Berry Oat Bar

This fan favorite is finally getting the spotlight!

The double berry combination screams “Summer is here!” but this bar is ideal year round. We love that it can be chilled and won’t melt at a summer picnic, but it’s also a go-to for sharing at large events, giving away (even mailing) with holiday gifts, or storing in the freezer to have on hand at a moment’s notice. The Berry Oat Bar is our most requested recipe.

In addition to versatility and delightful flavor, this bar is great because it can be staged. The dough is similar to shortbread. You cream together butter, sugars, flour and oats to form a dough and then press two-thirds of it into a sprayed sheet pan. We like to square up the sides using a bench scraper, and then chill it.

At this point you can chill it overnight, or bake it and save the baked crust for the next day.

Once the bottom crust has been formed, add more oats, and almonds if desired, to the remaining dough. This takes it from a shortbread dough to a streusel topping. Cover and chill the topping for later.

Once the bottom dough has chilled, bake it until the edges are beginning to brown and the middle is set. If your finger leaves an indentation when lightly toughing the middle then it isn’t set. Allow the crust to cool completely before finishing the bars. You can also wrap tightly and finish the next day.

Spread raspberry preserves in a thin layer on the crust. I typically don’t use the entire 15 ounce jar of preserves. Next, sprinkle fresh blueberries on the preserves. If using frozen blueberries, don’t thaw them. You want to avoid excess moisture. Resist adding fresh or frozen raspberries because they cook down to mush. The blueberry has a skin, so it maintains a nice shape.

Finally, sprinkle the streusel topping over the berries. It helps to let the topping sit out for a bit so you can break it apart. Depending on how much dough you used for the crust, you may have extra topping. Even though crumb topping is delicious, don’t overload your bars. You want to see the berries. Freeze that extra streusel for fruit crisp or muffins.

Allow the bars to cool completely before cutting. I usually bake them the day before we plan to cut and eat them. Here are some of our bar cutting tips:

1. Run a sharp knife along the sides of the pan to release the edges.

2. Make a cut in the middle of pan horizontally.

3. Make a cut in the middle of the pan vertically.

You now have 4 equal quadrants. With each quadrant:

1. Lift out gently using a bench scraper and place on a cutting board.

2. Cut into 12 or 16 squares depending on the desired size.

3. Enjoy!

Tender means easy to cut or chew, not tough. Crisp means firm, dry, and brittle. Can something be tender and crisp? This crust can! By fully baking the crust without the other layers it will remain easy to bite and not get soggy. Tender and crisp!

Berry Oat Bar

Morning, noon, or night.

Picnic, fancy dinner, or convention.

With ice cream, or without.

The delightful Berry Oat Bar!