Jam Shortbread Bars

Helpful Tips:

• The butter is the most important ingredient in this recipe. You want the butter to be soft, but not melted. If the butter is too hard it will be hard to work into the dough, which will make for overworked dough and a tough shortbread.
• Use your favorite jams. The different flavors of jams will change up the bars slightly. A tart jam will give the bars a sweet-tart flavor, this is my favorite. I love the combination of the sweet shortbread and the tart jam.
• The bars are done when light golden brown. About 20 to 25 minutes.
• Cool the bars completely before cutting them.
• These bars will freeze well. Make sure to have them in an airtight freezer container.

Steps for making Jam Shortbread Bars

Step one

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease an 8-inch baking pan and set aside.

Step two

Combine the flour, sugar, and salt together in a medium bowl. Work in the butter with a pastry cutter, fork, or fingers to make a crumbly dough.

Step three

Reserve 1 cup of the dough for the topping. Pat the remainder of the dough in the prepared baking pan.

Step four

Bake the crust in the preheated oven for 8 minutes.

Step five

Remove from the oven and spread the jam over the baked crust leaving about a 1/4 inch border. Crumble the remaining dough over the top of the jam.

Step six

Return to the oven and bake until golden brown about 20 to 25 minutes. Cool and cut into bars.

Here are additional bar recipes that I love:

• Congo Bars
• Pear Cream Cheese Crumble Bars
• Lemon Cream Cheese Bars

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Jam Shortbread Bars

Jam Shortbread Bars a sweet crumbly bar that is made with five simple ingredients. Super easy to make and one of my favorite bars.

5 from 2 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Jam shortbread bars, shortbread bars

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes

Servings: 12 bars

Calories: 273kcal

Author: Dawn

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup butter 12 tablespoons
• 1 cup jam your favorite

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease an 8-inch baking pan.
• Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Work in the butter with a pastry cutter, fork, or fingers.
• Reserve 1 cup of the dough for the topping. Press the remaining dough in the prepared baking pan.
• Place in the oven and bake the crust for 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and spread the jam over the crust leaving about 1/4 border. Crumble the remaining dough over the top of the jam.
• Place back in the oven and bake 20 to 25 minutes or until the edges are golden brown.
• Place bars on a cooling rack and cool. Once they are cooled cut into bars.

Notes

1. The butter is the most important ingredient in this recipe. Use butter that is soft, but not melted. You will want to have butter that you are able to work into the dough easily.
2. Cool the bars before cutting them. 
3. You can freeze the bars in an airtight freezer container. 

 

 

 

 

Nutrition information is an estimate and may vary with brands of ingredients used.

Nutrition

Calories: 273kcal | Carbohydrates: 40.6g | Protein: 2.1g | Fat: 11.7g | Saturated Fat: 7.3g | Trans Fat: 7.3g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 114mg | Potassium: 43mg | Fiber: 0.8g | Sugar: 21.3g | Calcium: 11mg

This recipe was originally published on November 30, 2013. It has been updated with new content and pictures on January 28, 2021.