Description
Delight in these homemade Raspberry Bars featuring a buttery, crumbly crust paired with a tangy, sweet raspberry filling. Perfectly baked until golden and bubbly, they offer a delicious balance of tart and sweet in every bite.
Ingredients
Scale
Crust and Crumble:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Raspberry Filling:
- 3 cups fresh or thawed raspberries
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 3 tbsp cornstarch
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon (optional)
Instructions
- Prep the Pan and Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×13 inch baking pan with parchment paper, making sure to leave some overhang on the sides to help with easy removal of the bars once baked.
- Make Crust and Crumble: In a large bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, sugar, and salt. Use your fingers or a pastry cutter to cut in the cold, cubed butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Beat the egg with vanilla extract and stir this into the flour mixture until just combined. Press two-thirds of this dough mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan to form the crust. Reserve the remaining dough for the crumble topping.
- Prepare Raspberry Filling: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the raspberries, granulated sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch, and optional cinnamon. Stir frequently and cook the mixture until it thickens and becomes bubbly, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly before assembling.
- Assemble: Spread the warm raspberry filling evenly over the crust in the baking pan. Then, crumble the reserved dough evenly over the top of the filling to form the crumble layer.
- Bake: Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until the crumble topping is golden brown and the filling is bubbly. If the topping begins to brown too quickly, tent the pan loosely with foil to prevent burning.
- Cool: Allow the bars to cool at room temperature for 30 minutes. Then transfer the pan to the refrigerator to chill for at least 1.5 hours before slicing into bars for serving. This cooling process helps the filling to set and makes slicing easier.
Notes
- Use fresh or frozen raspberries; if using frozen, thaw completely before using.
- For easier slicing, refrigerate bars longer to fully set the filling.
- The cinnamon in the filling is optional but adds a warm, complementary spice.
- If you prefer a less sweet filling, reduce the sugar by a couple of tablespoons.
- Make sure the butter is very cold when cutting it into the flour mixture to achieve a flaky crust.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: raspberry bars, fruit bars, dessert bars, raspberry dessert, crumb bars, baked raspberry bars, easy dessert
