raspberry oat squares!

Raspberry oat squares are easy, fast, delicious and super versatile!

back-to-school is HERE!

In New York we are still in full-on summer mode but many parts of the country are already back to school. And even if you’re kids are not (or you don’t have kids in school at all), it’s impossible to avoid THE MESSAGE. Am I right? Whether it’s a commercial on TV, an ad in a magazine or a display at the store, those marbled notebooks, crayon boxes and 3-ring binders are EVERYWHERE.

are you a seasonal cook/baker?

No matter how old my family gets there are certain foods that I tend to gravitate toward, seasonally-speaking. Winter is for saucy, cheesy baked dinners. Spring gets main course salads. Summer has me turning to frozen desserts. And fall? Fall is for crunchy/chewy, spiced baked goods.

I LOVE a multi-tasker!

I especially love baked treats that are in that category of good-anytime. I’m talking breakfast on-the-go, mid-morning or afternoon snack, and lunchbox/desk drawer treat. These especially hit come fall, which always gets me nostalgic for hectic mornings and running-around afternoons.

So when Elizabeth and I were planning our monthly “Sweet Treats For Your Sweet Tooth” series, I suggested a multi-tasking snack.

Like these raspberry oat squares!

I PROMISE that if you make these once you will already be planning on making them again. They’re that good. Chewy and a little crispy at the edges, sweet but not-too-sweet, flavorful and truly satisfying.

what ingredients do you need?

You’ll want to peruse the Notes at the bottom of the recipe for all the ways you can vary this recipe (vegan! gluten free! scaled up! shortcut option!), but here’s what you need to make the version you see here:

• brown sugar
• lemon
• Selefina Spicy Baking Blend
• flour
• raspberries
• butter
• oats
• baking powder
• kosher salt

how do you make raspberry oat squares?

You’ll start by making the filling. I always have leftover berries in the freezer and was particularly flush with raspberries when making this recipe. Toss the berries in a mixture of brown sugar, lemon zest and juice, flour, melted butter and Selefina Spicy Baking Blend. If you’ve been following me you know that I created this blend for Selefina and have been basically using it in EVERYTHING.

You’ll then make the oat base – which brilliantly serves as the topping too! Just beat oats, brown sugar, butter, flour, baking soda and kosher salt till crumbly. Press half of the oat mixture into the bottom of a square baking pan, layer with your raspberry filling and crumble the remaining half of the oat mixture on top. Bake, cool, slice and serve!

SO many ways to vary this recipe!

I can’t think of a recipe on this blog that is more forgiving and versatile than this one. I’m sure there are some variations I’m missing but here’s my list!

• gluten-free: use GF oats and a cup-for-cup blend in place of the all purpose flour
• vegan: swap the butter for your favorite dairy-free spread
• shortcut: if you don’t want to make the filling, you can use 1 1/2 – 2 cups of your favorite fruit spread or preserves
• spice it up: I truly do love this baking blend but feel free to use cinnamon, cardamom, pumpkin pie spice or whatever you like!
• double the recipe: you can easily double the ingredients and bake in a 9 x 13 pan

Be sure to check out Elizabeth’s delicious recipe, and let me know if you try these!

Raspberry Oat Squares

sherisilver

Fast, easy, delicious and super versatile!

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Course Snack

Servings 16

Calories 245 kcal

Equipment

• 8 x 8 baking pan
• parchment paper
• hand mixer

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

For the filling:

• 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 heaping tablespoon grated lemon zest
• 1/2 teaspoon Selefina Spicy Baking Blend
• 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 16 ounces fresh or frozen raspberries, thawed slightly if frozen
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

For the oat layer:

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups oats
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

Instructions

 

Make the filling:

• Whisk the sugar, lemon zest, baking blend and flour in a medium bowl. Add the raspberries, lemon juice and butter and toss to coat. Set aside.

Make the oat layer:

• Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8″ x 8″ baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on both sides. Beat all of the ingredients till fully incorporated.
• Place half of the oat mixture into your baking pan and press in evenly. Drain any excess liquid from your raspberry filling and spread on top of the oat mixture. Crumble the remaining oat mixture on top. Bake for 40 – 50 minutes, till golden brown. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. For the neatest cuts I like to refrigerate the cooled bars overnight.
• Use your parchment sling to transfer the bars to a cutting board and cut into squares.

Notes

1. You can substitute the all-purpose flour and oats for a cup-for-cup blend and GF oats.
2. To make vegan squares replace the butter with a non-dairy spread.
3. Swap the baking blend for an equal amount of cinnamon (or your favorite baking spice).
4. You can replace the filling with 1 1/2 - 2 cups of any preserve or fruit spread.
5. To scale up the recipe, double the ingredients and bake in a 9 x 13 pan (baking time may need to be increased accordingly).

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 245kcalCarbohydrates: 35gProtein: 3gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 27mgSodium: 174mgPotassium: 113mgFiber: 3gSugar: 18gVitamin A: 319IUVitamin C: 9mgCalcium: 46mgIron: 1mg

Keywords gluten free, oats, raspberry, vegan

did you make this recipe?tag @sherisilver on instagram!

Please note that this post contains affiliate links. As a Rewards Style influencer I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases – at no additional cost to you.

About the author

Sheri Silver

Sheri Silver is a New York-based food photographer and recipe developer who has been cooking and baking for over 30 years. She works with brands, authors and restaurants to create recipes that are as beautiful as they are foolproof - and every recipe on this blog has been made, tweaked and eaten in her own kitchen.

Related posts:

what to bake with your kids cookie jar: almond flour tahini cookies {vegan} tahini date cookies {vegan}