These Strawberry Oatmeal Jam Bars Are So Buttery and Will Instantly Put You in a Better Mood

When I was scrolling through Instagram and Pinterest over the weekend in search of an easy and delicious dessert to make, the only thing I knew was that I wanted my next bake to be Spring-y. You know — something that's light and fresh but still buttery and comforting. And when I spotted the recipe for these strawberry oatmeal jam bars from food blog Swanky Recipes, I knew I'd found it.

I've baked a ton of things over the years — from a rainbow cake to lemon poppyseed bread to chocolate cookie bars — but as soon as my husband tasted these, he immediately said, "OMG, these are definitely my new favourite thing you've ever made." And to be honest, they're my new favourite thing, too. They're really easy to make and so good. They're buttery, crumbly, and jam-y, and they just fall apart in your mouth. And while peanut butter isn't an ingredient, these bars kind of taste like a decadent (but still nostalgic) PB&J.

One thing the recipe notes is to not overmix your batter, which I definitely did. They still turned out great, but they were a little crumbly when I cut into them, so be sure to not mix it too much. I also used just one tall jar of jam but for sure could have used more, so feel free to be generous when adding your jam. Keep reading for more photos and the full recipe below!

Strawberry Oatmeal Jam Bars

Swanky Recipes

Notes

I didn't use the optional chopped pecans and the bars still tasted great!
The original recipe called for Smucker's Fruit & Honey Strawberry Fruit Spread, but since I couldn't find that in the store, I used regular strawberry jam, and it worked perfectly.

Ingredients

1. 1 3/4 stick cold butter, cut into pieces
   1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
   1 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
   1 cup packed light brown sugar
   1 teaspoon baking powder
   1/4 teaspoon salt
   1 jar of strawberry jam
   pinch of cinnamon - optional
   1/4 cup chopped pecans - optional

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 x 9 pan with butter; set aside.
• Slice cold butter into little pieces; set aside.
• In a medium bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, salt, baking powder, and old-fashioned oats.
• Add chopped pecans and cinnamon if using. Whisk together until combined.
• Add sliced butter.
• Use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, turn on low, and allow mixture to crumb together. Don't over mix the batter, you want the mixture to be crumbly.
• Spread just enough mixture on the bottom to cover it and gently press it in.
• Spread the jam onto crust then gently press remaining oat topping over the jam.
• Bake in the oven for 40-50 minutes or until golden brown.
• Let cool completely before slicing and serving.

Information

Category

Desserts

Yield

9-12

Prep Time

10 minutes

Cook Time

50 minutes

Total Time

59 minutes, 59 seconds