Raspberry Bars
Sweet, tangy, and totally irresistible, these Raspberry Bars layer fruity goodness between a buttery oatmeal crust and a cinnamon-spiced crumble. They’re the kind of treat that works for brunch or dessert, amazing with your morning coffee or topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!
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A Note from Kim
A Bite of Summer in Every Square
These raspberry bars take everything I adore about a classic fruit crisp (sweet-tart fruit, buttery oats, and a hint of cinnamon) and pack it into an easy, hand-held treat. If you’re the type (like me!) who always sneaks extra crumble topping from the crisp dish, you’re going to fall hard for these bars. The base is thick and chewy, almost like a soft oatmeal cookie, and it holds up perfectly under the layer of juicy, jammy raspberry filling. That raspberry middle is just the right balance of sweet and tangy, and the cinnamon-spiced crumble on top? Golden, crunchy, and so satisfying. These are definitely more dessert than breakfast, but I’ve been known to sneak one with my morning coffee, and I have zero regrets!
With love (and lots of good eats), 
I’ve made this recipe the last 3 years in a row for Father’s Day and they are always a hit. Served with homemade whipped cream. 🙂 Thank you for a wonderful and simple recipe!
— Leigh
Ingredients You’ll Need
Let’s break it down! Here’s what you’ll need for the buttery base, the crumbly topping, and that bright, juicy raspberry center.
For the Base and Crumble Topping
- All-purpose flour: Forms the structure of the crust and crumble. To make gluten free bars, you can use an all-purpose 1:1 gluten free flour. King Arthur is a great choice!
- Old-fashioned rolled oats: Adds a chewy texture and hearty bite.
- Granulated sugar: Sweetens the base and helps with browning.
- Brown sugar: Brings extra sweetness and a rich, caramel-like flavor.
- Cinnamon: Adds warm, cozy spice to every bite.
- Salt: Balances the sweetness and enhances flavor.
- Unsalted butter: Binds everything together and gives a rich, buttery taste.
- Egg: Adds moisture and helps the crust hold its shape.
For the Raspberry Layer
- Fresh raspberries: Juicy, sweet-tart flavor that shines in the filling.
- Lemon juice: Brightens the raspberry flavor and adds a fresh zing.
- Granulated sugar: Sweetens the fruit and balances the tartness.
- Cornstarch: Thickens the filling to keep it from getting runny. Arrowroot powder or tapioca starch will also work as a thickener for the fruit layer.
Make It Your Own
One of the best things about raspberry crumble bars is how versatile they are, easy to adapt with what you have on hand or to suit your taste.
- Change the fruit: Swap in fresh or frozen strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, or a mix of berries. If using frozen, don’t thaw, just add a minute or two to the bake time.
- Dairy-free option: Dairy free or vegan butter substitutes will still yield a deliciously crisp and golden topping.
- Add nuts: Mix chopped pecans, walnuts, or almonds into the crumble topping for crunch and extra flavor.
- Drizzle it: Finish with a light drizzle of powdered sugar glaze or melted white chocolate for a bakery-style touch.
Raspberry Bars
Ingredients
For the base and crumble topping
- 2 cups + 2 tablespoons (256g) all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups (120g) old-fashioned rolled oats
- 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (90g) packed brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup (170g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 large egg, slightly beaten
For the raspberry layer
- 2 cup (246g) fresh raspberries
- 1 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
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Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF degrees. Line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment paper leaving an overhang around the edges. Or line with aluminum foil leaving an overhang around the edges and grease with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, oats, granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Gently stir in the melted butter and egg.
- Remove about 1 cup (not packed) of the mixture for the topping; set aside.
- Press the remaining mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan.
- In a medium bowl stir together the berries, sugar, lemon juice and cornstarch until the berries are coated.
- Spoon the raspberry mixture over top of the oatmeal base. It’s okay if there are empty spaces on the base, as the raspberries bake they will spread.
- Crumble the reserved oat mixture over top of the fruit layer. I like to form some big and some small crumbles and make sure all of the raspberries are topped.
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 50-55 minutes or until you see the berries bubbling and the top crumble turning golden brown.
- Cool the bars fully (while keeping them in the pan) until they’re room temperature (at least 3 hours) before slicing.
- To slice the bars, lift them out of the pan using the overhang of the parchment paper/aluminum foil. Place on a cutting board and slice with a large, sharp knife.
- Bars can be served cold from the fridge, room temperature, or warmed up in the microwave. They’re so good alongside a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
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How to Make Raspberry Bars
The layers come together with very little effort! Here’s how to make this raspberry bar recipe step-by-step.
Step 1: Mix dry ingredients. Prep a square baking pan and preheat the oven. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt.
