Blueberry Peach Oatmeal Bars
A buttery shortbread-like cookie with a layer of homemade peach jam, blueberries and topped with a crumble of buttery oats and brown sugar. You won't be able to eat just one.
Ingredients
Peach Jam
- 2 lbs fresh peaches
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
Cookie Bar Dough
- 3 cups flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup butter very cold and cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 egg lightly beaten
Filling
- 3 cups peach jam
- 1 1/2 cups frozen blueberries
Oatmeal Crumb Topping
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1/2 cup brown sugar lightly packed
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3/4 cup rolled oats reserve 1/4 cup for sprinkling on top
- 3/4 cup butter cold and cut into 1 inch pieces
Instructions
Peach Jam
- First, you have to remove the peach skins. The easiest way to do that is toss your peaches in a pot of boiling water for about 90 seconds. Remove from the water and immediately submerge into an ice bath for just a minute. Then, the skins should peel right off.
- Then, slice the peaches around the pits. Toss your sliced peaches and then lemon juice into a large stock pot over medium-low heat. Cook for 15 minutes or so, until the peaches are soft and juices are starting to release.
- While your peaches are softening, stir and then use a potato masher (or heavy spoon) to break them down. Add sugar and stir until dissolved.
- Bring peaches to a boil over medium-high heat and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Then, lower to low-medium heat and cook (stirring every few minutes) for anywhere from 45 - 65 minutes. The jam will be ready when it is thick enough to leave a trail behind the spoon.
- Remove from heat and let cool completely before serving in blueberry peach oatmeal bars.
Cookie Bar Dough
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 9x13 glass pan with butter and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together until combined. Toss in cold butter pieces and combine using pastry cutter, fork, or hands. I like using my hands best to create a crumbly combined texture.
- Add lightly beaten egg and combine with a fork. Dough will be reminiscent of clumpy wet sand. Pour into greased glass pan and firmly press the dough until even thickness and totally smooshed down. Dough will be fairly thick.
- Bake in oven for 15-18 minutes until cookie layer is a little brown but not fully cooked.
Oatmeal Crumb Topping
- In a large bowl, whisk flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, salt, baking powder, cinnamon and 1/2 cup oats until combined. Using same method as cookie bar layer, cut cold butter into oatmeal crumb topping until crumbly.
Final Step of Blueberry Peach Oatmeal Bars
- Spoon 3 cups of peach jam on warm cookie bar layer and smooth across with a rubber spatula until there is an even layer of jam. Sprinkle frozen blueberries across the jam, evenly distributed.
- Sprinkle crumb topping across jam/blueberry layer until evenly covered. Then, sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup of oatmeal across the top.
- Place in oven (375 degrees F still) and bake for 40-50 minutes until cooked and brown on top.
- Let cool for at least an hour (or longer) before slicing into bars. They will cut easier after cooling overnight as the buttery cookies have hardened a bit. Enjoy!
Notes
- Peach Jam Recipe from A Pretty Life in the Suburbs.
- Cookie Bar Dough Recipe adapted from Chew Out Loud.
- Crumble Topping Recipe adapted from Striped Spatula.