I Bet You Won't Be Able to Eat Just One of These Strawberry Oatmeal Jam Bars — They're THAT Good

By Caitlin Gallagher

Updated on 4/26/2020 at 4:10 PM

POPSUGAR Photography | Caitlin Gallagher
POPSUGAR Photography | Caitlin Gallagher

When I was scrolling through Instagram and Pinterest over the weekend in search of an easy and delicious dessert to make, the only thing I knew was that I wanted my next bake to be Spring-y. You know — something that's light and fresh but still buttery and comforting. And when I spotted the recipe for these strawberry oatmeal jam bars from food blog Swanky Recipes, I knew I'd found it.

I've baked a ton of things over the years — from a rainbow cake to lemon poppyseed bread to chocolate cookie bars — but as soon as my husband tasted these, he immediately said, "OMG, these are definitely my new favorite thing you've ever made." And to be honest, they're my new favorite thing, too. They're really easy to make and so good. They're buttery, crumbly, and jam-y, and they just fall apart in your mouth. And while peanut butter isn't an ingredient, these bars kind of taste like a decadent (but still nostalgic) PB&J.

One thing the recipe notes is to not overmix your batter, which I definitely did. They still turned out great, but they were a little crumbly when I cut into them, so be sure to not mix it too much. I also used just one tall jar of jam but for sure could have used more, so feel free to be generous when adding your jam. Keep reading for more photos and the full recipe below!

POPSUGAR Photography | Caitlin Gallagher
POPSUGAR Photography | Caitlin Gallagher
POPSUGAR Photography | Caitlin Gallagher
POPSUGAR Photography | Caitlin Gallagher
POPSUGAR Photography | Caitlin Gallagher

Strawberry Oatmeal Jam Bars

Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time50 minutes
Yield9-12

Swanky Recipes

INGREDIENTS

    • 1 3/4 sticks cold butter, cut into pieces
    • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
    • 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
    • 1 cup packed light brown sugar
    • 1 teaspoon baking powder
    • 1/4 teaspoon salt
    • 1 jar of strawberry jam
    • Pinch of cinnamon — optional
    • 1/4 cup chopped pecans — optional

    INSTRUCTIONS

    1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 x 9 pan with butter; set aside.

    2. Slice cold butter into little pieces; set aside.

    3. In a medium bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, salt, baking powder, and old-fashioned oats.

    4. Add chopped pecans and cinnamon if using. Whisk together until combined.

    5. Add sliced butter.

    6. Use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, turn on low, and allow mixture to crumb together. Don't over mix the batter, you want the mixture to be crumbly.

    7. Spread just enough mixture on the bottom to cover it and gently press it in.

    8. Spread the jam onto crust then gently press remaining oat topping over the jam.

    9. Bake in the oven for 40-50 minutes or until golden brown.

    10. Let cool completely before slicing and serving.

    Notes

    I didn't use the optional chopped pecans, and the bars still tasted great! The original recipe called for Smucker's Fruit & Honey Strawberry Fruit Spread, but since I couldn't find that in the store, I used regular strawberry jam, and it worked perfectly.