You are going to love these buttery brown sugar oatmeal cookie bars sandwiching a thick layer of jam. This is one of the easiest homemade desserts you’ll ever make, with the crust and topping made from the same mixture. Use your favorite flavor of jam.
Jump to:
What sets this recipe apart
Ease: This is one of the easiest desserts ever! It only requires 15 minutes of hands on time.
Versatility: These bars can be made with any flavor of jam and they can be served warm, chilled, or room temp.
Flavor: These bars feature the crisp, buttery flavor of an oatmeal cookie paired with a fruity filling.
Visual recipe overview
*Full recipe below in recipe card*
Oatmeal cookie dough
Make the oatmeal cookie dough for the crust and topping.
Crust
Press a little more than half of the dough into the bottom of an 8×8 pan and bake.
Jam
Top the pre-baked crust with jam.
Topping
Sprinkle the topping over the jam and bake.
My recipe testing notes and tips
Pan: Lining the pan with foil or parchment paper makes for easy removal and cleanup.
Oats: I like old fashioned oats best for this recipe, they impart the best texture.
Jam: Use any flavor of jam or preserves that you like.
Serving: These bars will be firm and can be eaten with your hands when they are room temp or chilled. If they are warm they will be softer and need to be eaten with a spoon or fork (like the photo below).
Recipe
Oatmeal Jam Bars
Ingredients
- 10 tablespoons (141g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- ½ cup (110g) light brown sugar, packed (it should be soft and fresh)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1¼ cups (157g) all purpose flour, see note
- 1 cup (90g) old fashioned oats
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- generous ¾ cup (250g) jam or preserves
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8×8 pan with foil or parchment paper (leaving overhang on two sides for easy removal). Lightly spray with nonstick spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk butter, brown sugar and vanilla until well combined (this will take at least one full minute). Sprinkle the flour over the top of the butter mixture, followed by oats, salt, and baking soda. Stir with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until well combined.
- Pull out about ¾ cup (a little less than half) of the cookie dough and place it in the refrigerator (it will be the topping). Dump the remaining dough into the prepared pan and press it down into a flat even layer (it will seem quite buttery). Bake for 10 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and carefully spread the jam on top of the cookie base. Take the reserved cookie dough from the fridge and crumble it over the top of the jam layer. Return to the oven and bake for 15-18 more minutes, until the topping is light golden brown. They might still look a little wobbly but they will firm up as they cool. Place the pan on a wire rack to cool completely.
- These bars are soft when they are warm or at room temperature. If you refrigerate them they will firm up and be more sturdy.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Information is an estimate based on third-party calculations and may vary based on products used and serving sizes.
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment and rating below!
Natalie says
Made a double batch of these with tart cherry spread and they’re a hit… and gone. Minus the two I hid for myself. Thanks!
Allison Mattina says
Haha! Perfect! I’m glad you enjoyed them. 🙂
Rebeca says
These were so good! I made them with Peach Brown Sugar Bourbon Jam and they were buttery and delicious!!
Allison Mattina says
That sounds amazing! I’m glad you enjoyed them. 🙂
Pam says
Would I be able to use gluten-free flour?
Allison Mattina says
I haven’t tried it, but if you do I would a recommend a 1:1 gluten free baking flour.
Ali says
I’m going to try it this week for my dad, I will let you know how they turn out.
Virginia says
Delicious! I had cherry jam that needed to be used up, used coconut sugar rather than brown sugar, plus a drizzle of honey in the jam for more depth. Finally, I added my sourdough starter as a substitute for that “extra” 1/4 cup of flour. I was *this close* to adding sliced almonds to the topping but didn’t want to stray further, considering it’s the first time using this recipe.
Allison Mattina says
That sounds great! Thanks for sharing your experience. 🙂
Ali says
Has anyone tried freezing these?
Maria says
Just delicious!!!
I am coeliac, so I had to use gluten free plain flour instead of normal flour, and it turn out perfectly.
I will definitely try more recipes from this website.
Thank you.
Allison Mattina says
That’s great to hear! Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
Liv Love says
just like how my mom used to make them!
thank you for this hit of nostalgia 🙂
I used homemade strawberry rhubarb jam for my filling and they came out amazing 🤩
Allison Mattina says
That sounds delicious. I’m glad you enjoyed them. Thanks for stopping by!
Hannah Anderson says
These were so easy to make and absolutely delicious! I used homemade raspberry jelly. They were quickly devoured.
Allison Mattina says
That’s great to hear! Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
Kate says
This recipe is all pluses and no cons. It’s easy to make, easy to cut, travels well, and is delicious. The reception from the attendees at the meeting I took them to left no doubt about that! I debated whether to make a double batch but decided against it because it was a new-to-me recipe. I shouldn’t have hesitated — they were gone quickly and I had several requests for the recipe. So if you’re taking them to a potluck or meeting and are on the fence about doubling the recipe, double the recipe.
I used the recommended jam, and my only word of advice, other than doubling the batch, is to spread the jam carefully as the recipe directs. The crust is soft, so bring the jam to room temperature and don’t glop it on in big chunks. It spreads more easily with a metal spoon than a silicone spatula.
This is a definite keeper and I’m making it again for the next meeting for those who missed out.
Allison Mattina says
Thanks for sharing your experience with this recipe. I’m so glad you enjoyed it!