Name: Lemon Raspberry Crumb Bars
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 3 h 5 min
Yield: 16
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour; 1 cup granulated sugar, divided; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt; 1 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes; 1 large egg; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; Zest of 1 large lemon; 2 cups fresh raspberries; 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice; 2 tablespoons cornstarch; Powdered sugar for serving, optional

Lemon Raspberry Crumb Bars

Buttery crumb bars layered with bright raspberries, fresh lemon zest, and a lightly jammy fruit filling. The same simple dough creates both the tender shortbread-style base and the golden crumble topping, keeping the recipe approachable while still producing polished bakery-style bars. Their sweet-tart flavor and clean slices make them an excellent spring or summer dessert for picnics, brunches, potlucks, and make-ahead entertaining.

Prep

20 min

Cook

45 min

Total

185 min

Servings

Difficulty

easy

Cuisine

American

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving enough overhang on the long sides to lift out the cooled bars.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, 3/4 cup of the granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt.

Add the cold butter and work it into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter or your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-size pieces of butter remaining.

Add the egg, vanilla extract, and lemon zest. Stir and press the mixture together until moist crumbs form. Do not knead it into a smooth dough.

Reserve approximately 2 cups of the crumb mixture for the topping.

Press the remaining mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan.

In a separate bowl, gently combine the raspberries, remaining 1/4 cup granulated sugar, lemon juice, and cornstarch.

Spoon the raspberry mixture evenly over the crust, including any juices in the bowl.

Sprinkle the reserved crumb mixture evenly over the raspberries. Leave some small areas of fruit visible rather than packing down the topping.

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the topping is golden brown and the fruit is bubbling around the edges.

Transfer the pan to a wire rack and cool completely for at least 2 hours.

Use the parchment paper to lift the cooled slab from the pan.

Cut into 16 bars with a sharp knife, wiping the blade between cuts for cleaner edges.

Dust lightly with powdered sugar just before serving if desired.

Recipe Notes

Keep the butter cold until it is mixed into the flour so the crumb topping remains tender rather than greasy.

Do not crush the raspberries while mixing the filling. Whole and partially broken berries create a better finished texture.

Allow the bars to cool completely before slicing. The fruit filling thickens substantially as it cools.

For especially clean slices, refrigerate the cooled bars for 30 minutes before cutting.

Store the bars covered at room temperature for 1 day or refrigerate for up to 5 days.

If refrigerated, allow the bars to sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes before serving for the best texture.

The finished bars can be frozen for up to 2 months. Freeze individual bars in a single layer before transferring them to an airtight freezer container.

Thaw frozen bars in the refrigerator or at room temperature before serving.

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