This recipe for Raspberry Oatmeal Bars calls for using only four ingredients to create a simple and delicious dessert recipe. The bars combine a buttery oat crust and crumble topping with a layer of sweet-tart raspberry filling. They’re kind of like a fruity crumble in bar form.
If you love raspberry desserts as much as we do, then you might consider making our raspberry shortbread bars, raspberry popsicles or raspberry gooey butter cake.
Raspberry Oatmeal Crumble Bars
Our recipe begins with a boxed cake mix. But don’t let that sway you. Even though these soft and chewy raspberry oatmeal bars are incredibly easy to make, they are really, really good. The balance of a sweet crust and tart raspberry filling is perfect. We tested out these raspberry oat bars by sharing them with friends, and everyone loved them and asked for the recipe.
🛒 Ingredient Notes:
- Boxed Cake Mix: I like to use yellow cake mix for this recipe. French Vanilla would work too. Make sure you get a box that is 15.25-ounces. Some of the companies have been sneakily reducing the ounces!
- Oats: You will want to use quick-cooking oats for this recipe. The old fashioned rolled oats will work in a pinch, but the quick cooking type will soften up nicely when baking.
- Butter: I like to use salted butter. The salt balances out the sweet in the recipe.
- Jam: Seedless raspberry jam is what we’re using in this recipe. If you only have raspberry jam with seeds in it, don’t worry… I’ve included instructions below on how to get rid of the seeds. It’s easiest though if you buy the jam already seedless!
- Water
✏️ How to remove seeds from raspberry jam:
If you happen to have raspberry preserves that has SEEDS in it, you can easily get rid of the seeds.
- Heat the jam slightly to make it easier to strain (optional but helpful).
- Place a fine mesh strainer or sieve over a bowl.
- Pour the jam into the strainer in small batches.
- Use a spoon or spatula to press the jam through, leaving the seeds behind.
- Scrape the bottom of the strainer to collect all the seedless jam.
✏️ How to make Raspberry Oatmeal Bars
The complete, printable recipe is at the bottom of this post.
- Preheat the oven, and spray a 13×9-inch pan with nonstick spray.
- Use an electric mixer to combine the cake mix, oats and butter. The mixture will be crumbly. Measure out 3 cups of the crumbly mixture and press it into the prepared baking dish to create the crust. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes.
- Then spread raspberry jam on top and sprinkle the rest of the remaining oat mixture on top of the jam. Bake again for 25 minutes.
- Let cool before cutting into bars. I like to keep them in an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator.
✏️ Change up the Jam!
These raspberry bars might as well be called “jam bars.” You can use any kind of jam to make this recipe. Try using blueberry jam, strawberry jam, apricot jam, peach jam, berry jam or any sort of jam you have available to you. Any flavor jam will be delicious!
❤️ What We Love About This Recipe
- OMG, raspberry crumb bars are so easy to make!
- I love that you can change them up to any jam flavor that you’d like.
- They are a great, last minute dessert. You can keep a box of cake mix and a jar of jam in your pantry, and they’re at-the-ready in case you need to bake something quickly.
Favorite Dessert Bars
Raspberry Oatmeal Bars
Ingredients
- One 15.25-ounce box yellow cake mix
- 2½ cups quick-cooking oats
- ¾ cup (1½ sticks) salted butter, at room temperature
- One 12-ounce jar seedless raspberry jam
- 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. Spray a 13×9-inch pan with nonstick spray.
- In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to combine the cake mix, oats and butter until crumbly. Press 3 cups of the crumb mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Cool the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes.
- In a small bowl, stir the jam and water until blended. Spread it over the crust. Sprinkle with the remaining crumb mixture. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cool completely on a wire rack. Cut into 24 bars.