Whole Grain Raspberry Oat Bars
When we were in high school, my best bud Amy and I had a thing for raspberries (and cherry pie filling that comes in a can, but that’s another story). Looking for fruit? An entire pint of raspberries would suffice. One of us even had an AIM username with the word “raspberry” in it. I can’t remember who had the username, and also, does anyone actually use AIM anymore? Have I just dated myself?
No surprise that raspberry jam is my absolute favorite spread. When I saw a recipe for raspberry oat bars in Shape Magazine, I decided to healthify-it-up by using whole grain flour and less sugar. Granted, these bars are still a sweet treat – but when you’re looking for a sometimes food, why not go for something with an intense flavor that makes your taste buds sing?
(I thought about inserting a cartoon of taste buds singing, but … no. You’re welcome.)
Cutting 1″x1″ samples for a tasting:
Bonus pic! I recently served samples of these raspberry oat bars at Strawberry Fields, and unlike with my high-protein green hummus, customers lingered by my table to taste them. Some even came back for seconds. At one point, I left the table to show a customer how to look for sodium on a label, and when I returned, every sample was gone. Like, all that was left were a few wayward crumbs signaling the feast that had taken place in my absence. One woman said she discovered my “secret stash” of samples under the table and was tempted to sneak more.
I guess they were a hit.
Whole Grain Raspberry Oat Bars
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Keywords: bake breakfast dessert snack oats raspberry
Ingredients (24 bars)
- 1 3/4 cup white whole wheat flour or gluten-free flour blend
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup rolled oats
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 10-ounce jar raspberry jam
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cover an 8-inch by 8-inch baking ban with foil, allowing a few inches to hang over each side.
In a medium bowl, stir together flour, brown sugar, and oats. Add melted butter and mix until crumbly. Spoon 1 1/2 cups of the mixture into the foil-lined baking pan and press flat. Bake for 10 minutes.
Remove from oven and spread raspberry jam over the crust, leaving a 1/2-inch border of crust around the outside. Spoon remaining oat mixture over the jam and lightly spread to cover.
Bake for 20 minutes, then allow to cool completely in the pan. Chill in refrigerator for 1 hour, then remove from pan and cut into 24 bars.
Q: What’s your favorite spread/jam flavor?
P.S. No post this Friday, as I’ll be traveling. See you next week!
