Pioneer Woman Strawberry Oatmeal Bars

Pioneer Woman strawberry oatmeal bars from Ree Drummond press an oat crumble around a layer of strawberry preserves and bake until golden at 350°F. And the recipe makes 12 bars at approximately 310 calories each in about 50 minutes, since the entire crumble mixes in one bowl with just 7 ingredients.

Most fruit bar recipes make a separate dough for the base and a different crumble for the top, but Ree uses the same oat mixture for both layers. So half presses into the bottom of the pan, the preserves spread over it, and the other half scatters on top, which means one bowl and one technique handle the entire dessert.

Cutting the cold butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs is the step that builds the texture of both layers. And if the butter is too warm, it melts into the flour instead of staying in distinct pieces, so the base bakes flat and greasy instead of holding a firm, crumbly structure under the preserves.

Source: The Pioneer Woman (thepioneerwoman.com), verified from source content

Pioneer Woman Strawberry Oatmeal Bars

Recipe by medshi8Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

12

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

Calories

310

kcal

Total time

50

minutes

Flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt mix before cold butter cuts in to form coarse crumbs. Then half the mixture presses into a buttered pan, strawberry preserves spread evenly on top, and the remaining crumble scatters over before 35 to 40 minutes at 350°F.

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 sticks cold butter, cut into pieces

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 1/2 cups oats (quick or regular)

• 1 cup packed brown sugar

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1 jar (10 to 12 ounce) strawberry preserves

Directions

• Preheat and prep the pan: Heat the oven to 350°F and butter a 9×13 or 8×10 baking dish.
• Mix the dry ingredients: Then combine the flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
• Cut in the butter: Once mixed, use a pastry cutter to work the cold butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles coarse crumbs.
• Press the bottom layer: Then sprinkle half the crumble into the prepared pan and pat lightly to pack it down.
• Add the preserves: Once the base is firm, spoon the strawberry preserves evenly over the surface.
• Spread carefully: Then use a dinner knife to gently spread the preserves across the entire layer without disturbing the base.
• Add the top layer: Once the preserves are spread, sprinkle the remaining crumble evenly over the top and pat lightly.
• Bake until golden: Then bake for 35 to 40 minutes until light golden brown on top.
• Cool and cut: Once done, remove from the oven, let cool completely in the pan, then cut into squares.

FAQs

Can I use a different flavor of preserves?

Any jarred preserves swap in directly at the same 10 to 12 ounce amount, and raspberry, apricot, and blueberry all work well with the oat crumble. Since the preserves are the only fruit component, the flavor you choose defines the entire bar.

But avoid thin jams or jellies, because they soak into the bottom crumble layer during baking instead of staying as a distinct filling. And if your preserves feel too loose, stir in a teaspoon of cornstarch before spreading to help them hold their shape between the layers.

Can I use quick oats or regular oats?

Ree says either quick or regular oats work in this recipe, and the difference is mainly texture. Quick oats create a finer, more uniform crumble, while regular rolled oats give a chunkier, chewier bite with more visible oat pieces in each bar.

But do not use instant oats, because they dissolve too much during baking and the crumble loses its structure. And steel-cut oats stay too hard even after 40 minutes in the oven, so they crunch uncomfortably instead of melting into the butter and brown sugar.

Why does the butter need to be cold?

Cold butter stays in small distinct pieces when cut into the dry ingredients, and those pieces melt during baking to create steam pockets that make the crumble flaky. And room-temperature butter blends too smoothly into the flour, so the mixture turns into a paste instead of coarse crumbs.

This same cold-butter principle applies to the crumble topping on the pumpkin roll, where temperature control determines whether a topping bakes crisp or flat. So cut the butter into small pieces straight from the fridge and work quickly before it warms up in your hands.

How should I store these bars and how long do they last?

Cover the pan with plastic wrap or transfer the cut squares to an airtight container, and they keep at room temperature for up to 4 days. Since the oat crumble absorbs moisture from the preserves over time, the bars actually soften slightly and taste even better on day two.

And they freeze well for up to 2 months if you wrap individual squares in plastic and place them in a freezer bag. Then thaw at room temperature for about 20 minutes before eating, because the preserves stay soft even from frozen.

What else can I make with this same oat crumble base?

The crumble works over any fruit filling, so swapping in fresh sliced peaches or mixed berries turns these into a different bar entirely. And for another Pioneer Woman dessert built on a similar base-plus-topping structure, the potato rolls show how the same simple-ingredient philosophy drives Ree’s baking across both sweet and savory recipes.

But if you use fresh fruit instead of preserves, toss it with 2 tablespoons of sugar and a tablespoon of cornstarch first. Since fresh fruit releases more juice than jarred preserves, the starch keeps the filling from turning the bottom layer soggy.