Raspberry Bars with Oatmeal Crumble Topping

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Raspberry Oatmeal Bars with Crumble Topping — These easy raspberry bars are made with a delicious oatmeal crumble topping. They require less than 10 minutes of hands-on prep and everyone loves these!

three raspberry bars on a white plate

Raspberry Bars with Oatmeal Topping

I love raspberries in all ways. From crisps and crumbles to bread to scones to drinks, I’m a fan. And if there’s a crumble or streusel topping, the happier I am!

It’s even better when the crust and crumble topping are one and the same, so there’s one less step and one less bowl to wash. Which is exactly the case with these supremely easy, no-mixer raspberry oatmeal bars.

I adapted my Blueberry Oatmeal Crumble Bars, which are a reader favorite, and incorporated raspberry preserves instead. You don’t need fresh raspberries for this fruit bar recipe, so you can make the bars year round.

These raspberry bars are soft and slightly chewy, and the hearty oats are a perfect contrast to the sweet jam. The big, buttery, oatmeal crumbles are irresistible.

These dessert bars aren’t overly sweet, and the raspberry flavor shines nicely making them an easy grab-and-go breakfast, snack, or a healthy dessert. They also happen to be egg-free, which may come in handy for some people.

close up shot of three raspberry bars on white plate

Ingredients in Raspberry Oatmeal Bars

To make these raspberry jam bars with crumble topping, you’ll need:

  • Unsalted butter
  • Granulated sugar
  • Light brown sugar
  • Vanilla extract
  • All-purpose flour
  • Old-fashioned oats
  • Salt
  • Raspberry preserves
Raspberry Oatmeal Crumble Bars - Fast, easy, no-mixer bars great for breakfast, snacks, or a healthy dessert!! The big crumbles are irresistible! Fresh raspberries not needed so you can make the bars year round!!

How to Make Raspberry Bars with Oat Crumble Topping

Making raspberry oatmeal crumble bars is always a good idea! The crumble topping and crust use the same dough, and because the filling is made with fruit preserves instead of fresh berries the recipe comes together in no time.

Here’s an overview of how the crumble bars are made:

  1. Make the crust / crumble dough: To a large bowl, whisk together melted butter, two types of sugar, and vanilla extract.
  2. Then, carefully stir in flour, oats, and a pinch of salt, and stir to combine. At this point, you’ll want to set aside 1 cup of the mixture — you’ll use this later as the oatmeal crumble topping! 
  3. Assemble the bars: Transfer the remaining crumble mixture to a greased 8-inch square pan. Use your fingers or a spatula to pack down the mixture to form a crust.  
  4. Once the crust has been packed down, evenly spread the raspberry preserves over it. Make sure the preserves completely cover the crust! 
  5. Finally, sprinkle the preserves with the reserved crumble topping. Again, make sure to evenly distribute the mixture so that every bite of these raspberry bars will have all the layers. 
  6. Bake the raspberry bars: Bake the raspberry oatmeal bars until the edges are set and the center is lightly golden brown.
  7. Cool the bars: Place pan on a wire rack and allow bars to cool for at least 2 hours before slicing and serving (the wait is worth it, trust me!). 

FAQs

Can I Use Instant Oats Instead of Rolled?

No, quick cook and instant oats are finer and behave like flour, which will make mixture too dry. 

Can I Use Another Type of Fruit preserves?

Yes, of course! I’ve also made, Blueberry Bars, Strawberry Bars and Cranberry Bars using this same base recipe. 

Can Fresh raspberries be used instead of preserves?

Probably, yes, but I’ve only made this recipe as written. If using fresh raspberries, you may want to cook them in a saucepan over medium heat for a few minutes to break them down slightly and release some of their moisture before smoothing over the crust.

Can I Use Gluten-Free Flour?

I imagine so, yes! However, you’d need to use a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour and NOT something like almond meal or almond flour.

Can I Freeze Raspberry Bars?

These raspberry bars freeze and reheat beautifully. To freeze these bars, cut them into wedges once fully cooled. Then, place them on a baking tray and set that in the freezer. After 90 minutes or so, the bars should be firm enough to stack in a freezer baggie or freezer-safe container. 

