Chewy Raspberry Almond Bars
Prep Time: 20 Minutes Start to Finish: 2 Hours
Makes: 16 Bars Calories per Bar: 260
With the warmer weather coming, and the flowers blooming, nothing welcomes Spring more than fresh fruit. Needless to say, I was super excited when I came across Betty Crocker's Chewy Raspberry Almond Bars. They not only tasted amazing, but they were beautiful! The deep red from the raspberries and the neutral tones from the almonds were so pleasing I almost didn't want to cut into them...almost. Full disclaimer that lasted all for about 10 seconds. These are the perfect dessert for your Memorial Day BBQ, or an outdoor picnic!
The fruit is sweet, and the crust itself tastes like an oatmeal bar. The almonds provide a nice crunch, creating the perfect balance of sweet and savory. These will most definitely be a hit...so you can thank me in advance ;)
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup cold butter or margarine
- 1 egg, beaten
- 3/4 cup seedless red raspberry jam
- 1 cup (6oz) fresh raspberries
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds
Directions
- Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray 9-inch square pan with baking spray with flour. You can also line the bottom of the pan with aluminum foil, and grease that for easy removal.
- In large bowl, mix oats, flour, brown sugar and salt. Cut in butter, using pastry blender or fork, until mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Reserve 1 cup mixture for topping. To remaining mixture, stir in egg until just moistened.
- Press dough firmly and evenly into bottom of pan, using fingers or bottom of measuring cup. Spread with jam. Arrange raspberries over jam. Stir almonds into reserved crumb mixture; sprinkle evenly over rapsberries.
- Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until top is golden. Cool 1 hour in pan on cooling rack. Cut into 4 rows by 4 rows.
These bars were super easy to make. Keep in mind that the start to finish time includes cooling time, so you won't have to dedicate 2 hours of your day to make these. They are fruity, sweet, and savory and have quickly become one of my favorites. Try them out and let me know what you think!
<3 P.S.
You can make blueberry bars instead of raspberry if your prefer. Just substitute the fresh raspberries for fresh blueberries and the raspberry jam for blueberry preserves!
