raspberry bars

as promised, i’m sharing the recipe for the delicious raspberry bars i made for the picnic last weekend. these bars came out of our favorite food magazine vegetarian times, and were absolutely amazing, combining some of my favorite foods: oats, cinnamon, and raspberries.  mmm, my mouth is watering just thinking about them!

i made a couple of changes to the veggie times recipe – the main change was using fresh raspberries and mushing them with a fork instead of using the raspberry jam that was called for in the original version.  i found the fresh raspberries gave the bars a delicious and full flavor, but were a little soggy from the extra water in fresh berries vs jam.

so, when i had the occasion to make the bars again this weekend for my sister-in-law’s house warming party (yes, i liked them enough to make twice in one week), i used raspberry jam.  the jam bars were a lot crispier (the top was especially crunchy, with the texture of granola rather than soft oatmeal cookie), but they had more of a hint-of-raspberry flavor than a full bodied, how-did-you-pack-this-much-raspberry-flavor-into-such-a-little-bar taste.  so, my dear readers, when you make this recipe you’ll have to decide: crispy and crunchy with raspberry aftertaste or soft cookie, packed with raspberry deliciousness.  good luck with the choice – i still can’t decide how i would make them the next time.

raspberry oatmeal bars

adapted from veggie times
yields 12 cookies
  • 1c brown sugar
  • 1/2c fake butter (i like earthbalance)
  • 1 large egg
  • 1½t vanilla extract
  • 1¼c whole wheat pastry flour (all purpose would work too)
  • 1 (rounded)t ground cinnamon
  • 1/2t baking soda (not powder!!!)
  • 1/4t salt
  • 2 cups oats
  • 1c raspberry jam OR 2c fresh raspberries mushed down to 1c
    ___________________________
  1. cream brown sugar and butter until light and fluffy
  2. beat in egg and vanilla
  3. stir in flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt
  4. add 1¾c oats
  5. press 2/3 of mixture into a greased 9×9 pan
  6. spread raspberry jam or mush over batter
  7. add remaining 1/4c oats to batter and sprinkle over the top
  8. bake for 30 minutes in a 350° oven, until the top is golden
  9. allow to cool before cutting (this is the hardest step), and enjoy!!

Posted in dessert | 5 Comments »

5 Responses

  1. BB Says:
    July 15th, 2008 at 11:33 am

    Here’s another idea–mash the raspberries and add a bit of tapioca (not the pudding but the stuff the pudding is made from like you put in pies). Maybe try 1 tsp for starters. That will soak up some of the liquid and keep the flavor. My mouth is watering just thinking of these . . . .

  2. em Says:
    July 15th, 2008 at 12:35 pm

    that’s a fantastic idea!! ok, i have to make them again and try that!! mmm…

  3. Sue Says:
    November 16th, 2008 at 11:10 am

    I am trying a version of this recipe today with Willie-picked-apples and blackberries. Have you tried thickening the fresh raspberries with tapioca before spreading them on the bottom crust?
    Love your cooking smarts! Mom

  4. em Says:
    November 16th, 2008 at 12:37 pm

    @mom: mmmm, that sounds delicious!! i haven’t tried the tapioca route, but i think it would work well, just like a pie. let me know how it goes!

  5. new feature on eclaire.name | eclaire.name: Healthy & Easy Vegetarian & Vegan Recipes Says:
    March 8th, 2009 at 8:39 pm

    [...] fresh veggies, my own version of tabouli salad, iced tea, and some delicious raspberry bars (i will post this recipe next) into our backpacks and biked out to the bluffs of wilder ranch to enjoy the feast and the [...]

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