Made with a shortbread crust and raspberry preserves, these crowd-pleasing Raspberry Bars are a sweet treat to make in the spring, summer or any time of the year! Easy to make with 5 ingredients in 1 bowl and the crust doubles as the crumb topping.
Craving more crowd-pleasing vegan dessert bars? Then you won’t want to miss my Vegan Lemon Bars, Blueberry Pie Bars, and Blackberry Pie Bars!
I love serving these Vegan Raspberry Crumb Bars to my friends and family because they’re always a hit. The shortbread crust, buttery crumble topping, and raspberry preserves in the middle are just too good to miss!
They’re one of the best treats for spring and summer, always a crowd-pleaser at the Mother’s Day and Easter brunches, and surprisingly easy to make.
Why you’ll love these raspberry crumble bars
- A berrylicious summer treat – These raspberry shortbread bars top jammy raspberry preserves over a shortbread cookie crust.
- 1 bowl and 5 ingredients – The 4-ingredient shortbread crust quickly comes together in one bowl, while the store-bought raspberry preserves are delicious right out of the jar.
- Surprisingly easy to make! The simple dough and jarred raspberry preserves keep these dessert bars quick and easy. Perfect for a fuss-free treat to share with friends!
How to make vegan raspberry bars
Find the complete recipe with measurements in the recipe card below.
Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Stir the softened vegan butter or coconut oil into the dry mix until you’re left with a crumbly shortbread dough.
You can experiment with mix-ins in the cookie crust if you’d like! Add up to 1/4 cup of vegan white chocolate chips, chopped nuts, or dried coconut flakes for extra flavor. A couple tablespoons of lemon zest would also be nice if you love lemons and raspberries together.
Set 1 cup of the shortbread dough aside and dump the rest into a baking pan. Press it into an even layer, then bake until it’s lightly browned.
Spread the raspberry preserves over the warm cookie crust, then sprinkle the reserved shortbread dough evenly over the top. Bake once more until the raspberry filling is bubbling.
While the bars are baking, make the optional glaze by whisking the powdered sugar and almond milk together until smooth.
Set the raspberry bars aside to cool. Lift them out of the pan, transfer them to a cooling rack, and let them cool for at least 2 hours. Cut them into squares, then drizzle the glaze over top. Enjoy!
For eye-catching raspberry bars, sprinkle dried coconut flakes, lemon zest, fresh raspberries, mint leaves, vegan white chocolate chips, or sliced almonds on top after adding the glaze.
Frequently asked questions
Yes they can. Substitute a mix of a quality gluten-free flour blend, like Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten Free Flour or King Arthur Measure for Measure for the all-purpose flour.
Not if you don’t want to! Try using apricot, strawberry, or blueberry preserves instead. Or, in the fall, use apple butter! Just make sure to drizzle my Vegan Salted Caramel Sauce over top before serving (yum!).
This recipe makes 16 raspberry bars when it’s made in a 9×13” baking pan. If you don’t have a 9×13” baking pan, split the bars between two smaller pans instead.
Once they’re firm and sliced into bars, transfer them to an airtight container and store at room temperature for 5 days. They’ll keep for longer in the fridge, but they will harden quite a bit (especially if you use coconut oil) so let them come to room temperature for a little while before enjoying.
The bars also freeze well for up to 1 month or so.
Vegan Raspberry Bars
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup vegan butter (or coconut oil), softened
- 13 ounces (about 1 1/4 cups) raspberry preserves
Optional glaze
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons almond milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Line the bottom and sides of a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving some overhang on the sides for easy removal.
- In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar and salt. Now add the softened vegan butter or coconut oil, and stir until everything is well combined. The mixture should be rather crumbly. Use your hands if you need to.
- Set aside 1 cup of the shortbread dough, in a smaller bowl. This is your crumble topping.
- Press the mixture evenly into the baking pan. Bake for 15 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and turn the oven up to 350 degrees F.
- Spread the raspberry preserves over the warm crust. Sprinkle on the topping. Place in the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes. The filling should be bubbling on the edges and in the middle.
