This post contains affiliate links. Please see our disclosure policy.
Blackberry Jam Bars are the perfect easy-to-make, portable dessert! Made with a one-bowl crumble mixture that doubles as the base and the topping, and full of juicy blackberry jam. These will be gone FAST – better make two batches.
This recipe was originally published in November of 2017, but I’ve just updated it with new photos and changed the recipe to yield a thicker, yummier dessert bar!
Hello, gorgeous. I’ve always been a bit obsessed with this type of dessert bar – you know the ones. A soft-yet-slightly-crunchy base, a delicious layer of jam in the middle, and a lovely pile of crumbly-crumble goodness on top.
Let me introduce you to my new favorite version – Blackberry Jam Bars!
Bars like this are typically made with strawberry jam or a date filling, but I happened to have blackberry jam on hand. The result? GLORIOUS.
Not only do these earn ALL the points for flavor, they are dangerously easy to make. Eight-ingredients and 45-minutes start-to-finish easy.
Even though there are three layers here, you’re really only making one thing – part of the crumble mixture gets flattened into the bottom of the pan to form the crust, the other part gets sprinkled on top. And the jam layer? As easy as opening a jar and spreading some of that goodness onto the crust. You can, of course, make the jam yourself if you want to get a little fancy with it.
I can already see future you — making batches & batches of these to give away (or to eat all by yourself – been there, done that!). I can also see you swapping the blackberry jam out for whatever jam or fruit spread you happen to have in your cabinet/fridge.
You’ll munch on these, sitting on your porch, basking in the warm summer weather and you’ll wonder why you didn’t start your love affair with crumble dessert bars sooner.
Did you make this recipe? Snap a photo!
Be sure to follow bluebowlrecipes on instagram and tag #bluebowlrecipes with your photo! You can also post a photo of your recipe to the bluebowlrecipes Facebook page. I’d love to see what you make!
Blackberry Jam Bars
Ingredients
- 2 sticks salted butter, melted
- 1 cup cane or granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 and 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup + 2 TBSP whole wheat flour, Can sub AP or White Whole Wheat
- 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 10-12 ounces blackberry jam
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 8x8 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray or line with parchment paper.
- Make the Bars: Melt the butter, and stir in the vanilla and sugars. Add remaining ingredients (except the jam) and stir until combined. You should have a fairly crumbly mixture. Set 1 and 1/3 cup of the mixture aside. Press the remaining mixture into the bottom of the baking dish to form your crust. Bake the bare crust for 9 minutes. Remove from the oven, and add the jam. Sprinkle the reserved crumb mixture over the top of the jam layer. You can work this mixture a bit with your hands to form some larger crumb pieces if it's super, super finely crumbled. (If the crumbs left at the bottom of the bowl are very dry, I melt an extra tablespoon of butter and add a little bit to help it come together.)
- Bake: Return to the oven for about 20-25 more minutes.
- Serve + Store: Let cool completely before slicing, if you want them to hold up. (You can speed this up in the fridge). If you don't care, you can cut into them sooner but they won't hold a bar shape. Store bars in an air tight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Substituted strawberry for the blackberry. This was so easy and delicious. I love that I can count on Stephanie for easy, accessible, and ultimately delicious recipes every time.
Aw, thanks so much for your kind comment, Kim! Glad you enjoyed these bars.
Outstanding recipe! I just made these this morning and they by far out shine the Betty Crocker recipe I’ve been using for years! I made them in a 13 x 9 p.m. by increasing the recipe 1 1/2 times. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe, this will be my new jam bar go to!
Thanks so much for your kind comment, Joyce! So glad you enjoyed these!! ?❤️
These look like a great idea! Thanks for the share
Yummy this sounds and looks great. I love 8X8 recipes!
Never knew bars are so easy to assemble. Will try these soon.
This looks so easy and tasty!! I think I’m gonna try it with my cranberry jam leftover from thanksgiving.
These look so good! I’d like to try these with Strawberry jam as well.
We always have a jar of blackberry jam in the house from our home grown fruits. Yet I never thought of making blackberry jam bars! Your bars remind me of a treat my aunty would make for us kids and then she would also prepare something called a krachal in the Austrian mountain dialect (homemade flavored soda of the 90s) =)
bars as so easy to make and great to use with jam that is not being eaten. it’s giving me the idea to make this but with my left over cranberry sauce!