These bars only last one day at our house. They are so easy to make, they are the perfect breakfast and a wonderful after dinner treat. You can change the jam to your favorite seasonal jam, whatever you are craving that day or whatever jam has been sitting in your fridge begging to be used. We don’t feel guilty eating these bars because they are made with whole wheat flour and oats. Treat yourself!
This bar is my JAM
We don’t do a lot of toast with jelly in our house so our favorite jams seem to sit in our fridge for a long time. Don’t you want to put those delicious spreads to good use? I have used homemade jam, gourmet jams, apple butter and they are all delicious!I bet pumpkin butter would be outstanding. Next time I see some at the store, I’m going to grab some.
No mess! I literally mix everything in the pot I melt the butter in. If your pot is too small, just mix everything in a medium bowl.
Pan You can use a 9×9 inch pan or a 9×8 Pyrex baking dish. Press a sheet of parchent into the pan, pushing into all of the corners. There will be overhang, and that’s fine. It will make it so easy to take the bars out and cut.
Melted Butter I love any recipe that calls for melted butter. The dough comes together quickly, it gives it a wonderful texture and if you’re feeling fancy you can add another layer of flavor by browning your butter. Plus, you don’t have to plan ahead to let your butter soften. Nevertheless, feel free to use room temp butter and a mixer. With a paddle attachment, mix the sugars, egg, and vanilla until combined and then add the dry ingredients and mix until incorporated.
Jam Use your favorite. Even that special jar you’ve been saving forever. You wont regret it. You will taste the jam in every bite. The Peach Truck’s Peach Bourbon Jam tasted like summer in a pastry! I can’t wait to try my strawberry rhubarb jam. Apple butter is delicious in the bar, so feel free to try pear butter or pumpkin butter, too.
Flour I used to make this with all purpose flour, but now I use whole wheat flour because we try to incorporate whole wheat flour and bread in our diet, thanks to Noom. You can use your favorite gluten free 1 -to- 1 flour, as well.
Nuts My boys don’t like nuts in their desserts so I leave them out most of the time, but if it were my choice, I would top with pecans, because I’m addicted to them. H-E-B Salted Roasted Pecans are what started this addiction.
Pairings In the morning, I drink coffee with them and in the evening we like to enjoy with a glass of wine our bourbon (especially if we use The Peach Truck Bourbon Peach Jam). These are a great addition for a brunch. Make our quiche or english muffin breakfast casserole, and some fresh fruit and you’ve got a great spread!
If you like this recipe, check out our white chocolate almond scones or our favorite banana bread.
Recipe
Jammy Oat Bars
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups Whole Wheat or All Purpose Flour
- 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
- 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter
- 1/2 cup Granulate Sugar
- 1/2 cup Light Brown Sugar
- 1 Egg
- 1 tsp Vanillla Extract
- 1 cup Old-Fashioned Oats
- 1/2 cup your favorite Jam
- 1/2 cup chopped Pecans or sliced Almonds, optional
Directions
- Step 1 Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8×8 inch or 8×9 inch baking pan with parchment paper, letting paper hang over sides.
- Step 2 Melt butter in a medium saucepan. Let cool.
- Step 3 Once cool, whisk in sugar, brown sugar, egg and vanilla.
- Step 4 Add flour, oats, baking soda and salt to the pan and stir in with a spatula until just combined. It may seem a little crumbly.
- Step 5 Divide dough in half and press one half into the bottom of the prepared pan. Spread the jam evenly over the pressed dough. Crumble the remaining dough over the jam. Sprinkle the pecans or almonds evenly over the top, if using.
- Step 6 Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes.
- Step 7 Use the parchment paper to pull the bars out of the pan and let them cool completely on a wire rack. Cut into 12 bars.
About the Author
Lauren is a classically trained, professional chef. A culinary school graduate, she has spent time working organic farms in the Italian countryside and was the pastry/sous chef at a high profile restaurant in Dallas prior to becoming a full-time personal chef. Her cooking style is often referred to as “rustic.” Being a personal chef, she is not bound by a single type of cuisine and has had the opportunity to experiment with hundreds of regional recipes from all over the world.
