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picture of raspberry shortbread bars shot from the side with jam and almond streusel.
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5 from 8 votes

Raspberry Almond Crumb Bars

I am obsessed with these Raspberry Crumble Bars! What's not to love about a thick buttery almond shortbread crust, topped with sweet raspberry jam and golden streusel crumb topping? The sliced almonds add the perfect crunch! This recipe is super easy.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Chill time20 minutes
Total Time1 hour 20 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 20
Calories: 419kcal
Author: The Food Charlatan

Ingredients

  • 1 & 1/2 cups butter 3 sticks, softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 & 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
  • 1 large egg
  • 3 cups all purpose flour spooned and leveled
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 cup seedless raspberry jam or more to taste
  • 1/2 cup butter 1 stick, melted
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 3/4 cup all purpose flour spooned and leveled
  • 3/4 cup sliced almonds or more to taste

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare a 9x13 inch baking pan with nonstick spray or grease with butter. It's even easier if you line the pan with parchment paper, that way you can lift the bars straight out of the pan. No greasing necessary. You can line with aluminum foil too, but make sure to grease it.
  • In a large bowl or stand mixer, add 1 and 1/2 cups softened butter. (Yes, 3 sticks!) Beat until it is smooth and creamy, making sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. 
    Add 1 cup sugar. Beat until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. The sugar should be well incorporated into the butter; be sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. 
  • Add 1 and 1/2 teaspoons almond extract. Add 1 egg and beat to combine well, scraping the sides. 
  • Add 3 cups flour, but don't mix it in yet. Be sure to spoon and level the flour into the measuring cup so it is not packed. 
    Stir 1/4 teaspoon baking powder and 1 teaspoon kosher salt into the flour with a small spoon. (This is just to make sure you don't get any lumps of salt or baking powder in your dough.) Gently beat the flour into the butter mixture on low. Don't over mix! Once all the flour is incorporated, there are no white streaks, and you have scraped the sides of the bowl, stop mixing.
  • Add the dough to the prepared 9x13 inch pan. Press the mixture evenly into the pan. I usually wet my hands with a smidge of water so that they don't stick to the dough too much. 
    For best results, refrigerate or freeze the dough in the pan for about 20 minutes. You can skip this step if you are in a hurry, but chilled shortbread going into a hot oven makes for the best flaky texture.
  • Bake the crust at 375 for about 15-20 minutes, until the edges are barely golden brown. When it is done, take it out of the oven and lower the oven temperature to 350.
  • Meanwhile, make the crumb topping. Melt 1/2 cup butter (1 stick) in a medium bowl. Add 3/4 cup sugar and 3/4 cup flour. Stir it together lightly with a fork. Stop mixing once it's together. Put it in the fridge for 5-10 minutes while your crust finishes baking.
  • When the crust is done baking, stir 1 cup of seedless raspberry jam in a small bowl to get all the lumps out. Spread the jam over the top of the crust, leaving about a 1/2 inch border along the edges.
  • Get the chilled crumb topping out of the fridge and fluff with a fork. Add abut 3/4 cup sliced almonds to the crumb topping and gently stir it together.
  • Sprinkle the crumb topping in chunks over the top of the jam. If it is very sandy, you can squeeze small bits together in your hand to make more solid crumb pieces. I like to do this because I'm obsessed with giant pieces of crumb topping!
  • Make sure you lower the oven temperature to 350 F. Bake for about 25-30 minutes until the top is light golden brown.
  • The bars are done when the top starts turning a light golden brown, and the edges are light brown.
  • Let the bars cool completely, if you have will-power made of steel. Otherwise snag a bite as soon as the jam has cooled to non-lava levels. I do prefer these bars served room temperature, but sometimes you just can't wait.
    If you lined the pan with parchment paper, you can easily lift the cooled bars from the pan for easy slicing. Store well-covered on the counter.

Notes

Be sure to beat the butter and sugar very well before moving onto the next step!
Chill the crust before baking for the flakiest, tenderest crust.
Bake the crust before adding the jam and streusel for the best final texture. 

Nutrition

Calories: 419kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 58mg | Potassium: 113mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 26g | Vitamin A: 581IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 2mg