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These easy Raspberry Bars have a rich, buttery base, a flavorful raspberry filling and a drizzle of icing on top! They’re simple to put together and hard to resist!
Raspberries have such a vibrant color and flavor, making them one of my favorite flavors of summer! My sister-in-law (and fellow food scientist!) introduced me to this recipe and I’m SO glad she did! It’s a recipe that’s been in her family for quite some time and I knew it would be a hit on the blog – it’s easy, beautiful, and tastes AMAZING.
Ingredients Needed
- White Sugar
- Cornstarch
- Raspberries – You can use fresh berries or frozen berries.
- Butter – I like to use salted butter.
- Almond Extract – You can replace this with vanilla extract if you’d like.
- Eggs – I use “large” eggs when baking.
- All-Purpose Flour
- Salt
- Powdered Sugar
How to make Raspberry Bars
You’ll start by preheating the oven and greasing a 9×13-inch pan or lining it with parchment paper.
Next, you’ll make the raspberry filling. Whisk together the sugar and cornstarch then add the berries and stir to combine.
Microwave for several minutes, stirring frequently until the mixture thickens. The texture should be a bit thicker than pie filling and a bit more runny than raspberry preserves.
Now, it’s time to make the buttery crust mixture. To do so, you’ll cream together the butter and sugar in a large bowl. I find it easiest to do this with a stand mixer with the paddle attachment.
Then you’ll add the almond extract and eggs and finally the dry ingredients.
Once the mixture is smooth, you’ll spread about 2/3 of the dough into the bottom of the pan.
Then spread the raspberry mixture over the bottom crust. Add the remaining dough in teaspoon-sized balls randomly over the filling and bake!
When the bars are out of the oven, stir together the icing ingredients and drizzle over the bars.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! You can certainly use 1 1/2 cups of canned raspberry pie filling OR a sweet raspberry jam instead. And if you’re feeling adventurous, try other flavors like blueberry or cherry!
Absolutely. I love almond extract, but if you don’t, you could simply replace it with the same amount of vanilla. You can’t go wrong with vanilla!
They will be a light golden brown on top. Be sure to cook them on the center rack of your oven, so there’s even browning on the top and bottom of the bars.
Nope, they do not. I keep them at room temperature in an airtight container.
Yes! These freeze beautifully! Place them in an airtight container or in freezer bags and freeze for up to 3 months.
Other Raspberry Desserts
Raspberry Bars
Equipment
- One 9×13-inch pan
Ingredients
Filling
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 2 cups raspberries (fresh or frozen)
Dough
- 1 cup butter room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Icing
- 2/3 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
- In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine the sugar and cornstarch. Then stir in the raspberries.1/2 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon cornstarch, 2 cups raspberries (fresh or frozen)
- Microwave on high for 2 minutes; stir. Continue to microwave in 1 minute intervals for several minutes, or until the mixture has thickened. (It will be slightly more runny than a jam.) Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Add almond extract and eggs.1 cup butter, 1 cup sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract, 2 eggs
- Stir in the flour and salt and mix well.2 cups flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Spread 2/3 of the batter into a greased 9×13″ pan.
- Spread the raspberry filling on top. Drop the remaining batter by teaspoons on top of the filling.
- Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30-40 minutes, or until golden brown on top.
- Stir together the powdered sugar and drizzle over the slightly cooled bars.2/3 cup powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon water
Nutrition
This recipe came from my sister-in-law, Krista. I love having Krista in the family for many, many reasons, but it’s wonderful to have a fellow food scientist in the family. It’s fun to discuss recipes with someone who understands ingredient interactions (much better than I do 99% of the time!).
Can you use canned blueberry pie filling.?
Although I’ve never tried it, I would think that would work great!!!
Thank you for responding. Linda
Can you freeze these?
Yes!
Could I use a premade raspberry filling that you would use for cake filling?
Yes!!! That would work just fine!
Made these for Christmas and they are amazing! I didn’t have raspberry filling so I just whipped my seedless raspberry jam and they came out so good! The almond icing makes it even more delicious! Now one of my favorite recipes !
Thanks for this wonderful idea!!!
Did you use the same amt of jelly as you would fresh or frozen raspberries?
You’ll need about 1 1/2 cups.
These are amazing!! I used a can of cherry pie filling. Everyone loved them! I will be making this again & try other pie filings!