Raspberry Jam Bars

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I’ve been happy to have a big crop of raspberries from my garden this year. However, I wasn’t too excited to have a large container full of raspberries on the verge of going bad in my refrigerator the day before we were leaving on vacation last week. In the midst of packing for our trip, I didn’t really have time for this, but I decided to throw together a batch of raspberry jam. I haven’t gotten around to buying a canning kit yet, so I’ve been relying on a piece of closet wiring that my husband rigged to put the jam jars in and out of the boiling water.

As I placed the first jar in the water, it slipped onto its side in the pot and my finger slipped into the water too. I got a little burn on the tip of my ring finger, but even worse, the jar didn’t seal properly and little bits of I’m not sure what started floating around in the water. I left the jar in the water for the required 10 minutes, and after I removed that jar from the water, there was no “pop.” Apparently the lid got knocked out of position when the jar had fallen over, so I opened up the jar and found a layer of gray jam at the top. I scooped out that top layer and tasted the jam below. It tasted fine, but I wanted to use it up right away because I wasn’t sure what would happen if I left it in the refrigerator until we returned. Did I mention I really didn’t have time for this?

As the saying goes, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” That was my approach with this jar of jam that needed to be eaten as soon as possible. I made a batch of raspberry jam bars, and they reminded me of the Entenmann’s Raspberry Danish Twists of my childhood. When left alone in the kitchen, I could devour an entire box by myself. This recipe is much healthier than the Entenmann’s version, and we enjoyed these bars as we traveled to the beach in New Jersey. I have no need for Entenmann’s when I can make a batch of bars this good myself.

Raspberry Jam Bars

These raspberry jam bars are a light summer dessert or snack.

Print Recipe

Prep Time:10 minutes mins

Cook Time:30 minutes mins

Total Time:40 minutes mins

Recommended Equipment

• 9x13 inch pan
• large bowl

Ingredients

Ingredients for Base

• 1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
• 1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup applesauce
• 1/2 cup melted coconut oil
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 2 tbs lemon juice
• 1/3 cup water

Ingredients for topping

• 3/4 cup raspberry jam
• 1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup shredded coconut
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
• 1/4 cup maple syrup

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and grease a 9 x 13 inch pan.
• For the base, mix together the dry ingredients in a large bowl and add the wet ingredients. Press the mixture evenly into the pan.
• Spread the jam evenly across the base layer.
• Combine the topping ingredients and spread evenly on top of the jam.
• Bake for 30 minutes or until the topping begins to turn brown.
• Cool completely on a wire rack. Cut into 15 bars and store in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Alternately, these bars may be frozen until ready to serve.

Approximate Nutrition Info

Calories: 294kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 248mg | Potassium: 170mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 2IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 58mg | Iron: 1mg

Servings: 15

Calories: 294kcal

Author: Annemarie Rossi

Cost: $.32 per serving

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Raspberry Jam Bars Price Breakdown

This recipe costs $4.81 to make, or $.32 per bar. I don’t know of a similar real food product for comparison, but these bars do come out to be much cheaper than the Entenmann’s version I enjoyed in the old days. At Stop and Shop, the Entenmann’s Raspberry Danish Twist costs $6.29 for a 14 ounce box, which is about half the size of my batch. It really does pay to make it homemade, for your wallet and your body!

In case you were wondering, here is the ingredient list for the Entenmann’s Raspberry Danish Twist. (I won’t blame you if you get bored and stop reading part way through the list.)

Wheat Flour, Sugar, Water, Palm Oil, Raspberries, Eggs, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Coconut, Soybean Oil, Dextrose, Yeast, Soy Flour, Whey (Milk), Salt, Mono- And Diglycerides, Natural & Artificial Flavors, Corn Syrup, Pectin, Tapioca Dextrin, Modified Food Starch (Corn, Rice), Orange Juice Concentrate Maltodextrin, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Calcium Carbonate, Calcium Sulfate, Rice Syrup, Corn Flour, Preservatives (Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Propionate, Sorbic Acid, Sulfiting Agents), Leavening (Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Baking Soda, Monocalcium Phosphate), Wheat Gluten, Succinylated Monoglycerides, Xanthan Gum, Butter, Citric Acid, Agar, Guar Gum, Propylene Glycol Monoesters, Oat Fiber, Sodium Citrate, Calcium Citrate, Glyceryl Lacto Esters Of Fatty Acids, Artificial Color, Spice & Coloring, Soy Lecithin, Lemon Puree, Annatto Color, Vitamin A Palmitate, Sorbitan Monostearate, Polysorbate 60, Caramel Color.

Note: For a gluten-free base and topping, check out this recipe.