Sweet & tart raspberry and peanut shortbread bars.
Your favorite childhood snack but turned dessert. These bars have a delicious buttery almond flour shortbread base with a raspberry chia jam filling and peanut oat streusel.
I seriously can not get over how delicious these PB&J Shortbread Bars are. They consist of a buttery almond flour, oat, and peanut butter shortbread base, sweet and tart raspberry chia jam filling, and a crunchy peanut oat streusel topping –simple irresistible!
Why you’ll love these PB&J Shortbread Bars:
Simple and easy to make. This recipe is simple to make and requires simple baking ingredients.
Sweet and tart. This recipe contains just the right amount of sweet and tart flavor from the raspberry chia jam that pairs deliciously with the nutty shortbread base and peanut oat streusel topping.
Vegan and gluten-free. This recipe is 100% gluten-free and uses almond flour and oats and vegan by using vegan butter!
Ingredient Breakdown:
- Almond flour – this recipe is gluten-free by using almond flour! I have not tested this recipe using an alternative.
- Rolled oats – I recommend old-fashioned rolled oats over quick oats.
- Vegan butter – can also substitute with melted coconut oil or regular unsalted butter.
- Peanut butter – I recommend natural, creamy peanut butter. Can substitute with almond butter.
- Maple syrup – a less refined sugar option! Can also substitute with honey or agave.
- Frozen raspberries – can also use fresh.
- Corn starch – can substitute with arrowroot or tapioca starch.
- Chia seeds – helps thicken the raspberry jam, provides texture, and boost of fiber!
- Peanuts – I used roasted unsalted peanuts in this recipe.
How to make PB&J Shortbread Bars:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8×8 baking dish with parchment paper.
- Add all shortbread ingredients to a food processor. Pulse until well combined. You should be able to press mixture together with your fingertips. Press mixture into an even layer on bottom of the prepared baking dish. Prick the shortbread a few times with a fork. Bake for 12 minutes.
- While shortbread is baking, prepare the jam filling. To a small saucepan over medium heat, stir together raspberries, chia seeds, maple syrup, and lemon zest. Let jam come to a low simmer then cook for 5 minutes until berries have broken down. In a small bowl, whisk together 1 tbsp corn starch and 1 tbsp water. Whisk corn starch slurry into jam. It will start to thicken immediately, remove from heat. Once shortbread is done baking, spread over jam into an even layer.
- In a small food processor, pulse together all streusel ingredients until combined. Sprinkle streusel over jam filling. Bake for 22-25 minutes until top is light golden brown. Allow bars to cool for 10 minutes before slicing. Top with a drizzle of peanut butter.
Recipe Modifications:
Substitute vegan butter with melted coconut oil or regular unsalted butter.
Substitute maple syrup with honey or agave.
Substitute corn starch with arrowroot or tapioca starch.
Storage Instructions:
Store cooled shortbread bars in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.
More Delicious Peanut Butter and Berry Recipes…
- Chewy Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookie Bars
- Strawberry Jam Coffee Cake
- Triple Berry Cobbler
Also, if you make this recipe and decide to share it on Facebook or Instagram don’t forget to tag me @healthienut + #healthienut! I love seeing your mouthwatering recreations!
PB&J Shortbread Bars
Ingredients
Shortbread
- 1 ½ cups (169g) almond flour
- ½ cup (42g) old-fashioned rolled oats
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 3 tbsp melted vegan butter
- 2 tsp creamy, unsalted peanut butter
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
Raspberry Chia Jam
- 3 cups (465g) frozen raspberries
- ¼ cup (44g) chia seeds
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
Peanut Oat Streusel
- 1 cup (130g) whole, unsalted peanuts
- ½ cup (44g) rolled oats
- 2 tbsp melted vegan butter
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8×8 baking dish with parchment paper.
- Add all shortbread ingredients to a food processor. Pulse until well combined. You should be able to press mixture together with your fingertips. Press mixture into an even layer on bottom of the prepared baking dish. Prick the shortbread a few times with a fork. Bake for 12 minutes.
- While shortbread is baking, prepare the jam filling. To a small saucepan over medium heat, stir together raspberries, chia seeds, maple syrup, and lemon zest. Let jam come to a low simmer then cook for 5 minutes until berries have broken down. In a small bowl, whisk together 1 tbsp corn starch and 1 tbsp water. Whisk corn starch slurry into jam. It will start to thicken immediately, remove from heat. Once shortbread is done baking, spread over jam into an even layer.
- In a small food processor, pulse together all streusel ingredients until combined. Sprinkle streusel over jam filling. Bake for 22-25 minutes until top is light golden brown. Allow bars to cool for 10 minutes before slicing. Top with a drizzle of peanut butter.
These PBJ shortbread bars seem like a tasty and healthier twist on a classic treat. I appreciate the use of natural ingredients and the detailed recipe steps make it easy to follow.