These Oatmeal Jam Bars are a simple, classic bar cookie that will become everyone’s favorite!
If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook you may have seen that I spent the last week working on and shooting all the photographs for my upcoming slow cooker cookbook. I had a photographer and stylist here all week and we shot over 50 recipes in five days. Let me tell you, that is a lot of cooking and a lot of dishes. I gave you a few glimpses into the mess my kitchen was on Insta Stories.
This was a record setting week (over 50 recipes made) in more than one way, as Portland had the snow storm of the last three decades! We got over 9 inches of snow in one day and temperatures in the teens. It pretty much shut the city down for most of the week and we still have snow on the ground. But in the midst of all that slow cooker cooking I had a craving to do a little baking because of that snow. There is just something about snow and baking that go together for me. So in between cooking 50 recipes I made a batch of these delicious oatmeal jam bars.
Since I had a professional photographer and stylist in the house I took advantage and got them to style and take the photos of this recipe. Erica Allen is an amazing food photographer from Los Angeles who flew up to Portland to shoot the cookbook. She brought her friend, assistant and bridal photographer Brianna Vail with her. In exchange for some oatmeal jam bars I got them to style and take these lovely photos for me.
Of course you can use your favorite flavor of jam but mine is raspberry so that’s what I used. They have a crunchy crust topped with a sweet layer of jam, and then more of that crunchy mixture scatter on top. They were the perfect thing to munch on as we worked all day. A glass of cold milk was the perfect combination.
Oatmeal Jam Bars
Oatmeal Jam Bars
Ingredients
- 1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup quick cooking rolled oats
- 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 tsp lemon peel or zest
- 6 ounces of cream cheese softened
- 1/4 cup butter softened
- 3/4 cup raspberry preserves
- 1 tsp lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Grease a 9 x 13 pan.
- In a mixer, combine cream cheese and butter and beat until smooth. Add in flour, baking soda, salt, oats, brown sugar and lemon zest.
- Mix until combined and crumbly.
- Measure and set aside one cup of crumb mixture
- Press remaining crumb mixture into bottom of prepared pan and bake for 20 minutes.
- In another bowl, combine jam and lemon juice.
- Carefully spread jam mixture over baked, hot crust. Sprinkle with remaining crumb mixture.
- Bake for an additional 15 minutes or until top is golden brown.
- Cool and cut into bars.
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Grace
January 16, 2017 at 8:39 amI’ve got everything I need to make these (yum!!), but wanted to double check. The ingredients lists 1 tsp lemon juice twice at the end. Do I need 2 tsp or is one of those supposed to be a tsp of something else?
Leigh Anne
January 16, 2017 at 8:42 amGrace, Sorry, that was just a typo. Should have only been there once. I updated the recipe. Enjoy!!
Donna Howard
January 16, 2017 at 9:29 amHey Leigh Anne, always love all your recipes. And ugh on the snow!! I am going to be making these this weekend for our missionaries – they love all the treats your blog gives them!! But at the end of the recipe you have lemon juice listed twice?? I thought maybe you did it in two separate times but I can’t see that?
Leigh Anne
January 16, 2017 at 9:52 amThat was a typo and has been corrected. So glad the missionaries love all the treat and it is so sweet of you to bake for them.
Andi Hartley
January 18, 2017 at 10:50 amLook amazing! We are in the middle of summer holidays in New Zealand, so will be be great to try something new for the family – thanks,
Leigh Anne
January 18, 2017 at 3:38 pmAndi, Hope you enjoy the recipe. New Zealand is on my bucket list to visit!
Karen Draeger
January 25, 2017 at 8:49 amI’m excited to make these with my granddaughter Kira. She’s 11 and loves to cook! Thank you for all your fun ideas!
Leigh Anne
January 25, 2017 at 8:58 amKaren, Have fun baking with your granddaughter!
Janet
February 2, 2017 at 10:49 amJust wanted to double check this before making these – is it quick cooking oats or rolled (old fashioned) oats? Thank you!
Leigh Anne
February 2, 2017 at 11:16 amJanet, The recipe is correct, it is quick cooking oats
Donna Howard
May 13, 2017 at 8:23 amMaking these – again!! Special request from the elders!! Glad to give them some little treats that they love. Thank you again for all your good recipes!