A Week- Fruit-filled Oatmeal Bars

These oatmeal bars have been a favorite of mine for many years. They are a somewhat healthy bar cookie choice and can be made in just about any flavor you like. For A week, I chose to make them with some homemade apricot freezer jam. They were delicious and disappeared in no time!


Fruit-filled Oatmeal Bars

2 cups flour (could be all-purpose, unbleached, whole wheat, or a mix thereof)
2 cups oats (I usually use half old-fashioned and half quick oats)
1 1/3 cups brown sugar (can be less if using a sweeter jam or pie filling)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup butter, slightly softened
16 to 20 ounces jam, jelly, or pie filling*

Preheat oven to 350*F. Mix flour, oats, brown sugar, and baking soda in a large bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry cutter or hands until well-incorporated and crumbly. Reserve one cup of oat mixture, then firmly press the rest into a lightly greased 9"x13" pan. Spread evenly with jam, jelly, or pie filling. Sprinkle with reserved oat mixture. Bake at 350*F for 30 to 40 minutes, until slightly golden. Cool completely, then cut into bars. Enjoy!


*If using a thick jam or jelly, it can be heated slightly in a small pot on the stove or in the microwave to make it easier to spread. A chunky pie filling like apple would need to be chopped up or pureed in the food processor or blender.