Raspberry Oatmeal Bars — Gluten-Free with Vegan & Dairy-Free Options

With a buttery shortbread-like base and an oat crumble topping, these raspberry oatmeal bars are a delightful sweet treat without the heaviness. Naturally gluten-free and easily adaptable to be vegan, they’re a simple dessert that’s perfect for everyday baking.

Easy Gluten-Free Dessert

Whether you’re new to gluten-free baking or a seasoned home baker, these raspberry oatmeal bars are an easy recipe to add to your collection. They use common pantry ingredients and require minimal prep. The main components are coconut sugar (or brown sugar), gluten-free one-to-one flour, baking soda, salt, vanilla, rolled oats, softened butter (or vegan butter), and raspberry jam.

Make this Recipe Vegan

These bars are free of wheat and eggs, and can be made vegan and dairy-free by swapping regular butter for a plant-based butter. This simple substitution works well and keeps the texture tender and crumbly.

Cooking tip: a soy-free vegan butter from the grocery aisle works nicely if you prefer to avoid soy.

I’ve always loved raspberry bars, and after tasting a vegan version at a cafe I wanted to recreate a homemade gluten-free version. After several trials to perfect texture and flavor, this recipe produced a family favorite: crisp on the edges, tender inside, and perfectly balanced with tangy jam.

These bars are straightforward to make and disappear quickly, so plan to share or double the batch if you’re serving a crowd.

Which Type of Jam Should I Use?

For the smoothest texture, seedless red raspberry jam is ideal. Seeded jam will still taste great, but small seeds can change the mouthfeel. If you prefer no corn syrup in your jam, check labels carefully—some brands use alternative sweeteners.

Now, here’s the straightforward gluten-free raspberry oatmeal bars recipe and method.

How to Make These Gluten-Free Raspberry Oatmeal Bars

Ingredients Needed:

• 1/2 cup coconut sugar (or packed light brown sugar)
• 1 cup gluten-free one-to-one flour (measure-for-measure)
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup rolled oats, plus 1/4 cup more, divided
• 3/4 cup butter, softened (or vegan butter to make dairy-free)
• 3/4 cup seedless raspberry jam, warmed slightly so it spreads easily

How to Make the Raspberry Oat Bars

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line an 8 or 9-inch square pan with parchment paper for easier removal and cleanup.

In a bowl, combine the coconut sugar (or brown sugar), gluten-free flour, baking soda, salt, vanilla extract, and 1 cup of rolled oats. Cut or mix in the softened butter until the mixture becomes crumbly but can be pressed together.

Press approximately two cups of this crumbly mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan to form the base. Reserve the remaining crumb mixture for the topping.

Spread the warmed raspberry jam over the pressed base, leaving about 1/4 inch from the edge to reduce sticky overflow. If the jam does touch the edges it will still bake fine, but it can stick to the pan.

Stir the extra 1/4 cup rolled oats into the reserved crumb mixture, then sprinkle that evenly over the jam layer. Lightly press the topping so it adheres, but a few jam spots showing through are fine.

Bake for about 40–50 minutes, or until the top is lightly golden and set. Remove from the oven and let the bars cool completely in the pan before lifting them out on the parchment and slicing into squares.

This recipe yields roughly 12 bars, depending on how large you cut them. Store the cooled bars in a covered container at room temperature for up to five days.

Enjoy these gluten-free raspberry oatmeal crumble bars as a snack, dessert, or portable treat for lunchboxes.

Other Favorite Christmas Cookie Recipes:

• Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies with Buttercream Frosting
• Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Blossoms
• Mexican Wedding Cookies (Gluten-Free)
• Chocolate Peppermint Sandwich Cookies
• Magic Cookie Bars (with gluten-free option)
• Gluten-Free Ginger Molasses Frosted Cookies
• Snickerdoodle Cookies (Gluten-Free)

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