These chocolate oatmeal raspberry bars go my many names, with one being "Back to School Bars". Well, it's June and I was in the mood for raspberry bars so I guess we'll call this batch "End of School Bars". Whatever direction you go with naming, these egg-free treats are particularly fun to throw together and can easily be made vegan if you use vegan butter.
I've played with this recipe for years, trying different amounts of sugar, omitting nuts and/or coconut and even making a batch with cocoa powder in the crust. I've also experimented with pan size and thickness and have decided I like making these thick so that I can wrap them in parchment paper Pinterest style!
But seriously, I don't know why I felt like wrapping them in parchment. I bought the brown kind and it just makes me want to wrap things.
Anyhow, despite what appears to be a large amount sugar and preserves, the bars are not overly sweet. Nuts, oats and a smattering of optional fresh raspberries balance the flavors. Chill them thoroughly and they'll slice neatly and be ready travel-ready.
Pan Size for Chocolate Oatmeal Raspberry Bars
The recipe is designed for a 9x13 inch pan. For a smaller batch, you could use a 7x11 inch pan and make ⅔ of the recipe or make ½ of a batch and bake in an 8-inch square pan. There are no eggs, so scaling is pretty easy.
For the preserves, use any brand you like. I used Publix brand seedless, which worked perfectly. You can switch types of preserves based on what you have, but there's something about the raspberry, coconut, chocolate combo that is special.
Recipe
Chocolate Oatmeal Raspberry Bars
Ingredients
- ¾ cup chopped pecans
- 2 sticks unsalted butter (228 grams)
- ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon, optional
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, weigh or spoon lightly into cup (250 grams)
- 1 cup light brown sugar (210 grams)
- ¼ cup sugar (50 grams)
- ¾ tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. baking soda
- 2 ½ cups rolled oats (200 grams)
- 1 cup dark, semisweet or milk chocolate chips
- ⅔ cup sweetened flaked coconut
- 1 ½ cups raspberry preserves, amount is approximate**
- 1 cup fresh raspberries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a 9x13 inch pan with parchment paper.
- Toast the pecans. Lay the pecans on a baking sheet and bake at 325F until fragrant -- about 10 minutes. I usually do it while the oven preheats so it takes a little longer.
- Soften the butter in the microwave or in a saucepan over very gentle heat so that it's almost but not quite fully melted. Let it cool completely.
- Add the cinnamon to the melted butter if using.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or large mixing bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda and oats until evenly mixed.
- With a heavy duty scraper or the paddle attachment of a stand mixer, stir the soft butter into the oat mixture until thoroughly combined and crumbly. Stir in the pecans, chocolate chips and coconut.
- Press a little over half of the oat mixture into the bottom of the pan, packing it as tightly/tight as you can. Spread the preserves over the dough and top with raspberries, gently smashing the berries. Crumble the remaining dough over the raspberry layer and gently press down flat.
- Bake for about 35 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking. Remove from the oven and allow bars to cool completely. For easier cutting, lift from the pan and freeze or thoroughly chill before slicing.
- Store bars in the refrigerator for up to one week or wrap tightly and store in the freezer.
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