Apricot Oat Bars

We have been in our new home for almost two months, and I THINK we have nearly all of our boxes unpacked and sorted. Who knew how much “stuff” we could accumulate over the past ten years or so? On top of moving, I had scheduled my second total knee replacement for mid-July, so getting my new home in order before surgery was my priority. Working hard to decorate the house and unpack boxes, I only had a little free time for recipe testing, so I decided to go back and test some of my old recipes and take better photos.

These bars are a favorite of mine, and I have made them repeatedly over the years using different flavors of jam. They are easy to assemble with ingredients I usually hand onhand. They are moist and tender with a shortbread-like bottom crust, jam center, and crumble topping.

I used leftover chopped walnuts for the topping, but you could also use sliced almonds instead if you prefer. I used apricot jam, but any jam you prefer should work just as well. I like to refrigerate the bars for a few hours (or overnight) before slicing, and these bars freeze well if you want to serve some and save the rest for later.

Buon Appetito!
Deborah Mele 

Appricot Oat Bars

Appricot Oat Bars

Yield: Makes About 2 1/2 Dozen
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes

Tender bars with a shotbread type bottom crust, sweet jam center, and crumble topping.

Ingredients

  • 1 Cup Unsalted Butter, Softened
  • 2 Cups Packed Organic Brown Sugar
  • 1 Large Egg
  • 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
  • 2 Cups All-purpose Flour
  • 2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
  • 2 Cups Regular Rolled Oats
  • 3/4 Cup Chopped Walnuts (See Notes Above)
  • 1 (15 Ounce) Low Sugar Apricot Jam

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and line a 13 x 9 inch baking pan with parchment paper letting the edges extend over the pan.
  2. Spray the parchment lined pan with baking spray.
  3. In a bowl, beat together the butter and brown sugar with an electric hand mixer on medium speed until light.
  4. Add the egg and vanilla extract and blend until smooth.
  5. In another bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and oats.
  6. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and blend at low speed until mixed.
  7. Remove 3/4 cup of dough and set aside.
  8. Take the remaining dough and with lightly floured fingertips, press the dough evenly over the bottom of the pan.
  9. Spread the jam over the dough in the pan.
  10. Add the nuts to the remaining dough and crumble the dough with your fingers, dropping it on top of the jam in small pieces to almost cover.
  11. Bake the bars for about 35 minutes or until lightly browned.
  12. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
  13. Using the parchment paper, remove the bars from the pan and place on a cutting board.
  14. Cut into squares or small rectangles.
  15. Store the bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 528Total Fat: 26gSaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 67mgSodium: 120mgCarbohydrates: 69gFiber: 3gSugar: 37gProtein: 7g

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