Jam Bars
Full of oats, jam, and a topping with a crumble made with almond butter and honey.
Every year when there’s a surfeit of jam in my pantry, I quickly run through the best ways to use it: on toast, in yogurt, and as a layer in trifles or cakes, or as a layer in my Sour Cream Coffee Cake. Jam bars are another great way to showcase a favorite preserve, and replacing some of the butter with almond butter gives them a slightly savory note as well.
I include two options for the filling: standard jam, or a mixture of jam with chia seeds which tones down the sweetness a bit.
RECIPE
Yields one 9 by 13-inch/23 by 22cm pan
Dough for base and topping
• 110g / 1/2 C unsalted butter or coconut oil, room temperature
• 85g / 1/3 C almond butter
• 2 Tbsp maple syrup or honey
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp almond extract (optional)
• 150g / 1 1/2 C rolled oats
• 120g / 1 C almond flour
• 120g / 1 C oat flour or GF flour
• 90g / 6 Tbsp/ granulated sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C. Line a 9 by 13-inch/23 by 33cm baking pan with parchment paper.
Combine butter or coconut oil, almond butter, and maple syrup or honey and whichever extracts you are using in a large bowl and use a wooden spoon to mix well.
In a separate bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients. Add the first mixture and mix until a soft dough forms. Divide the dough into thirds. Press two-thirds into the bottom of the prepared pan and reserve the remaining one-third for the topping. If you are adding nuts to the topping, this is the step where you’d add them.
Topping (two options)
• 285ml / 1 C plus 3 Tbs jam • 60ml / 1/4 C water • 2 Tbsp chia seeds, ground • 1 tsp lemon juice • pinch of kosher salt
OR
•330ml / 1 1/3 C jam • 2 tsp lemon juice • Pinch of kosher salt (optional)
Stir together, then spread evenly over the bottom crust.
Crumble the remaining one-third dough over the jam filling. Bake until golden brown around the edges, about 35 minutes. Let cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before cutting into bars.
The jam bars will keep, well wrapped, at room temperature for up to 3 days, and refrigerated for a week.