Step 2: Add wet ingredients. Gently stir in the melted butter and egg.
Step 3: Divide the crumble. Remove about 1 cup (not packed) of the mixture for the topping; set aside.
Step 4: Add the bottom crust to the pan. Press the remaining crumb mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan.
Step 5: Make filling. In a medium bowl, stir together the berries, sugar, lemon juice and cornstarch until the berries are coated.
Step 6: Add filling over crust. Spoon the raspberry mixture over top of the oatmeal base, and spread with a spatula. It’s okay if there are empty spaces on the base, as the raspberries bake they will spread.
Step 7: Add crumb topping. Crumble the reserved oat mixture over top of the fruit layer. I like to form some big and some small crumbles and make sure all the raspberries are topped.
Step 8: Slice bars. Bake for 50–55 minutes, until the berries are bubbling and the top is golden. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack, then lift out using the parchment overhang and slice with a sharp knife.
Helpful Tips
- Line the pan: Use parchment paper with overhang for easy removal and clean slicing.
- Don’t skip the cooling time: Let the bars cool completely in the pan so the filling sets, this makes slicing much easier.
- Use fresh or frozen berries: Either works great! If using frozen, don’t thaw, just toss with the sugar, lemon, and cornstarch straight from the freezer.
- Crumb topping = texture: Don’t overwork the crumble. Keeping some larger pieces gives the bars a more satisfying crunch on top.
- Chill for cleaner cuts: For super neat slices, chill the cooled bars in the fridge for 30–60 minutes before cutting.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! These bars work great with blueberries, blackberries, chopped strawberries, or a mix. You can even try a combo like raspberry with peaches or cherries.
Definitely. Use vegan butter and a flax egg (1 tablespoon flaxseed meal + 2.5 tablespoons water) in place of the regular egg.
Cooling helps the bars set, especially the jammy fruit layer. Slicing too early can make them fall apart.
Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the fridge for up to 5 days. They also freeze well for up to 2 months.
More Berry Treats
Love berry desserts as much as I do? Here are a few more fruity favorites you won’t want to miss!
If you try these raspberry streusel bars, let me know! Leave a comment and if your family loves them as much as mine does, be sure to give it a five star ⭐️ rating! Also, tag @kimscravings on Instagram with a picture of your creation. Be sure to subscribe to our newsletter to receive more healthy delicious recipes straight to your inbox.
After purchasing a large amount of fresh raspberries from a local farmer’s market, I was at a loss as to what to do with these wonderful berries before they went over. I found this recipe and made it today, only adding some sliced almonds on top as an extra yum on top. It is delicious, not too sweet and not too tart. A nice balance and simple to make. It’s a keeper!
Just made these and they are perfect! The most difficult part of the recipe…. was waiting for them to cool before eating the whole pan!
Made these, turned out delicious! Thank you for the recipe! ( I added chopped pecans to the crumble, really good)
This has become a family favorite! Yummy!
I made the recipe as written, and it turned out lovely.
What a delicious summer treat. My husband and I loved these.
LITERALLY AMAZING!!!! In the past, making crumbles were a real struggle because the proportions on those recipes I followed were not the best but this was perfect!!! Came out beautifully and was delicious!
I’ve made this recipe the last 3 years in a row for Father’s Day and they are always a hit. Served with homemade whipped cream. 🙂 Thank you for a wonderful and simple recipe!
Second time making these. Really delicious!!
I made this for the 4th of July and the bars were a big hit!! Super easy and delicious!
These are delicious!! Just made them and absolutely love them. I used frozen berries and just let them thaw for a little before making them. I didn’t change the recipe itself at all either. Thanks so much!
This is my go to recipe to impress everyone! The amount of people who have asked for this recipe is insane. Definitely a crowd pleaser!
Excellent, they were a big hit with everyone. Recipe is easy to follow. Still yummy as leftover. The recipe does work well with frozen fruit, just fully thawed and blotted away extra moisture first so it would not get soggy.
Thanks for the great recipe! My family loved it! I used a combination of berries. I’ll be making these bars again for sure.
Made it today for our Easter dinner. It smells amazing and tastes amazing. Thank you for the recipe.
This recipe is so simple and so delicious!!! I added my own personal twist by drizzling white chocolate on top of the bars. I drizzled the chocolate in an opposing zig-zag pattern before cutting the bars. This gave them a streusel kinda feel and they looked great with the decorative addition!
I love that idea!
These bars are excellent!! Even better with ice cream!! Followed recipe exactly (baked them an additional 10 min) and they came out perfect!
These are so delicious and bright and fresh. I have made them several times since I discovered the recipe in July.
So easy and delicious! Thanks!
Wonderful recipe, I gifted some to my adult son and he asked me to make him more!