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.
These bars are part of my collections of desserts that you can enjoy all year round, like these Classic Pecan Bars, Walnut Rose Hip Jam Bars, Easy Apple Pie Bars, or Olive Oil Lemon Cookies with Herbs.
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.
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Ingredients Needed
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. However, you can substitute the apricot jam with any other type of jam or preserves you prefer. Raspberry, strawberry, quince jam, strawberry, plum, or even a mixed berry jam would work well. The flavor of the jam will change the overall taste of the oat bars, so choose a flavor you enjoy.
- Quick-Cooking Rolled Oats: We are using quick-cooking rolled oats in this Apricot Oat Bars recipe because they have a finer texture and cook faster than regular old-fashioned rolled oats. Quick-cooking oats are thinner and smaller, which allows them to blend more seamlessly into the dough. This results in a more cohesive and tender bar.
- Unsalted Butter: Always use unsalted butter in your baked goods unless the recipe tells you otherwise.
- Dark brown sugar: This will give the bars an umami flavor.
- All-purpose flour: Perfect ingredient for bringing structure to the apricot bars.
- Baking powder
- Salt
Make The Apricot 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 11x7-inch pan, pat ⅔ of the crumbs on the bottom to create the base of the bars.
Expert tip
For an extra layer of flavor, consider adding a half teaspoon of cinnamon or nutmeg to the dry ingredients. If you're a fan of nuts, you can also add a handful of chopped almonds or walnuts to the mixture for added crunch.
Using a spatula, spread the jam 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.
How to store these Apricot Oat Bars
Room temperature: Store the Apricot Oat Bars in an airtight container at room temperature. They will stay fresh for up to one week.
Freezer: If you'd like to keep them longer, you can freeze them. Wrap each bar individually in plastic wrap and then place them in a freezer-safe bag or container.
They can be frozen for up to three months. To serve, thaw at room temperature or warm in the oven if desired.
How to serve them
Apricot Oat Bars are perfect for breakfast, a midday snack, or a sweet treat after dinner. My grandmother would serve them with coffee or tea in the afternoon for a delightful visit and chat with her friends.
These bars could also be served during the holidays, along with other cookies and desserts you might enjoy. They are perfect for any event.
This basic recipe allows you to become creative and add things that you really like.
Recipe Faqs
Yes, to make this recipe gluten-free, you can substitute the all-purpose flour with a gluten-free flour blend.
Make sure to also use certified gluten-free oats, as oats are often processed in facilities that also process wheat, which could lead to cross-contamination.
While fresh apricots can add a nice flavor, they won't provide the same consistency or sweetness as apricot jam. If you want to use fresh apricots, consider making a homemade apricot jam or compote to use in the recipe.
More recipes with apricots
- Apricot and Sour Cream Scones
- Apricots Pecans Quinoa Salad
- Pumpkin Seed And Apricot Pumpkin Sweet Bread
More recipes to love
Enjoy!
📖 Recipe
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 dark sugar
- ¾ cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- ¾ cup apricot jam or your favorite jam
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- In a large 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 ⅔ of crumbs in a pan with the size of 13x9-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 ½ dozens.
Julia says
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
The Bossy Kitchen says
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. 🙂
Julia says
@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 says
You are very welcome!
Myra says
Can I use old fashioned oats?
The Bossy Kitchen says
Yes, you can.
Alma Redinger says
For some reason, I am unable to print this recipe. You have so many wonderful ideas. Thanks for sharing.
The Bossy Kitchen says
I tested the printing feature on Safari, on my laptop, iPhone, and Chrome. All three work fine. Please let me know what is not working when you try to print. What message do you get? Thank you.
Lisa says
I wish I could give this 10 stars!! I made this today and it's my new favorite!
Ashley says
I’m really looking forward to trying these! Could you please help with a couple questions? Could I substitute gluten free flour? If made a day in advance do I have to refrigerate? Should I reheat before serving? Thank you so much!
Gabriela says
Hi, You can use an all-purpose gluten-free flour. Also, make sure the oats are also gluten-free. You do not need to refrigerate the bars if you make them the day before, and you do not need to reheat them when you serve them. I updated the article for more tips. I hope you like them.
ardith says
Do you think it would be good using fig jam instead of apricot?
Gabriela says
Yes, you can use fig jam. Please read the article for more tips and ingredient replacements. Thank you.