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Home » Brownies & Bars » Jam Filled Oatmeal Bars

Jam Filled Oatmeal Bars

Published: Feb 1, 2019 · Modified: Dec 14, 2021 by Allison · 159 Comments

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Buttery brown sugar Oatmeal Bars with a fruity jam filling. This simple recipe comes together in minutes, with the crust and topping made from the same mixture. Use your favorite flavor of jam. 

Jam Filled Oatmeal Bars

Hi, friends. Let’s cut right to the chase. Buttery brown sugar oatmeal cookie bars sandwiching a thick layer of jam. Are you in? Yep, me too.

There’s so much to love about this simple recipe. It comes together in just a few minutes, it can be enjoyed for breakfast or dessert, it can be served warm, chilled or room temp, and it can be made with any flavor of jam. Choose your favorite flavor of jam or preserves (I’m currently obsessed with Bonne Maman Four Fruits Preserves).

You might also like: Almond Jam Bars.

Jump to:
  • How to Make Oatmeal Bars
  • Recipe tip
  • Serving and storage
  • Related recipes
  • Recipe
Jam Filled Oatmeal Bars

This is a super simple recipe, with the crust and topping made from the same mixture. Here’s how to do it.

How to Make Oatmeal Bars

  1. Crust/topping mixture: Whisk melted butter, brown sugar and vanilla. Add flour, oats, salt, and baking soda. Stir it up until you have an oatmeal cookie dough.
  2. Press it in the pan: Dump a little more than half of the mixture into a 8×8 pan and flatten it into an even layer. Bake the crust for 10 minutes.
  3. Add the jam and topping: Top the warm crust with jam, spreading it all the way to the corners. Crumble the reserved oatmeal mixture over the jam and return to the oven for about 15 more minutes.
Jam Filled Oatmeal Bars
Jam Filled Oatmeal Bars

Recipe tip

Line your 8×8 baking pan with foil or parchment paper, leaving a little overhang on two opposite sides. Once the bars are cool you can lift them right out of the pan and cut them easily.

Jam Filled Oatmeal Bars

Serving and storage

After baking, allow the bars to cool, and you’ll be able to cut them into clean slices. I often serve these bars at room temperature or chilled so they’re firm enough to be held easily.

If you’d prefer to eat them warm, you can! They will be a bit less stable and need to be eaten with a fork or spoon (see photo below). When serving these warm I like to top them with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. It’s like eating a fruit crisp that is heavy on the topping, with jam instead of fruit. Swoon.

Store leftover tightly covered at room temperature or the refrigerator for 3 days.

Jam Filled Oatmeal Bars

What’s not to love about a dessert that can feed a crowd, travel well, and maybe also be served for breakfast (there are oats in there!). I mean, yes, technically this is a dessert, but if you wanted to cut yourself a square to nibble on along with your morning coffee I would pass zero judgment. I only ask that you invite me over to join you.

Try the Nutella, chocolate, or lemon version of these bars: Nutella Stuffed Oatmeal Cookie Bars, Oatmeal Fudge Bars, Lemon Crumb Bars

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Recipe

Jam Filled Oatmeal Bars

Jam Filled Oatmeal Bars

 Buttery brown sugar Oatmeal Bars with a fruity jam filling.
4.99 from 83 votes
Print Pin SaveSaved!
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes
0 minutes minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes minutes
Servings: 12
Calories: 242kcal
Author: Allison – Celebrating Sweets

Ingredients

  • 1¼ cups (157g) all purpose flour, see note
  • 1 cup (90g) old fashioned oats
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 10 tablespoons (141g) unsalted butter, melted
  • ½ cup (110g) light brown sugar, packed (it should be soft and fresh)
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 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 medium bowl, combine, flour, oats, salt, and baking soda.
  • In a large bowl, whisk butter, brown sugar and vanilla until well combined (this will take at least one full minute). Add dry ingredients and 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

Jam: We prefer a jam that has a balance of sweet and tart flavors. Some favorites are tart cherry jam and Bonne Maman Four Fruit Preserves.
Recipe updated July 2023. We added weight measurements and an additional ¼ cup of flour.  We found that the bars were a bit more sturdy with the extra flour and we preferred that. If you have made this recipe before and enjoyed it as is, feel free to just use 1-cup of flour. 

Nutrition

Calories: 242kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 128mg | Potassium: 64mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 290IU | Vitamin C: 1.9mg | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 0.9mg

Nutritional Information is an estimate based on third-party calculations and may vary based on products used and serving sizes.

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Comments

  1. Sheryljkt

    November 22, 2023 at 6:17 pm

    5 stars
    Really easy to make and eat! Just came here to say I used fig jam and grated orange peel over the filling, to tamp down the sweetness. So delicious. They will not last long.

    Reply
    • Allison

      November 27, 2023 at 10:44 am

      That flavor combo sound delicious!

      Reply
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aboutHi, I'm Allison! I'm a busy wife and mom with a passion for cooking and baking. This is where you'll find my favorite homemade recipes, designed to help you make every day delicious! Read more....

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