These almond bars are filled with rich almond flavor and a fabulous soft and chewy texture. A bit of raspberry jam contrast wonderfully with the almond making this a beautiful and irresistible dessert. With only seven basic ingredients this recipe comes together in minutes!
Dessert bars are one of my favorite things to make. Snickerdoodle Bars, Sugar Cookie Bars, and Peanut Butter Bars are some of my go-to recipes. They’re easy to prepare, easy to serve, and they’re always a crowd pleaser. These soft and chewy almond jam bars are a new favorite and I know I’ll be coming back to this recipe again and again.
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Ingredients needed
One of the great things about this recipe is that you only need 7 ingredients:
- Almond paste (more on this below)
- Unsalted butter
- Granulated sugar
- Eggs
- All purpose flour
- Raspberry jam
- Sliced almonds
Optional ingredients:
- Almond extract (for a stronger almond flavor)
- Sparkling sugar (for topping)
Recipe overview
Almond cookie bar: The base of this recipe is a soft and chewy almond cookie bar. The bars are flavored with almond paste (more on this below) which adds a ton of flavor and texture. To prepare the dough: using a hand mixer, combine butter and sugar. Add almond paste, then eggs. Add flour and salt, beating until combined. Press the dough into a lined 9×13 pan.
Topping: Before baking, spread the top of the almond dough with raspberry jam then sprinkle with sliced almonds. You can also add a bit of sugar on top, if you’d like. I used sparkling sugar.
Bake: Bake time is around 30 minutes at 350°F. The edges of the bars should be golden brown and the very center should have a very slight jiggle if you move the pan back and forth. Place the pan on a wire rack to cool completely.
Ingredient spotlight: almond paste
Almond paste is an ingredient used in baking. It is a mixture of ground almonds and sugar with a binding agent. Almond paste is soft and slightly moist with a strong and sweet almond flavor.
Almond paste can be purchased in the baking aisle of well stocked grocery stores.
For this specific recipe the almond paste cannot be substituted with another ingredient. It is essential for getting the proper taste and texture.
More recipes using almond paste: Almond Cake, Almond Cherry Bars.
Recipe tips
- Use a hand mixer rather than a stand mixer for this recipe. I find that the beaters of a hand mixer break down the almond paste better than the paddle attachment on a stand mixer.
- Make sure your almond paste is fresh. It should be fairly soft, not hard and dry.
- Line the pan with foil for easy removal and cleanup.
- Add ½ teaspoon almond extract for a stronger almond flavor.
- Use your favorite flavor of jam. Raspberry is my favorite to pair with almond, but strawberry, blackberry, or apricot would also be delicious.
- Do not overbake the bars. The edges should be golden brown and the center should still be slightly soft/underdone. The bars will firm up as the cool.
- For a prettier appearance trim off and discard the edges of the bars (bakers treat!) and slice the remaining part into triangles.
Recipe
Almond Jam Bars
Ingredients
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 8 oz almond paste, crumbled into pieces
- 1¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature*
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup raspberry jam or preserves, melted until pourable but not hot
- ⅓ cup sliced almonds
- 2 teaspoons coarse sparkling sugar, optional, for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° with a rack in the center to lower third of the oven. Line a 9×13 pan with foil or parchment and lightly grease it.
- Using a hand mixer, beat butter and almond paste until the almond paste is broken down into small pebble-sized pieces. Add the sugar, beat until combined. Add eggs, beat until combined, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary. Sprinkle in the flour and salt and beat until fully combined, some small pieces of almond paste might be visible, that's ok.
- Scoop the dough into the prepared pan and press into an even layer. Moisten your fingertips with water to easily press it into the pan without sticking.
- Pour or spoon the jam over the top and spread into an even layer. Top with sliced almonds and sprinkle with sparkling sugar, if using.
- Bake for 30-34 minutes, until the edges are golden brown and the very center of the pan is still a bit jiggly if you shake it. Place the pan on a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Use a hand mixer rather than a stand mixer for this recipe. I find that the beaters of a hand mixer break down the almond paste better than the paddle attachment on a stand mixer.
- Make sure your almond paste is fresh. It should be fairly soft, not hard and dry.
- Line the pan with foil for easy removal and cleanup.
- Add ½ teaspoon almond extract for a stronger almond flavor. Add the extract to the batter along with the eggs.
- Use your favorite flavor of jam. Raspberry is my favorite to pair with almond, but strawberry, blackberry, or apricot would also be delicious.
- Do not overbake the bars. The edges should be golden brown and the center should still be slightly soft/underdone. The bars will firm up as the cool.
- For a prettier appearance trim off and discard the edges of the bars (bakers treat!) and slice the remaining part into triangles.
Nutrition
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment and rating below!Recipe adapted from BHG.com
Nellie Tracy
These are delicious! Will be making often!!
Liz
I love almonds so these almond jam bars might be my new go-to snack! So yummy!