Raspberry Bars (with Shortbread, Jam, + Chocolate)
Raspberry Bars are easy to make with simple ingredients, layering a shortbread crust with raspberry jam, chocolate chips, and an additional shortbread crumble for decadent and delicious cookie bars!
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If you enjoy desserts combining chocolate + raspberry, you'll also love Raspberry Swirl Brownies and Chocolate Bread Pudding with Raspberry Sauce!
Y'all. These Raspberry Bars are some of my all-time favorite cookies. They're easy to make and so tasty that we enjoy them year-round.
But what's so special about them? Well, let's start from the bottom and work our way up, shall we?
The Layers
First off, the homemade shortbread (which comprises the crust and the crumble in these Raspberry Bars) is good enough to eat plain, AKA all by itself. It's like a pecan sandy-type of shortbread, with a nice, nutty undertone from finely chopped pecans. And of course, it involves lots of butter and sugar...you know, to hold everything together! 😉
This Raspberry Bars recipe also features layers of seedless raspberry jam and semisweet chocolate chips. Y'all have had raspberry + chocolate together before, right? Because it's only one of the best flavor combos ever! I'm always a sucker for any type of chocolate dessert with raspberry sauce...or chocolate truffles with raspberry filling...or -- HEY! -- raspberry crumble bars with chocolate chips and raspberry jam.
So. Good!
Ingredients
I've already touched on most of the ingredients above, but here's the full list plus some ingredient notes to help you make your Raspberry Bars:
- Flour. All-purpose. Or you can use whole wheat pastry flour if you're going for a more wholesome spin on Raspberry Bars.
- Sugar. Granulated.
- Pecans. Finely chopped.
- Salt. My favorite is fine sea salt.
- Egg. Lightly beaten.
- Butter. Unsalted. It should be nice and cold, and you'll need to dice it into small pieces.
- Seedless raspberry jam. I prefer seedless raspberry jam so nobody has to worry about little seeds getting stuck in their teeth, but raspberry jam with seeds will work as well.
- Chocolate chips. I recommend semisweet to complement the raspberry.
How to Make Raspberry Bars
(The below photos are intended to be helpful, but please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for FULL DIRECTIONS.)
It's easy to make this Raspberry Bars recipe by hand with just a bowl and no mixer!
- Preheat the oven and grease a 9- by 13-inch baking pan.
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, pecans, and salt.
- Stir in the egg.
- Using a pastry cutter or a fork, cut in the cold butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Measure out 1 ½ cups of the crumbs and set them aside. Evenly press the remaining crumbs into the bottom of the pan.
- Spoon the raspberry jam onto the crust and spread it into a thin, even layer.
- Add the chocolate chips in an even layer.
- Sprinkle the reserved shortbread crumbs all over the top of the raspberry chocolate goodness for a yummy crumble layer.
- Pop your pan into the oven so that the magic can happen! It'll probably take 40 to 45 minutes of baking until the crumble turns a light golden brown and the chocolate melts into the raspberry jam.
Remove the pan to a wire rack and allow to cool completely before cutting into Raspberry Bars.
ENJOY!
Variations
The added bonus of these Raspberry Bars is that you can customize them to your liking!
A few ideas...
● Strawberry preserves + milk chocolate chips
● Apricot jam + white chocolate chips
● Apple butter + butterscotch chips
● Lemon curd + white chocolate chips
● Grape jelly + peanut butter chips
I think you get the idea! 🙂 What other flavor combos are you inspired to try?
Whether you stick to the recipe or decide to change it up, one thing is certain...these Raspberry Bars are a must-try!
They're easy to make and scrumptious to eat. Everyone will love the simple homemade shortbread layered as both a bottom crust and a top crumble.
And how could anyone resist the quintessential combo of raspberry and chocolate in between?!
Let me know what you think if you decide to give them a whirl!
More Tasty Bar Cookies
Raspberry Bars (with Shortbread, Jam, + Chocolate)
Video
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup sugar
- ¾ cup finely chopped pecans
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced
- 12 ounces seedless raspberry jam
- 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously grease a 9- by 13-inch baking pan with butter or coat with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, pecans, and salt. Stir in egg. Using a pastry cutter or fork, cut in cold butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Measure out 1 ½ cups of crumbs and set aside. Evenly press remaining crumbs into the bottom of the pan.
- Spoon the jam onto the crust and spread it into a thin, even layer. Sprinkle jam with chocolate chips followed by reserved shortbread crumbs.
- Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until crumbs are starting to turn light golden brown. Remove pan to a wire rack and allow to cool completely before cutting into 16 bars.
Equipment Needed
Notes
- Feel free to change up the flavors of these Raspberry Bars. A few ideas: strawberry preserves + milk chocolate chips, apricot jam + white chocolate chips, apple butter + butterscotch chips, lemon curd + white chocolate chips, grape jelly + peanut butter chips...the possibilities are endless!
- STORAGE: Once completely cool, Raspberry Bars may be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. After that, transfer to the refrigerator for up to another week. These bars may also be frozen (with layers of bars separated by wax or parchment paper) in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
Hi Samantha, does the pan material matter; glass, ceramic or metal on the baking time?
Hi Perry! I always make these bars in a metal baking pan, but if you decide to use a glass or ceramic baking dish instead, just keep an eye on them and add on a few minutes of baking time if necessary. 🙂
I have made this recipe countless times through the years and it always dazzles the eaters- whether in a Christmas cookie tray, for a potluck, gift or garden club treat. It is easy and the flavor combo consistently amazes. I’ll branch out soon and try one of your nifty variations. Thanks again and again, Samantha❣️
So happy to hear that, Carolyn! As you know, this is a recipe that I had published years ago, but I took it down to redo the post and now it's back with shiny new pics and tips! I'm glad you continued to enjoy it in the meantime. 🙂 Miss you and hope y'all have a wonderful Easter!
How long will they hold? Store room temp or fridge?
Hi Peg! Thank you for pointing out that I forgot to include that info in the post! I just added it to the NOTES section of the recipe card:
Once completely cool, Raspberry Bars may be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. After that, transfer to the refrigerator for up to another week. These bars may also be frozen (with layers of bars separated by wax or parchment paper) in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
Hope that helps, and please come back and let us know what you think if you decide to give this recipe a try! 🙂