- Allow the bars to cool in the pan for 20 minutes. Lift the bars out of the pan with the parchment paper, transfer to a cooling rack and let them cool for at least 2 hours, if possible. Cut into squares and drizzle with optional glaze.
Optional glaze
- In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and almond milk until a glaze is formed.
Video
Notes
- Gluten-free – Substitute a quality gluten-free flour mix, such as Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 or King Arthur Measure for Measure flour.
- Makes about 16 large bars. You may halve the recipe and make in an 8-inch square pan if desired.
- Try using a different flavor of fruit jam, such as apricot, strawberry or blueberry. Or use apple butter in the Fall.
So delicious! I used strawberry jam and it tastes just like a strawberry pop tart but 100x better! Will try this again with different fillings. So easy and tasty!
It is mind-blowing how simple and delightful these bars are. They receive rave reviews from anyone lucky enough to get their hands on a piece. Thank you for sharing this recipe Nora, these are a raspberry lover’s dream come true!
You are welcome, Shane! These are hands-down, one of my favorite bars – so simple and delicious! Thank you for sharing your fantastic review and comments! Wishing you lots of happy cooking
I would love to make this in an 8 x 8 pan because I think a 9 x 13 might be too big for my small family. Are you able to convert the amounts and post it? That would be awesome.
You can cut the recipe ingredients in half and bake for less time, around 20-25 minutes. Enjoy!
It’s rare to find something so delicious that’s also so easy to make. My husband LOVES raspberry in his baked goods and ran to the store to buy jam when we found this recipe. An absolute hit and it tastes just like one of our favourite treats from the local vegan bakery.
I’m adding these to my fail-proof potluck favourites (along with your Italian chickpea soup).
Hi Melissa. I am thrilled that you and your husband are loving the raspberry bars! These are truly one of my favorite bars, and I do love how easy they are to make! Thank you for your awesome review and comments! I appreciate you using my recipes, and wish you lots of happy cooking!
You’ve done it again!! Not a recipe I wouldn’t trust from Noracooks. Thank you for filling our kitchen with deliciousness and happiness.
Hi McKensey. Your words of encouragement are heartwarming! Thank you for your support and for loving my recipes! I’m glad that you loved the raspberry bars! These are one of my favorite bars! Wishing you lots of happy cooking!
Can I use olive oil in place of coconut oil?
No, that won’t work well here unfortunately.
Great Recipe! I wouldn’t change a thing!
This was my first time making a fruit bar. I am so delighted with how they came out.
I wish I had used a metal pan with hard edges instead of my glass pan which is more rounded. Lesson learned. I think I would use less glaze next time or make it thicker with less milk.
Thanks for such an easy recipe!
Hi Sara. I’m glad that you enjoyed the raspberry bars, and that they came out wonderful for you! Thank you for sharing your great review and feedback! Happy cooking!
So easy and So good! I’ll make this basic recipe many times. I made a mistake, however. The glaze seemed a bit sparse, so I doubled it. Talk about sweet! My husband said ants may crawl up and kiss us on the lips! LOL!
Hi Nora,
Can I use frozen, well-drained fruit for this recipe . Thank you in advance!
Yes, you can. It should work quite well with a variety of fresh fruits.
My mother passed about 29 years ago but I have such fond memories of coming home from school to find these delicious cherry pie bars she made. She always said they were so easy. I have never been able to duplicate that recipe but this recipe is so very close! I have made it a zillion times since finding it – thank you! It is also so very versatile with fillings. I just used a sheet pan, doubled recipe. I did half blueberry pie filling an half cherry pie filling for the 4th of July! Makes a beautiful red , white and blue dessert! And Mom was right, so easy. This is my new ‘go to.’
This recipe is SO good, easy, and I always have the ingredients on hand! I’ve made it with raspberry, strawberry, and today we are trying it with cherry pie filling. I always add 1 tsp of almond extract too. Thank you for an amazing recipe!
You are welcome, Julie! Your bars in all the flavor varieties sound delicious! Thanks for sharing your glowing review and great ideas! Wishing you happy baking!