I love this apricot oat bars recipe. The bars are delicious and very easy to make. Make them for a lazy Sunday and have them with a cup of coffee in the afternoon. Make them for a potluck, so you can be the star of the party, or bake them just for yourself when you want something sweet and delicious.
Apricot Oat Bars are one of these desserts you can put together in less than an hour if you move fast. Incredibly easy to make, this recipe is perfect if you want to bake with kids.
While this recipe tastes like my German grandmother’s recipes while I was growing up, this is definitely an Americanized version.
These bars are made with brown sugar and oats, ingredients that in Eastern Europe were not popular.
What ingredients go into these apricot oat bars?
The easy answer is: probably stuff you already have in the pantry.
- Apricot jam. If you grew up with apricots in the summer, I am convinced that you also love apricot jam. This recipe uses a jar of this precious fruit that can be consumed in the early months of summer.
- Quick- Cooking Rolled Oats
- Butter- unsalted
- Dark brown sugar
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Salt
How to make the bars:
Step 1. Preheat the oven and gather the ingredients.
First of all, preheat the oven to 350F. Gather the ingredients and make sure you have everything you need.
Step 2. Sift flour, and add dry ingredients.
Grab a bowl and sift the flour together with the baking powder and salt. Add oats and sugar and stir well.
Step 3. Make the crumble.
Cut the butter into small chunks and add them to the mixture. Work the butter into the flour until you obtain a dough that looks like bread crumbs. The butter doesn’t have to be super cold.
Step 4. Assemble the bars.
In an 11×7 inch pan, pat 2/3 of the crumbs on the bottom to create the base of the bars.
STOP right here for a second because I want to tell you something. You can make this recipe with any jam you like.
I used apricot jam because this is the original recipe, but you can use other jams you like.
It could be quince jam, strawberry, plum, or whatever you have around.
Do not deprive yourself of this dessert just because you do not have an apricot jam. Apricot jam is the best, but other jams are delicious too.
What was I saying before? Yes, how to make these bars. So, spread jam over the crust.
Using a spatula, spread it well, ensuring that all surface is covered.
On top of the jam, sprinkle the remaining crumbs of dough you saved earlier.
Step 5. Bake.
Bake at 350F for about 35-40 minutes until it gets golden brown on top.
Let the pan cool, then cut the bars and serve. They have a crumbly texture, but they are delicious.
My grandmother would serve them with coffee or tea in the afternoon for a delightful visit and chat with her friends.
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These bars could also be served during the holidays, along with other cookies and desserts you might enjoy. They are perfect for any event.
Some recipes add chopped almonds, pecans, or even walnuts for more crunch and texture.
This basic recipe allows you to become creative and add things that you really like.
More recipes to love:
Olive Oil Lemon Cookies with Herbs
Pumpkin Seed And Apricot Pumpkin Sweet Bread
Pumpkin Pie Bars With Pecan Crumble
Enjoy!
Check out the web story for this recipe: How to make Apricot Oat Bars
Apricot Oat Bars Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups quick-cooking rolled oats
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ¾ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- ¾ cup apricot jam
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- In a big bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt.
- Add oats and sugar and mix well.
- Cut in butter until the mixture resembles bread crumbs. The recipe works better if the butter is not very cold.
- Pat 2/3 of crumbs in a pan with the size of 11x7x1 1/2 inch.
- Spread the entire surface with apricot jam.
- Top with remaining crumbs.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the surface is golden bown.
- Cool and cut in 2 1/2 dozens.
Julia
Monday 6th of December 2021
Hello!
This apricot oat bar recipe looks absolutely delicious; thank you for sharing!
I have a quick question about the recipe. Is this a make ahead dessert, and if so, how many days in advance could I make these bars? I was hoping to have them as a Christmas dessert and make them a day (or two) ahead of time if possible.
Thank you!
-Julia
Julia
Monday 6th of December 2021
@The Bossy Kitchen, Wonderful!! Thank you for such a prompt response and sharing this tasty recipe; I look forward to trying it!😊 -Julia
The Bossy Kitchen
Monday 6th of December 2021
You can definitely make them with 1-2 days in advance, and they are indeed perfect for the holidays, on a tray with multiple different cookies and bars. :-)