These super easy jam bars fulfill three major requirements: You don’t need a mixer (yes!), you don’t prebake the crust (yes!), and you don’t pre-cook the fruit (yes!). Instead, just stir together a buttery, brown sugary, oat-bolstered dough; toss fresh berries — try a combination of blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries — with lemon juice, more sugar, and flour; and sandwich the two together. The hardest part is waiting for the jam bars to cool before you dig in.
Prep Icon
Prep
10 mins
Bake
50 - 55 mins
Total
2 hrs 35 mins

Serving Icon
Yield
one 8" square pan (16 bars)

Ingredients

Dough:
• King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour | --- | 2 1/4 cups (270g)
• Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats* | --- | 1 cup (89g)
• Light Brown Sugar, Packed | --- | 1/2 cup (106g)
• Granulated Sugar | --- | 1/4 cup (50g)
• Baking Powder | --- | 1 1/4 teaspoons
• Table Salt | --- | Heaping 1/2 teaspoon
• Unsalted Butter, Melted | --- | 15 tablespoons (212g)
• *Or Substitute King Arthur Rolled Oats | --- | 1 cup (113g)

Filling:
• Blueberries, Raspberries, and/or Blackberries | --- | 1 pound (454g) (e.g., 2 cups blueberries, 1/2 cup blackberries, 1/2 cup raspberries)
• Light Brown Sugar, Packed | --- | 1/2 cup (106g)
• King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour | --- | 3 tablespoons (23g)
• Zest and Juice from 1 Lemon* | --- | ~2 tablespoons (28g) fresh juice
• Cinnamon | --- | 1/2 teaspoon
• Table Salt | --- | Pinch

Topping:
• Granulated Sugar | --- | 1 1/2 teaspoons
• Cinnamon | --- | 1/4 teaspoon

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Instructions

1.
Preheat the oven to 375°F with a rack in the center. Line an 8" pan with parchment on all sides, then lightly grease.

Preheat the oven to 375°F with a rack in the center. Line an 8" pan with parchment on all sides, then lightly grease.
2.
In a large bowl, whisk together all of the dough ingredients except the butter. Use your fingers or a spoon to break up any brown sugar lumps. Add the melted butter and stir until fully combined and smooth.

In a large bowl, whisk together all of the dough ingredients except the butter. Use your fingers or a spoon to break up any brown sugar lumps. Add the melted butter and stir until fully combined and smooth.
3.
Transfer about 2/3 of the dough (roughly 2 2/3 cups or 485g) to the prepared pan and press into an even layer.

Transfer about 2/3 of the dough (roughly 2 2/3 cups or 485g) to the prepared pan and press into an even layer.
4.
In another large bowl, gently mix together all of the filling ingredients until the berries are evenly coated. Transfer the fruit to the pan and distribute it into an even layer.





In another large bowl, gently mix together all of the filling ingredients until the berries are evenly coated. Transfer the fruit to the pan and distribute it into an even layer.
5.
Crumble the remaining dough (about 1 1/3 cups or 240g) over the berries; squeeze the dough together to make bigger clumps or tease it apart for finer crumbles. (Even coverage is not important at this step.)

Crumble the remaining dough (about 1 1/3 cups or 240g) over the berries; squeeze the dough together to make bigger clumps or tease it apart for finer crumbles. (Even coverage is not important at this step.)
6.
In a small bowl, combine the topping ingredients. Then sprinkle the cinnamon sugar evenly over the top of the bars.

In a small bowl, combine the topping ingredients. Then sprinkle the cinnamon sugar evenly over the top of the bars.
7.
Bake the jam bars for 50 to 55 minutes, covering the pan with foil if the top is browning too quickly, until the berries are bubbling and the topping is baked through.

Bake the jam bars for 50 to 55 minutes, covering the pan with foil if the top is browning too quickly, until the berries are bubbling and the topping is baked through.
8.
Let the bars cool completely in the pan (or for at least 1 1/2 hours; if you’re really in a rush, you can stick them briefly in the refrigerator or freezer to expedite the process). As they cool, use a small offset spatula or knife to dislodge any jam from the sides to make removing them from the pan easier.

Let the bars cool completely in the pan (or for at least 1 1/2 hours; if you’re really in a rush, you can stick them briefly in the refrigerator or freezer to expedite the process). As they cool, use a small offset spatula or knife to dislodge any jam from the sides to make removing them from the pan easier.
9.
Remove the bars from the pan using the parchment as a sling, then slice and serve.

Remove the bars from the pan using the parchment as a sling, then slice and serve.
10.
Store the sliced jam bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. They’re delightful cold.

Store the sliced jam bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. They’re delightful cold.

Tips

1. To make these gluten-free, replace the flour in the dough with an equal amount of Gluten-Free Measure for Measure Flour. In place of the flour in the filling, use 1 tablespoon (7g) cornstarch.

Berry Easy Jam Bars