For a richer flavor, use brown butter instead of regular butter in the crust. Feel free to experiment with other fruit preserves, such as raspberry or peach. Store leftover squares in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Indulge in the delightful harmony of textures and flavors with these Oatmeal Apricot Squares. A buttery, crumbly oat base embraces a luscious apricot jam filling, crowned with a delicate almond crunch. Perfect for an afternoon treat or a sophisticated dessert.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease an 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray. (5 minutes)
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt. (2 minutes)
Cut in the cold, cubed butter using a pastry blender or your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. (5 minutes)
In a small bowl, combine the beaten egg and almond extract. Stir this mixture into the crumb mixture until just combined. (3 minutes)
Press half of the crumb mixture evenly into the prepared baking dish. Spread the apricot preserves smoothly over the base. Sprinkle the remaining crumb mixture over the apricot layer, and gently press down. (7 minutes)
Evenly distribute the sliced almonds over the top of the squares. (1 minute)
Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the apricot filling is bubbly. (30 minutes)
Remove from the oven and let cool completely on a wire rack before cutting into squares. (60 minutes)
For a richer flavor, use brown butter instead of regular butter in the crust. Feel free to experiment with other fruit preserves, such as raspberry or peach. Store leftover squares in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Viva Dubuque
Jul 1, 2025I found that chilling the dough for 30 minutes before baking helped prevent the bars from spreading too much.
Axel Yundt
Jun 29, 2025These are so much better than store-bought apricot bars! The homemade taste really shines through.
Karen Block
Jun 29, 2025My family devoured these! I used gluten-free flour and they were still amazing.
Tatyana Reinger
Jun 29, 2025I made these for a bake sale and they were a hit! Everyone loved the combination of the oats and apricot.
Branson Powlowski
Jun 28, 2025The recipe was easy to follow and the bars turned out great. I added a little orange zest to the apricot filling for extra flavor.
Ferne Mraz
Jun 27, 2025I added a sprinkle of sea salt on top before baking, and it gave these bars a wonderful sweet-and-salty flavor!
Sam Lindgren
Jun 27, 2025These bars are fantastic! The oat crumble is perfectly sweet and the apricot filling is delicious. Definitely making these again!
Amber Cruickshank
Jun 26, 2025Next time, I might try using a mix of oats and chopped nuts in the crumble topping for added texture.