Any tradition that starts with fresh fruit and a streusel topping is bound to be a keeper, I say. The first summer after I started this blog, I posted Spiked Blueberry Crumb Bars, a streusel-topped fruit bar, kicked up with a splash of rum. Each summer since then, I posted a new version: Summer Cherry & Crystalized Ginger Crumb Bars, Peach Crumb Bars with Hazelnut Streusel and, now, a bar featuring raspberries and sliced almonds. Besides the buttery topping and fresh fruit, there's something else that makes this dessert a stand-out.
The key words here are "quick and easy". The base and the topping are one and the same. Simply mix together the brown and white sugars, flour, ground ginger and sliced almonds. This mixture is divided in half, one being used for the base, and the other for the topping. It doesn't get much simpler than that!
For the raspberry filling, I cut back on the amount of sugar used because the raspberries I used were very sweet. If your raspberries are on the tart side, increase the sugar in the filling to ⅓ cup.
Is this recipe low-sugar or low-fat? Nope. Sometimes you just have to say, "It's worth it!"
The recipe:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 8x8-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
The filling:
In a large bowl, combine the raspberries, lemon juice, sugar and cornstarch. Set aside.
The base and topping:
In a medium-sized bowl, combine granulated and brown sugars. Stir in flour, baking powder, salt, and ground ginger.
Cut in cold butter pieces with a pastry cutter or a fork until the mixture is crumbly. Stir a lightly beaten egg and sliced almonds into the flour mixture.
Press half of the flour mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Spread the raspberry mixture over the crust. Sprinkle the rest of the flour mixture over the raspberries.
Bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, or until the top is light brown. Left the bars cool on a rack and then place in the fridge to chill. This will make the bars easier to cut and remove from the pan. Cut into squares and serve.
Other raspberry dessert recipes:
Cookin 'Canuck's Chocolate Shortcakes with Raspberries, Ice Cream & Fudge
Smitten Kitchen's Raspberry Buttermilk Cake
Gluten-Free Goddess' Gluten-Free Raspberry Coconut-Almond Bars
Food for Poems' Raspberry Dark Chocolate Ice Cream
The Curvy Carrot's Raspberries in Zinfandel
Raspberry Crumb Bar Recipe with Almond Streusel
Ingredients
The Filling:
- 3 ¼ cups fresh raspberries
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- ¼ - ⅓ cup granulated sugar depends on the sweetness of the berries
- 2 ½ teaspoons cornstarch
The Base and Topping:
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup packed brown sugar
- 2 cups flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 11 tablespoons cold unsalted butter cut into small pieces
- 1 egg lightly beaten
- ⅔ cup sliced almonds roughly chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 8x8-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
The Filling:
- In a large bowl, combine the raspberries, lemon juice, sugar and cornstarch. Set aside.
- The base and topping:
- In a medium-sized bowl, combine granulated and brown sugars. Stir in flour, baking powder, salt, and ground ginger.
- Cut in cold butter pieces with a pastry cutter or a fork until the mixture is crumbly. Stir a lightly beaten egg and sliced almonds into the flour mixture.
- Press half of the flour mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Spread the raspberry mixture over the crust. Sprinkle the rest of the flour mixture over the raspberries.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, or until the top is light brown. Left the bars cool on a rack and then place in the fridge to chill. This will make the bars easier to cut and remove from the pan. Cut into squares and serve.
Nutrition
Disclosure: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
Lauren
These look and sound delish!!
Sasha @ The Procrastobaker
What a beautiful treat indeed 🙂
Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar
These sound positively spectacular! Love that crumble on top. Yum!
marla
I'll take a whole pan just for me 🙂 The perfect bars!
Robyn | Add a Pinch
Desserts like these are perfect during the summer. So full of flavor and comforting. Love this, Dara.
Gerry @ Foodness Gracious
I love desserts like this mainly because my mom would make them when I was a kid, and I agree with streusel which I just posted about over at my place 🙂
Great recipe!
Laura (Tutti Dolci)
Crumb bars are one of my favorites. Love the raspberries and almond streusel!
Karly
Raspberries are my absolute favorite! Love this and your photos are just gorgeous. 🙂
Jessica@AKitchenAddiction
I love crumb bars! Totally worth the indulging!
Jill
The recipe calls for a 13x9" pan, but the one in the picture is square (9x9"?). Which one should I use?
Dara (Cookin' Canuck)
Ack, thanks for catching that, Jill. The previous crumb bar recipes I posted were made in a 13x9 pan and I forgot to type in the switch to an 8x8 pan for this recipe. I'm making the change right now.
Mary-Lou
Two summers ago, my friend returned from her cottage in Newfoundland with wonderful blueberrries. I felt I had to do something "special" with these blue spheres that traveled so far...not just on top of my cereal or in a muffin.
That's when I found the recipe for Spiked Blueberry Crumb Bars. It was the first time I ever made dough by cutting butter into flour. They were A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!
My second attempt was with Michigan berries, still really good, but no comparison to those Newfoundland berries.
Looking forward to trying the version with raspberries soon. Thanks.
Lori @ RecipeGirl
Delicious!! Brooks is obsessed with raspberries, so will def have to show him this one!
Deborah
I LOVE crumb toppings, and these look like perfection!
Aimee @ ShugarySweets
Love fruit bars!
Maria
Perfect bar treat for summer!
Jenny Flake
I love a good fruit cookie like bar! These look bright and perfect for summer 🙂
Ali @ Gimme Some Oven
These look SO good! I adore making fresh fruit crumbles in the summer. These berries look delish!!
Jen @ Savory Simple
My goodness these look good! Love the beautiful photos!
Brooks at Cakewalker
Dara, I've just popped over from Twitter for a closer look at these Raspberry Crumb Bars...serious scrumptious factor here! The "quick and easy" is spot on yet the bottom and crumble top, though one and the same, are deliciously deceptive solely from how they bake up with their respective roles. Brava!
Belinda @zomppa
Oh boy does that crumble look divine...the topping puts it over the edge!