Baking season is upon us, and we have the best recipe to ease you back into the routine. This versatile dessert comes from baker and author Alex George. Her new book, In The Mood To Bake, contains a recipe for jammy blackberry bars that taste like a final burst of summer. "The best part about these bars is that you only have to make one dough, but it works both as a firm crust and a crumbled topping," George writes. And we're big fans of that time-saving attitude.
"I think blackberries don’t get the love in baking that they deserve," George continues. "The blackberry jam is sweet and a little tart, making it the perfect complement to this buttery crust. If you do feel strongly about using a different fruit for these bars, the good news is that this recipe is incredibly versatile. Feel free to use any jam you can dream of!" And since you'll be using preserves either way, you can dish these up deep into wintertime.
Jammy Blackberry Bars
Author: Alex George
Prep Time: 13 min
Cook Time: 25 min
Calories: 410 calories per serving
Servings: 9 servings
Ingredients
- 3¼ cups (390 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt
- 1 cup (226 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
- ½ cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (100 grams) dark brown sugar
- 1 egg, room temperature
- 1 cup (340 grams) blackberry jam
- Confectioners’ sugar for topping
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Line an 8-inch square pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix with a whisk or fork and set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the butter and sugars. Beat on medium speed until creamed, light and fluffy, 4 to 5 minutes. Add in the egg and mix again until combined, making sure to scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Add in the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
- Press one-half of the dough into the prepared pan. Using a spoon or offset spatula, spread the jam across the dough as evenly as possible. Using your hands, crumble the remaining half of the dough on top of the jam. Bake for 18 to 25 minutes, or until the top of the bars is slightly golden. Remove from the oven and let cool for at least 20 minutes. Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar before serving.
Storage: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Riff: Swap the blackberry jam 1:1 for any jam you have on hand!
Excerpted from In The Mood To Bake. Copyright (c) 2026 by Alex George. Used with permission of the publisher, The Countryman Press, a division of W. W. Norton & Company, Inc. All rights reserved. Photo credit Alex George.
