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.
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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!
Sheryljkt says
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.
Allison says
That flavor combo sound delicious!
Cindy says
I made these for the first time today, hoping to replicate a delicious strawberry granola bar I ate while traveling. Although it’s not quite the same, I really love these bars and they are quick and easy. I used a second square pan with parchment to pat down the topping mixture into a square to place on top after the jam. I also used the 4 fruits jam & it’s delicious! Thank you for the recipe.
Allison says
You’re welcome. I’m glad you enjoyed them! Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
Erica Louter says
I made these to clear out a bunch of opened jams I had in my fridge – and ill definitely be making them again! They were delicious with raspberry, fig, peach and apricot jam!
Allison says
I’m glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
Amy says
These bars are my favourite way to use up cranberry sauce after holiday meals. I mix in about a 1/2 cup of frozen raspberries with whatever is left from the can of cranberry sauce and they turn out fantastic. They do need to bake a bit longer with the added fruit.
Allison says
That’s great to hear. Thanks for stopping by!
JulieS says
Delicious! I used homemade chunky peach jam and added a handful of chopped pecans to the dough. Hubby says this is a keeper!
Allison says
That sounds delicious! Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
Mervin Powell says
Great recipe! I make them with homemade blueberry jam. My favorite jam bars!
Allison says
I’m glad you enjoyed them! 🙂
Michelle says
Do these bars freeze well?
Allison says
I haven’t tried freezing them but my guess is that they would freeze fine.
Jill says
Made this but into muffin tins and some homemade jelly! Soo good!! Will make again! Thank you!!
Allison says
You’re welcome! Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
Laurie says
Made these tonight and they were soooo yummy. Can’t wait for my coworkers to taste them. Thank you!!
Allison says
You are very welcome! Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
Lydia says
I’ve been making these almost weekly, they’re so tasty and easy to make! I love experimenting with different jams flavors or mixing. I recently made them with blueberry jam with a sprinkle of fresh blueberries before adding the crumble, and OH MY the fresh berries leveled up this already tasty treat!
Allison says
That sounds great! Thanks for taking the time to comment. 🙂