Description

Delicious and fruity Raspberry Bars featuring a buttery crumb crust and a vibrant raspberry filling, perfect for a sweet snack or dessert. Easy to prepare with fresh or thawed raspberries, these bars offer a delightful balance of tart and sweet flavors with a crisp, golden top.

Ingredients

Scale

Crust and Crumble:

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract

Raspberry Filling:

3 cups fresh or thawed raspberries
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp cinnamon (optional)

Instructions

Prep the Pan and Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×13 inch baking pan with parchment paper, ensuring some overhang on the sides to easily lift out the bars after baking.
Make Crust and Crumble: In a large bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, and salt. Incorporate the cold, cubed butter using your fingers or a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Beat the egg with vanilla extract, then stir it into the flour mixture until just combined. Reserve one-third of the dough for the crumble topping, pressing the remaining two-thirds evenly into the prepared baking pan to form the crust.
Prepare Raspberry Filling: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the raspberries, granulated sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch, and optional cinnamon. Stir frequently and cook until the mixture thickens and becomes bubbly, approximately 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
Assemble: Spread the raspberry filling evenly over the pressed crust in the baking pan. Crumble the reserved dough over the filling, creating an even topping layer.
Bake: Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until the topping is golden brown and the filling is bubbly. If the crumble starts to brown too quickly, tent the pan loosely with aluminum foil to prevent burning.
Cool: Remove the bars from the oven and let them cool at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Then transfer the pan to the refrigerator to chill for at least 1.5 hours before slicing, allowing the filling to set and bars to firm up.

Notes

Use fresh or thawed frozen raspberries for best results.
If you don’t have cinnamon, you can omit it or substitute with a small pinch of nutmeg for a warm spice note.
Make sure the butter is cold when cutting into the flour to achieve a crumbly, tender crust.
Letting the bars chill thoroughly before slicing helps maintain clean, neat edges.
Store leftover bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Category: Dessert
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Keywords: raspberry bars, crumb bars, fruit dessert, baked raspberry bars, sweet bars, crumb crust dessert, easy dessert, berry dessert