The Food Network has “Healthy” happily printed across a picture of The Pioneer Woman’s Strawberry Oatmeal Bars recipe. Hooray! I need to eat healthier. You see, my doctor recently told me I had high cholesterol, and said that he was very disappointed in me. I told him, “Hey, you’re not the boss of me!”, and left his office. I then went home, made myself a martini, complained to Jackson Brownie (my dog) that this doctor knows nothing about nobody, and then scoured the internet for healthy recipes because ultimately I’m a people pleaser, and I want to make my doctor proud. Well, I found Strawberry Oatmeal Bars, and it said “healthy“, so I made them. They were very easy to make, and I had all of the ingredients. As they baked in the oven a “healthy“, buttery aroma filled the kitchen. I could hardly wait for them to cool completely before cutting into them. I held a warm square of “healthy” goodness between my fingers, and took a bite. They were decadent. They were yummy. They were sweet. If this is what healthy is then I never want to be unhealthy again. As I was reaching for another square the phone rang. It was my doctor. He told me that they were not healthy bars. And that just because they contain oats doesn’t make it so. And that the amount of butter in the recipe cancels out all of the healthy goodness. He also said that he’s even more disappointed in me than ever before.
Okay, let’s make these sinful, buttery, delicious oatmeal jam bars. I bet you have all of the ingredients already. Mix together flour, brown sugar, oats, salt, and baking powder.
Add two sticks of salted butter.
Mix together until it looks like a crumb topping, then pour in half of the mixture into a greased 8-inch by 8-inch square pan (or anything close to that size). Press evenly.
Smooth on fruit jam of your choice. I used blackberry.
Pour the remaining oat mixture on top being sure to get the jam completely covered.
Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown around the edge, in a 350 degree F. oven. Cool completely before cutting.
Enjoy!
Notes
Special equipment needed: 8" by 8" or 9" by 13" baking pan, large bowl, rubber spatula, off set spatula or butter knife, wire rack
Ingredients
- 1 and 1/2 cups (187.50 g) All-Purpose Flour
- 1 and 1/2 cups (135 g) Oats
- 1 cup (200 g) firmly packed Brown Sugar
- 1 tsp. Baking Powder
- 1/2 tsp. Salt
- 2 sticks (1 cup or 226 g) Salted Butter, softened
- 10 oz. of your favorite Jam
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 8" x 8" square baking pan. Set aside.
- Mix together the flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt.
- Add in the softened butter, and stir until the mixture resembles a crumb topping.
- Pour half of the oat mixture into the pan, and press evenly around.
- Spread on your jam.
- Pour the remaining oat mixture on top of the jam, and press evenly.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until it appears golden brown around the edge.
- Place on a wire rack to cool completely.
- Cut into squares and enjoy!
- *These bars can be frozen for up to 3 months if properly wrapped.