When you’re ready to enjoy the frozen raspberry bars, simply set them out on the counter to thaw to room temperature. These bars are delicious as is, but a small scoop of vanilla ice cream would be a welcome addition! 

Raspberry Bars with Crumble Topping — These easy raspberry bars are made with a delicious oatmeal crumble topping. They require less than 10 minutes of hands-on prep and everyone loves these!

Tips for Making Raspberry Crumble Bars

When stirring together the crust / topping mixture, make sure there are some chunkier bits as well as some sandier bits. You want the oatmeal crumble topping to have lots of texture! 

I made this recipe as raspberry bars, but I’m sure you could just as easily use strawberry preserves or another fruit preserve of choice. 

I’ve also had readers report success using fresh raspberries instead of raspberry preserves to make these bars. I haven’t tried this myself, but it sounds delish! 

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Yield: 8

Raspberry Bars with Oatmeal Crumble Topping

Raspberry Bars with Oatmeal Crumble Topping

These easy Raspberry Bars are made with a delicious oatmeal crumble topping. They require less than 10 minutes of hands-on prep and everyone loves these!

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Cooling Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 5 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup old-fashioned whole-rolled oats (don’t use quick cook or instant, they’re finer and behave like flour and will make mixture too dry)
  • pinch salt, optional and to taste
  • about 12 ounces raspberry preserves (with or without seeds)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8-inch square pan with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray; set aside.
  2. To a large, microwave-safe bowl add the butter and heat on high power to melt, about 1 minute.
  3. Add the sugars, vanilla, and whisk to combine.
  4. Add the flour, oats, optional salt, and stir to combine. Mixture will have some larger, well-formed crumble pieces as well as some sandier, dryer bits.
  5. Set 1 heaping cup mixture aside to be sprinkled on later as crumble topping.
  6. Transfer remaining mixture to prepared pan, and using a spatula or your fingers, hard-pack the mixture to create an even, smooth, flat crust.
  7. Evenly spread the raspberry preserves over the crust making sure there’s complete coverage. Preserves should be about 1/8-inch to 1/4-inch thick.
  8. Evenly sprinkle with the reserved heaping 1 cup crumble topping mixture. Before sprinkling, I squeeze the mixture in my palm to encourage bigger crumble pieces to form.
  9. Bake for about 30 to 32 minutes, or until edges are set and center has just set and is lightly golden browned. Place pan on a wire rack and allow bars to cool for at least 2 hours before slicing and serving.

Notes

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 474Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 31mgSodium: 34mgCarbohydrates: 77gFiber: 2gSugar: 41gProtein: 4g

More Easy Fruit Desserts:

Blueberry Oatmeal Crumble Bars — Fast, easy, no-mixer bars great for breakfast, snacks, or a healthy dessert! BIG crumbles and juicy berries are irresistible!!

Blueberry Oatmeal Crumble Bars - Fast, easy, no-mixer bars great for breakfast, snacks, or a healthy dessert! BIG crumbles and juicy berries are irresistible!!

Berry Crumble Bars — Big buttery crumbles top the soft, juicy bars packed with blueberries, raspberries and strawberries! Easy, no mixer recipe that’s irresistible! (Frozen fruit okay!)

Berry Crumble Bars - Big buttery crumbles top the soft, juicy bars packed with blueberries, raspberries and strawberries! Easy, no mixer recipe that's irresistible!! (Frozen fruit okay!)

Blueberry Pie Bars – Super soft, easy bars with a creamy filling, streusel topping and abundance of juicy blueberries!

Blueberry Pie Bars - Super soft, easy bars with a creamy filling, streusel topping and abundance of juicy blueberries! Sooo darn good!

Strawberry Lemonade Bars – Imagine crossing lemon bars with a strawberry pie. These easy bars taste like strawberry lemonade!

Strawberry Lemonade Bars - Imagine crossing lemon bars with a strawberry pie. These easy bars taste like strawberry lemonade! Sooo good!

Tropical Escape Soft Pineapple Crumble Bars — In need of a tropical pineapple dessert? Look no further than these pineapple bars! There’s an abundance of pineapple chunks in every bite, which are surrounded by a custardy, creamy filling! 

