Butter bars with a touch of red berries! The combination of flavors is too tasty to resist.
These mixed berry oat bars have a sweet, buttery crust, which is then filled with a tangy berry sauce. So it is ideal for both breakfast and dessert, especially at this time of year.
You can use any combination of berries you like to create the sticky, jammy center. And when combined with the most irresistible sweet oat dough, these bars are a must-try recipe. Plus, they also make fantastic edible gifts this Christmas.
If you’re looking for something special, but also a little unique, for a Christmas potluck or Christmas dessert, these butter sticks are what you’re looking for!
I could also imagine them as cute edible gifts in a jar, what about you? Or even just put all the ingredients in a jar so they’re fresh, with a printed recipe to go with it.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups old-fashioned oats
- 1-½ cups brown sugar, packed
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold
- 2 cups fresh or frozen mixed berries (see notes for information on using frozen berries)
- ¾ cup granulated white sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- Juice of half a lemon (about 1 tablespoon)
- Zest of 1 lemon (about 1.5 teaspoons)
How to make sticks of butter
Homework
1. Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Next, line a 9×9* square baking pan with parchment, letting it hang over the edges of the pan if possible, and trimming the sides to the edges as necessary. Set aside. *A 9×9 baking pan will produce 16 square bars, about two inches long/width/height. You can use a larger pan, such as a 9×13, to make thinner bars.
Make the base/cover
3. In a large bowl, combine flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder, vanilla extract, and salt.
4. Cut in the butter and mix until crumbly.
5. Firmly press â…” of the oat mixture into the bottom of the prepared baking pan. Reserve the rest of the oat mixture for the crumble at the end.
Prepare the mixed red fruit filling.
6. In a large bowl, mix the berries, white granulated sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and lemon zest until the berries are well coated. As the berries sit in the bowl, the lemon juice will produce the berries’ natural juices. Be sure to drain off any excess juice before spreading the berries over the shortbread crust. This is why I also recommend mixing the oatmeal shortbread mixture first, to avoid excess settling or sweating in the berry mixture.
7. Use the edge of a mixing spoon or silicone scraper to gently mash some of the berries, reducing any very large pieces. You don’t need to macerate the berries if you don’t want to. My blackberries were very large, so I wanted to cut them up a little and incorporate the pieces throughout the berry layer.
8. Pour the berry mixture over the pressed oat crust layer on your baking sheet.
Cover the bars and bake
9. Crumble the remaining oat mixture over the berry layer, sprinkling evenly from edge to edge.
10. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until the crust is fully baked, the berry layer is bubbling, and the topping is golden brown. If you notice that the topping is browning too quickly in the oven, you can cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake again. Be very careful to avoid burns.
11. Let the bars cool completely to room temperature before cutting and serving. They will crumble easily if not cold and will harden as they cool.
Grades
What type of berries should I use?
Use any combination of berries you like. I used blackberries and raspberries. You can add or substitute sliced ​​strawberries, blueberries, and/or black raspberries if you like.
Can I use frozen berries for butter sticks?
Yeah! If necessary, you can use frozen berries. You may need to add a few extra minutes of baking time as the berry layer will freeze before baking.
One thing to note: If you are using frozen berries, you do NOT need to thaw them first. Doing so will make the berry layer too juicy and may not set properly while baking.
Can I use a different type of oats?
Be sure to use traditional rolled oats, NOT quick-cooking or steel-cut oats. If you use them, you will compromise the consistency and cooking time.
Can I use salted butter instead?
Yes, you can use salted butter, but if you do this, omit the added salt.
How should I store the bars?
You can store leftovers covered at room temperature for up to 5 days or in the refrigerator for a week.
Or as another option, you can wrap and freeze the bars for up to 2 months. Simply bring them to room temperature before serving.
Mixed Berries and Oatmeal Butter Bars
These Oatmeal Berry Butter Bars are a sweet, buttery treat with buttery dough filled with a tangy berry sauce, perfect for both breakfast and dessert. Use any combination of berries you like to create the gooey, jammy center, sandwiched between the most irresistible oatmeal cookie crust and the topping that makes these bars so divine.
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cutting board
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sharp knife
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mixing bowls
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measuring cups
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Measuring spoons
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Silicone Mixing Spoon/Scraper
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Hand mixer, stand mixer, or pastry fork/whisk (I used a Danish pastry blender, as seen in the images)
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9×9 square baking pan (9×13 for thinner bars)
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Parchment paper
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kitchen clips (to keep the parchment in place)
- 2 mugs all purpose flour
- 2 mugs old fashioned oatmeal
- 1-½ mugs brown sugar full
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup 2 sticks unsalted butter, cold
- 2 mugs fresh or frozen mixed berries See notes for information on using frozen berries.
- ¾ cup granulated white sugar
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
- Juice of half a lemon about 1 tablespoon
- Zest of 1 lemon about 1.5 teaspoons
Prepare and preheat
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Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
-
Line a 9×9 square baking pan with parchment, letting it hang over the edges of the pan if possible, and trimming the sides to the edges as necessary. Set aside.
Prepare the mixed red fruit filling.
- Use any combination of berries you like. I used blackberries and raspberries. You can add or substitute sliced ​​strawberries, blueberries, and/or black raspberries if you like.
- If necessary, you can use frozen berries. You may need to add a few extra minutes of baking time as the berry layer will freeze before baking.
DO NOT thaw beforehand if using frozen berries. The berry layer will be too juicy and may not set properly while baking. - As the berries sit in the bowl, the lemon juice will produce the berries’ natural juices. Be sure to drain off any excess juice before spreading the berries over the shortbread crust. This is why I also recommend mixing the oatmeal shortbread mixture first, to avoid excess settling or sweating in the berry mixture.
- You don’t need to macerate the berries if you don’t want to. My blackberries were very large, so I wanted to cut them up a little and incorporate the pieces throughout the berry layer.
- Be sure to use traditional rolled oats, NOT quick-cooking or steel-cut oats. If you use them, you will compromise the consistency and cooking time.
- You can use salted butter, but if you do this, omit the added salt.
- A 9×9 baking pan will produce 16 square bars, two inches long/width/height. You can use a larger pan, such as a 9×13, to make thinner bars.
- If you notice that the topping is browning too quickly in the oven, you can cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake again. Be very careful to avoid burns!
- Let the bars cool completely to room temperature before cutting and serving. They will crumble easily if not cold and will harden as they cool.
- Store leftovers covered at room temperature for up to 5 days or in the refrigerator for a week.
- You can also wrap and freeze these bars for up to 2 months. Bring to room temperature before serving.
