe that may work for you.

Best Crumb Bars

 

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Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups (3 sticks) margarine
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• 1 ½ cups brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon almond extract
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 cups flour
• 3 cups oats
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
• 11-12 oz jar jam

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line a hard baking sheet with aluminum (to cover the edges), then with a piece of parchment paper.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream margarine and sugars. Add extracts, flour, oats, salt, and cinnamon. Mix to combine.
3. Press two-thirds of the mixture into the lined baking sheet. You should be able to cover the entire sheet in an even, thin layer. Spread raspberry preserves across the whole pan, leaving a border at the edges. Crumble remaining dough over the preserves. Bake for 30 minutes.

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