Tropical Escape Soft Pineapple Crumble Bars

Cranberry Oatmeal Crumble Bars — The bars are soft, slightly chewy, and the hearty oats with big crumbles are a perfect contrast to the juicy cranberry filling.

Cranberry Oatmeal Crumble Bars

Strawberry Custard Bars — These easy, one bowl, no mixer custard bars are perfect for your fresh strawberries. There’s a shortbread crust, topped with diced strawberries, before a custard filling is poured over the the top.

Strawberry Custard Bars

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Welcome to AverieCooks! Here you’ll find fast and easy recipes that taste amazing and are geared for real life. Nothing fussy or complicated, just awesome tasting dishes everyone loves!

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Please note: I have only made the recipe as written, and cannot give advice or predict what will happen if you change something. If you have a question regarding changing, altering, or making substitutions to the recipe, please check out the FAQ page for more info.

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Comments

  1. I absolutely LOVE these bars! So delicious and the perfect summer treat. We used a 1/2 raspberry, 1/2 blueberry mix as we didn’t have as many raspberries as I thought. SO delicious!I ate a slice maybe an hour after coming out of the oven and the base was perfectly done and added the perfect slight crunch contrasting with the soft filling. I left them out maybe around 90 minutes before putting them in a container to store. Now they are soft! Did I store too soon?

    Rating: 5
    1. Thanks for the 5 star review and glad you love these bars! If it’s humid, it is tricky to keep a crumble topping or more crisp crust semi-crunchy, especially when sealed in a container. It’s just the way it is and so no, I don’t you did anything wrong.

  2. I made these for a pot luck birthday party.  Everyone who tried them LOVED them.  They are  very sweet with the preserves but no one complained.  Amazing recipe.  Can’t wait to try the blueberry version.

    Rating: 5
  3. Anything with fruit is healthy. i usually use only some of the sugar in recipes with fruitwith the blueberry pie bars, i only used a scant 1/4 cup sugar and it was fine

    Rating: 5
    1. Not sure because I don’t know if it will work for the crumbs to stay together. I would use a vegan baking butter that more closely resembles real butter not an oil.

      1. I have only made the recipe as written, and cannot give advice or predict what will happen if you change something. If you have a question regarding changing, altering, or making substitutions to the recipe, please check out the FAQ page for more info.

  4. Love the raspberry breakfast bars!  Easy to make and I used fresh raspberries, black berries and a few blue berries, nd fixed them from your blueberry square recipe.Thanks!

    Rating: 5
    1. Thanks for the five star review and I’m glad you loved them and used a mixture of berries!

  5. is there something else you could put in raspberry bar was in bakery they has some kind of cake mixture topped with streusel on top

    1. Not sure what you mean exactly but you could experiment with the recipe of course based on what you have in mind and see what happens.

  6. The dessert is so good the way it is no need to change it, the flavor is right on perfect. Thank you for sharing it .

    Rating: 5
  7. These are delicious! I used a bit less preserve, and added a 1/4C of slivered almonds to the topping. Fantastic, I’m already think of other ways to adapt it…

    Rating: 5
    1. Thanks for the 5 star review and glad these came out delicious for you!

      I love these bars. I have a blueberry version and a cranberry version for the holidays. These are a spinoff of the blueberry version which is linked in the post. A super flexible recipe!

  8. Easy, adaptable, delicious. Exactly what I needed last night. Was craving your raspberry bars, which I’ve had great success with in the past. Started making them and realized I was 1/3 cup sugar short and only had strawberry preserves. Yay isolation. Did NOT matter! These tasted so good!

    Rating: 5
  9. I made this recipe and it was such a hit at home and so easy to make that I picked up a few dozen tins to give them away as gifts all this week. I also took them to a cookie swap. The gals really enjoyed them. Thank you for helping me to share the love through some homemade yumminess, Averie! Next, I’m moving on to your hash brown quiche recipe next for a potluck brunch.

    Rating: 5
  10. The crust of these bars is great, but with the recommended amount of preserves, it is TOO sweet! Will make again, but with half the amount of jam.

