Easy Jam Crumb Bars

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Golden and buttery jam crumb bars make the best cookie bars! Filled with mixed berry jam (try any flavor you love!) and drizzled with vanilla glaze, these easy crumb bars made with melted butter make the perfect bite of sweetness. Recipe makes 16 bars.

I love these jam crumble bars because there’s no special equipment involved (no stand mixer or food processor necessary!). The buttery dough comes together easily in a mixing bowl and holds together nicely to use for both the crust and crumb topping.

With a generous layer of your favorite jam between buttery cookie layers, these crumb bars are simply irresistible!

Essential Ingredients

Here’s what you need to make the bars:

• Butter – Use melted unsalted butter in the crumb bars and vanilla glaze.
• Sugar – The crumb bars are made with both light brown sugar and granulated sugar.
• Extracts – Pure vanilla extract and pure almond extract flavor the crumb bars. If you don’t like almond extract (or have an allergy), increase the vanilla extract to 2 teaspoons.
• Flour – Use all-purpose flour in this recipe. If you’d like to make these bars gluten-free, I recommend using a gluten free 1-1 baking flour for best results.
• Baking soda – Gives the crumb bars a lift.
• Salt – Brings out the flavors.
• Sliced almonds – Adds texture to the crumb topping. You can also omit the almonds completely.
• Jam – This recipe is incredibly versatile, so feel free to use your favorite flavor jam or preserves. I’ve made these bars with mixed berry jam, cherry preserves, blueberry jam, and strawberry jam.
• Powdered sugar – For a perfectly smooth glaze.
• Milk – A splash of milk (or heavy cream) thins out the glaze.

The Best Jam Crumb Bars

Baking Pan – Use an 8-inch square baking pan lined with parchment paper for this recipe. Light-colored pans conduct heat evenly, and parchment paper keeps the bars from sticking to the pan.

Jam – These bars are delicious with mixed berry preserves (shown here), raspberry jam, blackberry jam, apricot jam, or any flavor you love!

Crust and Crumble – The crust and crumble are made with the same buttery dough. To make the dough, combine melted butter, sugar, brown sugar, vanilla extract, and almond extract in a large bowl. Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl, then add to the butter mixture and fold in until incorporated.

Set aside 3/4 cup of dough to use for the topping, mixing in sliced almonds until mixture is crumbly. Chill the topping until ready to use. Press remaining dough evenly into the bottom of prepared baking pan.

Bake Crust – Bake the crust for 14 to 16 minutes, or until lightly golden and set. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for 15 minutes.

Assemble Jam Bars – Place jam in a small bowl and microwave for 10 seconds or until slightly warm. Whisk to loosen, then spread jam evenly over cooled crust. Sprinkle reserved dough over jam layer and return the pan to the oven.

Second Bake – Continue baking crumb bars for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the crumble topping is golden brown and the jam filling is slightly bubbly. Remove bars from the oven and cool completely in pan on a wire rack.

Vanilla Glaze – Whisk together melted butter, salt, vanilla, powdered sugar, and milk in a small bowl. Drizzle vanilla glaze over cooled bars and let set before serving.

Larger Batch – For a larger batch of crumb bars, double the recipe and bake in a 9 x 13-inch rectangular baking pan.

How to Freeze Crumb Bars

To freeze these jam crumb bars, let cool completely. Once cooled, place the unglazed bars on a baking sheet and freeze flat for 1 hour. After 1 hour, transfer the bars to an airtight container and freeze up to 2 months.

When you’re ready to enjoy, thaw bars overnight in the refrigerator (still wrapped to prevent condensation from forming) and glaze before serving.

Best cookie recipes with jam:

• Almond Thumbprint Cookies
• Raspberry Pecan Linzer Cookies
• Jam Butter Cookies
• Almond Jamaretti Cookies

Did you try this Jam Crumb Bar Recipe? Let me know by leaving a comment and rating below!

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