The first thing you should know about this recipe is, just like the Vanilla Buttermilk Cookies, these jam bars are hard to stop eating. I mean, you don’t think it’s going to be a problem when you’re making them, but then you’ve let them cool, cut into them, and you’re taking that first bite of buttery, crispy, crunchy, fruity deliciousness, and then you find yourself coming back for just a tiny taste more. Over and over again.
And then again.
And much like this delicious Yogurt Apple Cake and this scrumptious Cinnamon Coffee Cake, these jam bars are something I make when I’m bringing something to feed a crowd. Though I make them just for my family, too—no crowd necessary to make these delicious cookie bars. But they are a crowd-pleaser, for sure.
The second thing you need to know (although this is really the third thing because the baking-it-for-a-crowd was a thing, too) is that this recipe is unbelievably easy. As in, you mix together everything but the jam, then put it together in the baking dish, and slide it into the oven. You really can’t get any easier than that!
The third (or fourth, but who’s counting?) thing you need to know is that this recipe can easily be made dairy free with a quick substitution of a vegan buttery spread (Earth Balance is my personal fave) for the butter. If you swap out the flour for a GF one-to-one baking flour and make sure your oats are certified GF, then you’ll have a totally gluten-free treat.
A simple, buttery, nutty, shortbread-esque cookie with a ribbon of fruit jam, these babies satisfy when what you’re jonesing for is a fruit-filled treat. It’s pleasantly crunchy, and blessedly not crumbly, even if it looks like it should be.
Just like Mary Poppins, it’s practically perfect in every way. Happy baking, friends!
Ingredients
- 12 oz jam of your choice
- 1 2/3 cups butter
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup chopped almonds/walnuts/pecans
- 1 cup oats, coarsely processed in food processor
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F/ 177 C. Grease a 13 x 9 pan.
- Run nuts through food processor until roughly chopped. Add oats and pulse it a few more times until nuts and oats are coarsely chopped. Set aside.
- Cream butter and sugar together, then add eggs and beat well. Add salt and flour, cup by cup, until well mixed. Add nut and oat mixture, and beat until combined.
- Put aside 3 cups of the dough, then press the remaining dough into your prepared 13 x 9 pan. Spread the jam on top, staying about 1/2" from the edges, then crumble up the saved dough and sprinkle it on top.
- Bake in a 350 F/ 177 C oven for about 40 minutes, until topping is between golden and toasty brown. Allow the cookies to cool completely before cutting.
Notes
Gotta try! Pinning for later!