    Rating: 3
    1. Everyone’s tastes are different, as are all raspberry preserves I’m sure with how sweet they are. Maybe try another brand next time too.

  11. If frozen how would recommend using these? Should I microwave it until thawed or should I allow them to thaw on their own? Having a baby soon and these sound delicious to have made ahead of time for after baby comes home.

  12. Made these this morning using blueberry jam as that is what I had on hand. I did have to swap coconut oil for the butter as I currently on a low iodine diet. I can’t wait to make these using butter as soon as I am off this retched diet. These are delicious and very easy to make with so many possible flavor combinations. I

    Rating: 5
    1. Thanks for the 5 star review and glad you were able to adapt the recipe based on your needs!

    1. It’s just the way I chose to make this one honestly to save money since fresh raspberries are usually very expensive and hard to find frozen whereas you can easily find inexpensive frozen blueberries.

  13. I had these at a potluck in my school. A colleague had made these and we were all fighting over it. Im planning to make as a favor for a religious festival since they don’t contain eggs. If I have to give it to guests on Saturday, how many days in advance can I make them to ensure that they are fresh. Also, do I need to refrigerate the after make them (I’m thinking no…since the bitter might solidify, but you’d know best). Thanks in advance.

    1. The closer you can make before the event, the fresher they will taste; use your judgment. And no, don’t refrigerate, that will just cause they to dry out faster.

    1. It’s really easy to follow too. I had this whipped up in about 5 minutes and I’m only twelve years old.

      1. That’s so amazing! Congrats on being such a great cook at such a young age! :)

  14. They’re in the oven right now!! I made them with strawberry jam and trader joe’s gluten free flour blend. I’ve never substituted 1:1 GF flour for regular flour, so we’ll see how it turns out. It looked pretty normal while it was raw (and the crumble batter tasted delicious) so I have high hopes!

    1. Sounds like they’ll be a hit! LMK how the TJ’s GF flour blend works. I’ve never tried it but have been wanting to hear reports on it!

  15. I need these with blueberry jam as the original calls for. But I used only about half the jam, half the sugar, and I threw in a couple tablespoons of flaxseed. I wouldn’t go so far as to call these “healthy”, but not nearly as sugary. They’re great with a cup of tea or coffee. I’d bet a scoop of vanilla ice cream would make them outright decadent. Next time I’ll try making them with almond meal and apricot jam instead. Yummy!

    1. Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great based on your improvisations!

  16. This recipe is wonderful. A coworker brought this to work as an early-morning breakfast treat for my team and I knew I had to have the recipe! First time making this, I only used preserves for half of the pan. On the other half I wanted to experiment so I did an even split of fresh blueberries and cherries (I didn’t add any extra sugar to the fruit and I didn’t even cook it down into a jam or filling first). My partner was completely in love with the bars, especially the quarter that had the fresh cherries! This is a recipe that I will definitely be using regularly.

      1. It’s definitely an extremely versatile recipe and I’m not sure that it is physically possible to mess it up.I’ve tried it many ways, including:- As written- Substituting out different jams/preserves/fruits- Plopping chopped (uncooked) fresh fruit on the base instead of preserves for a more gooey bar- Making my own jam, no pectin needed (Add your fruit plus –per pound of fruit– about 2 Tablespoons of lemon juice and 1/4 to 1/2 cup of sugar to a saucepan. Sugar usage should depend on the tartness of your fruit. Simmer it all together on low to medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Allow to cool before adding to the bar base.)My most recent batch of these involved making my own jam out of cherries and strawberries. The bars got quite a few compliments at work! Thank you so much for sharing this amazing recipe with us! It’s still one of my favorite treats to make.

        Rating: 5
      2. Thanks for the 5 star review and glad you love this recipe and have done lots of experimenting with it! I agree, pretty much impossible to mess up yet you’d be surprised sometimes :)

  17. Thankyou Averie. We love your quick and easy raspberry crumble oatmeal bars. Favourite new recipe! I make the jammy layer a bit thinner (i.e. less jam) and scatter some frozen raspberries on it before the crumble goes on top. Feels a bit healthier. I’ve doubled the recipe today.

