These Raspberry Jam Shortbread Bars have a buttery base that is a mix between a shortbread cookie and a pie dough, are filled with raspberry jam, and are topped with large, almond-flavored chunks of dough! Topped with the easiest glaze, they are delicious, quick to make, and are surely a crowd-pleaser! These are perfect for dessert, afternoon tea, and can even pass as a breakfast treat!
Making Raspberry Crumble Bars
- Prepare dough base (10 minutes)
- Line pan with ¾ dough (2 minutes)
- Spread jam over the base (2 minutes)
- Top bars with remaining dough (2 minutes)
- Bake (37-45 minutes)
Buttery Shortbread Dough
This dough is a mix between a classic pie dough and traditional shortbread cookie! It's the PERFECT texture- not dry, not cakey, not wet.... it's truly the perfect base, and the butter flavor really shines through!
The key to this dough is using cold butter. I know, that's wild if you have read through most of my recipes. I normally preach the importance of room temperature ingredients. However, in this recipe, cold butter allows for best texture!
I add almond extract to the dough, as I think it compliments the raspberry flavor so nicely. I highly recommend you do the same for best results, but you can leave it out if needed!
Raspberry Jam
These bars are technically written as raspberry bars, but you are more than welcome to substitute any jam of choice! That's what is so fun about this recipe- it's easy, it's quick, and it's rather versatile so that it suits your needs! Here are some ideas if raspberry isn't your jam.... get it?
- strawberry
- peach
- blackberry
- blueberry
Baking Info
These bars are an easy bake.... I hope you can tell! The only way this recipe can take a turn is if you overbake or underbake these bars!
EVERY oven is so different. In fact, I'm noticing that the oven I've used for years is starting to bake differently. Luckily, with these bars, a visual test is all you need as opposed to a specific baking time.
These bars are baked when the crumbs on top begin to turn light golden brown. If the dough looks wet or pale at all, it hasn't cooked long enough. If the crumbs are darker than light golden brown, you have most likely had your bars in a little too long!
My best recommendation is to keep your eyes on the oven! Even though the bake time says 37-45 minutes, start checking the bars around 30, if not before! If you have an oven that heats unevenly (like mine), turning your pan at about 20 minutes will help the bars to bake more evenly!
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Raspberry Jam Shortbread Bars
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Category: Bars, Shortbread, Pastry, Raspberry, Fruit, Jam
- Cuisine: American
Description
These Raspberry Jam Shortbread Bars have a buttery dough base filled with raspberry jam and are topped with large chunks of almond-flavored dough! Decorated with an effortlessly easy glaze, these are perfect for dessert, afternoon tea, and can even pass as a breakfast treat!
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 1 cup (220g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- ½ cup (120g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon (4g) vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon (2g) almond extract
- 1 large egg (50g), cold
- 2 ¾ cups (385g) all purpose flour
For the Filling
- ¾ cup (280g) raspberry jam
For the Glaze
- ½ cup (55g) powdered sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons (8g) milk
Instructions
For the Bars
- Preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Line an 8 inch pan with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine cold butter, sugar, vanilla extract, almond extract, and egg together until smooth.
- Slowly add flour to the dough, mixing until batter turns slightly creamy. Batter will be sticky, not crumbly.
- Transfer about ¾ of the dough into your prepared pan, pushing it down with your hands to smoothen and spread it. Dough should be pressed firmly into the pan.
- Spread raspberry jam over the dough. Crumble the remaining dough over the jam, making sure to evenly disperse it over the filling. Ensure the edges of the pan have enough crumble, as the bars will be difficult to handle without crumble around the sides.
- Bake bars for 37-45 minutes or until the crumble on top are light golden brown. The bars should not look wet.
- Allow bars to cool before glazing and slicing.
For the Glaze
- In a medium-sized bowl, combine milk and powdered sugar together. Glaze should easily fall off the spoon- it should not be chunky or thick, but it should not be watery or too thin. If the glaze is too thick, add a dash of milk. If the glaze is too thin, sprinkle in the powdered sugar
- If desired, transfer glaze to a piping bag or Ziploc bag, cutting the tip off. Drizzle the glaze over the tops of the bars.
- These bars can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container or covered with plastic wrap for up to 4 days. They can be frozen for up to 3 months, but allow them to thaw at room temperature before serving.
Keywords: Shortbread bars, jam bars, raspberry jam, fruit tart, spring
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