These easy raspberry bars made with an all-butter shortbread crust and fresh raspberry jam are my favorite way to enjoy raspberries in the summer.
If you're short on time, these bars are especially amazing because they come together in less time than it takes to preheat the oven!
Every summer I head out to my local Oregon berry farm and pick as many raspberries and blackberries as I can. If you've never had FRESH raspberries right off the bush you are seriously missing out.
I will make some of the raspberries into filling and freeze them and then I will freeze the rest of the berries. Read on to see how I do that!
What's In This Blog Post
Raspberry Bar Ingredients
If you don't want to make your own raspberry jam, you can use store-bought. And not just raspberries, strawberry topping, blackberry filling, blueberry filling, cherry topping, and even peach filling make an amazing bar. I like to add a few fresh berries on top right before baking because I just think it adds some nice flavor and texture to the bars.
How To Make Lemon Raspberry Bars
Making these bars could not be easier!
- Preheat your oven to 425ºF (218ºC).
- Make your raspberry filling and set it aside to cool. Don't forget to set aside a few fresh raspberries for the topping.
- Make the shortbread cookie crust (it only takes 5 minutes! No chilling required).
- Spread ⅔ of the cookie crust onto the sheet pan.
- Spread the raspberry filling on top.
- Add a few fresh raspberries and the rest of the shortbread crumbled on top.
- Bake at 425ºF for 10 minutes to set the crust and then reduce the temperature to 350ºF and bake until golden brown. About 20-25 more minutes.
How To Freeze Leftover Raspberries
To freeze fresh raspberries to use later I spread them out onto a parchment covered sheet pan and place them into the freezer over night.
Once they are frozen I place them into freezer bags, label them with the date and put them back into the freezer.
Freezing the berries this way keeps them separate so they dont all freeze into one big frozen block. My kids love to eat frozen berries for after school snacks so this is a great way to have them on hand to eat even when raspberries aren't in season.
More Recipes To Try
FAQ
Yes! Raspberry seeds will not hurt you but some people find them unpleasant. If you don't like seeds in your filling you can strain it before setting it aside to cool.
You sure can! I have made these with strawberries, blackberries, marionberries, and even peaches to name a few!
Recipe
Equipment
- 1 9"x13" sheet pan
Ingredients
Shortbread Crust
- 2 ¼ cups flour
- 1 cup unsalted butter soft but not melted
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
Raspberry Filling
- ¾ cup water or berry juice
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2 ½ cups Fresh or frozen raspberries
- 1 Tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 ounce water
- 2 Tablespoons clear gel or cornstarch
- ¾ cup sugar
Instructions
Raspberry Filling
- Add your raspberry juice or water and the first quantity of sugar to a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat.
- Heat your juice until it begins to bubble. Increase the heat to medium-high heat if needed.
- In a small bowl, combine the water and the ClearJel (or cornstarch) and mix until smooth. Don't just add the ClearJel (or cornstarch) directly to the hot liquid or you'll end up with lumps of thickener in your filling.
- Add your ClearJel mixture (or cornstarch slurry) to the hot liquid and mix for one more minute to thicken the mixture.
- Add in the raspberries, lemon juice, salt, and lemon zest and continue cooking for one more minute.
- Stir in the final quantity of sugar and stir until combined.
- Spread the filling onto a sheet pan and place it into the freezer to allow it to cool while you make the shortbread dough.
Shortbread Crust
- Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, vanilla, and lemon zest in the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment attached.
- Add in your softened butter and mix on low to combine until you get a rough, crumbly mixture.
- Add in the egg and mix on medium-high until everything is combined.
Assembly & Baking
- Bake at 425ºF for 10 minutes to set the crumb, then reduce the temperature to 350ºF and bake for about 20-25 minutes or until the topping is golden brown.