    1. Love that you added some frozen berries! I bet that’s a wonderful addition! Glad you love the recipe and that you even made a double batch today!

  18. Thank you so much for this easy and delicious recipe! I brought them to work and they were gone in minutes. I’m going to double the recipe next time for sure, so I can have some for myself ;)

    1. Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you! Glad they were a hit at work and that you’ll make a double batch next time :)

  19. The raspberry oatmeal crumble bars look delicious! i can’t wait to try them out! i was wondering if you had an idea how many calories or how fattening they are?? x 

    1. Sorry, I don’t know. But there are online calculators you can use to plug the data in if you’re interested.

  20. Hi Averie, 

    Have you ever tried black cherry preserves with mini chocolate chips in your oatmeal crumble bars?  If not, I highly recommend it! 

  21. I made this to bring into work and they were amazing!! I think they were gone within an hour….definitely a recipe to hold on to and make again! And soooooo easy to make! I had these whipped up and in the oven in 5-minutes. Another wonderful recipe from Averie! Thank you for all the amazing recipes you share on your blog!!! ?

    1. Thanks for trying the recipe and glad it came out great for you! And thanks for the super nice compliments about my recipes and so glad you had these in the oven in 5 minutes flat!

  22. These bars are amazing! I’ve made them twice in the last week and am so in love with them. I’m sharing them on my site tomorrow.  

  23. Can’t wait to make the Rasberry Oat bars… I will use my favorite jam “Favorit”Swiss Raspberry Preserves, 12.3 oz. I get the best deal from Walmart. It’s from Swizerland & the flavor is amazing. Normally I purchase Costco’s Kirkland Oraganic Raspberry Jam, but haven’t seen any this Winter. You won’t be sorry with the Favorit Brand above.

  24. I’m in love with this, as I am all your crumble bars. I think crumble should be a requirement for ALL desserts!

  25. I know just what you mean about crumble toppings.  Having anything with the word “crumble” in it puts me in an instantly good mood.  These look so good!

  26. Is Raspberry ‘preserve’ the same as raspberry jam or more like a pie filling with cornstarch as a thickener?
    When I googled raspberry preserve I got a recipe for jam with lots of sugar & certo used as a thickener.

    1. Like raspberry jam; usually a bit thicker but more or less, like jam. You need something on the thicker side for this recipe and not runny.

  27. I love raspberries too, they have incredible flavor that only gets better with cooking and baking. These bars look so delicious, I can almost smell them. Happy New Year, Averie! :)

    1. Yes I eat what I make, but not the entire batch of everything I made! Who could eat a batch of cookies, a whole cake, a pan of brownies, a 4-serving chicken dinner, etc. every week without help! I have family, friends, teachers, coaches, etc. who I share with.

    1. You’d want to google that since I’ve never made preserves or jam from frozen berries. Good luck!

  28. Oh my gosh, these bars are beautiful! They’re making my mouth water like crazy! I know what I’ll be baking this weekend! ;)

    1. My hat is off to you if you’re still baking the week AFTER Christmas. I am just now, barely, barely…coming up for air from my baking frenzy!

  29. I didn’t think you’d be able to come up with something that would tempt me, after all the Christmas gluttony–once again, you have proven me wrong.  I think I even have raspberry preserves on hand …

    1. Hello, I found your recipe for “The Best Raspberry Bread” and made it several times already for some older women that cannot bake anymore and they asked me if I would put a streusel topping on it before baking? Do you have any comments or suggestions for me???

      1. I haven’t added a streusel to that bread but you could easily cut a few tablespoons of butter into brown sugar and flour and crumble it on top and maybe that would work for you. Haven’t personally tried it though. Glad that the recipe is a hit with the ladies!

  30. How did you know this is EXACTLY what I was craving right now? ;) Love the extra crumbly topping on these bars!

  31. oooh this sounds incredible! i will have to try it soon! thanks for sharing! :)

  32. A crumble or streusel is one of the greatest toppings ever! These kind of remind me of jam filled thumbprint cookies, amped up with oatmeal and in bar form. They look delicious and have a festive, bright vibe going on!

  33. I am a huge fan of buttery crumbs, especially raspberry bar ones! I can never get enough crumble. Happy new year!