Name: Oatmeal Jam Bars
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
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

Oatmeal Jam Bars

4.95 from 118 votes

Modified: May 1, 2026 · Published: Feb 1, 2019 by Allison Mattina · 245 Comments

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.

Stack of three oatmeal bars filled with raspberry jam.

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What sets this recipe apart
Visual recipe overview
My recipe testing notes and tips
More dessert bars
Recipe

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.

Stack of three oatmeal jam bars on a piece of parchment paper.

Visual recipe overview

*Full recipe below in recipe card*

Oatmeal cookie dough in a white bowl with a white spatula.

Make the oatmeal cookie dough for the crust and topping.

Oatmeal cookie dough pressed into the bottom of a foil-lined baking dish.

Crust

Press a little more than half of the dough into the bottom of an 8×8 pan and bake.

Jam being spread on oatmeal cookie bars in a foil-lined baking dish.

Jam

Top the pre-baked crust with jam.

Unbaked oatmeal jam bars in a foil-lined baking dish.

Topping

Sprinkle the topping over the jam and bake.

Oatmeal jam bars on parchment paper next to a spoon with jam on it.

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).

Two oatmeal jam bars topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on a grey plate.

More dessert bars

Recipe

Oatmeal Jam Bars

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.

4.95 from 118 votes

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Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 25

Total Time: 40

Servings: 12

Calories: 242kcal

Author: Allison Mattina

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

Jam: I 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. I added weight measurements and an additional ¼ cup of flour. I found that the bars were a bit more sturdy with the extra flour and I preferred that. If you have made this recipe before and enjoyed it as is, feel free to just use 1-cup of flour.

Nutrition

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

4.95 from 118 votes (26 ratings without comment)

What sets this recipe apart