A while back I made these amazing chocolate raspberry walnut bars, and ever since I’ve wanted to make a non-chocolate version. These bars, which I found at Cooking Classy, are a delicious treat for those of us who live chocolate-free lives.

What I really like about these bars is that you use raspberry jam, rather than fresh raspberries, for the filling, making these a year-round possibility. I suspect they’d be delicious with blackberry or apricot jam as well; I’ll have to give those a try sometime. I might also incorporate some chopped walnuts into the crumb mixture next time.

Ingredients

• 1 cup flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 8 tablespoons butter, cut into cubes and softened
• 3/4 cup seedless raspberry jam

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8 x 8 baking pan with foil, extending foil over the sides. Lightly grease foil or spray with baking spray.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, oats, and light brown sugar. Mix with a fork until completely combined.

Add butter and toss to coat the cubes, which will make it easier to rub into the dry ingredients. Rub the butter into the dry mixture with your hands to incorporate it very well; you’ll have a crumby texture, but it should stick together if you press it between your hands when it’s ready.

Place 2 cups of the crumb mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan, pressing into an even layer. Spread jam on top, leaving about 1/4 inch border around the edges. Top with remaining crumb mixture and press it into the jam layer just slightly.

Bake for 34 minutes, until top is light golden brown. Remove from oven and cool completely in the pan; lift bars out of the pan by the foil, then cut into squares.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. Makes 16.