Raspberry Almond Bars (Printable Version)
Tender, buttery bars with raspberry jam and crunchy almond crumble—simple, crowd-pleasing dessert.
# What You'll Need:
→ Dough & Topping
01 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
02 - 2/3 cup granulated sugar
03 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
04 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
05 - 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
06 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
07 - 1/2 cup sliced almonds
→ Filling
08 - 2/3 cup raspberry jam
# Step-by-Step:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, allowing for an overhang to assist with removal.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, use a hand mixer or stand mixer to cream together the unsalted butter and granulated sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add salt, vanilla extract, and almond extract, then blend until well combined.
03 - Gradually add all-purpose flour to the creamed mixture, mixing just until a crumbly dough forms.
04 - Press two-thirds of the dough evenly into the prepared pan, ensuring a compact and level base.
05 - Evenly distribute the raspberry jam over the dough base, leaving a slight border at the edges.
06 - Crumble the remaining dough evenly over the jam filling. Sprinkle sliced almonds across the top.
07 - Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 28 to 32 minutes, or until the surface is golden and the almonds appear lightly toasted.
08 - Remove pan from oven and allow the bars to cool completely before lifting out and slicing into individual pieces.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The crumbly, almond-studded topping feels bakery-fancy with almost no fuss involved.
- You can swap in any favorite jam, so each batch feels a little new.
02 -
- Once I rushed slicing before the bars cooled and watched the layers slide apart—learned to hands-off until fully set.
- Migrating to seedless jam made for neater, prettier cuts after some very sticky bars early on.
03 -
- A gentle hand with the dough keeps the base tender, not tough.
- Using a high-quality jam is the shortcut to best-in-show flavor every time.