Blackberry Oatmeal Bars with Streusel Topping

Blackberry Oatmeal Bars with a Streusel Topping and sprinkled with some chopped walnuts is the perfect bar dessert to pack in school lunches, for an after school snack, or to bring to a party or picnic this summer! Planning a day at the beach? Well pack them in your picnic basket. They are so easy to make and they taste really, really good.



Keep in mind that you need your butter cold and the preserves must be fresh and not previously in the refrigerator. If you have refrigerated preserves you'll have to microwave for 10 seconds at a time to loosen the preserve up. I found my preserves at a job lot store which saved me money. My butter was on sale so that was a plus too.

• 1 3/4 stick cold butter - cut into pieces
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups oats
• 1 cup light brown sugar - packed
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 - 25.4 oz. jar blackberry preserves (fresh, not refrigerated)
• cooking spray

1. Get all of your ingredients (flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder and salt) measured and into a bowl. Cut the butter into pieces and add on top of the mixture.
2. In your food processor, pulse the mixture like you would do for making pie crust.
3. Line a 9 x 13 baking sheet with parchment paper and spray liberally with a cooking spray.
4. Add half of the oatmeal bar mixture to the pan and press down.
5. Add a nice layer of the preserves over that spreading with an offset spatula or back of a spoon. What amount of preserves you don't use for this recipe, refrigerate.
6. Drop the remaining oatmeal bar mixture over and spread and pat down.
7. Streusel recipe follows. 
8. Add the streusel topping.
9. Bake in a preheated 350° oven for 30-40 minutes until golden brown.
10. Allow to cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 30 minutes. Then carefully lift out the bars using the parchment paper as handles. (You may need a second set of hands or use a wide spatula to help.)
11. Then you must allow the bars to cool completely before cutting into bars - any size you like.

For the streusel topping:

• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 3 tbsp. cold butter - cut in pieces
• 3 tbsp. flour
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 cup chopped nuts

1. Put all the ingredients in a bowl and work the butter in with your hands. Make sure the butter is worked in there really well and all ingredients are fully mixed.
2. Use this as a topping for the bars as directed above.

Bar recipe idea was adapted from Rhee Drummond of the Food Network. It cost me about $7.17 to make this recipe - if you cut the bars smaller than shown, Rhee says you can get 24 bars for a cost of 29¢ each.

Shortbread Cherry Bars is another recipe you might like. They are also simple and easy to make!