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Any Fruit Oat and Pretzel Bars
These sweet and salty bars are made with layers of fresh berries and fruit jam, sandwiched between a buttery oatmeal shortbread and a crunchy salted pretzel topping. They’re packed with oats, a little brown sugar, plenty of vanilla, and just the right amount of jam. Use whatever you have on hand—any fruit jam or preserve works, and mixing a few together makes them even more fun! These are perfect for breakfast, afternoon snacks, or even a light dessert.
I always have at least a couple of open jars of jam in the fridge—I guess I’m a jam girl at heart! Growing up, I’d watch my grandpa start his mornings with bread spread with salted butter and jam, always topped with a little extra pinch of salt (he loves salt).
When I started cooking and baking, I naturally found myself buying the same jams my Nonnie used to get for him. I don’t usually add jam to toast myself—although, now that I think about it, that sounds pretty great—but I do love baking with it, especially in the summer.
Jam is one of my favorite shortcut ingredients. It cuts out the need for chopping fruit or simmering sauces—no fuss at all. It’s just open, spread, and go.
So when I find myself with a few half-used jars in the fridge, I make these bars. They’re the perfect way to use up leftover jam, and you can mix and match flavors depending on what you have. Super simple, super delicious—and always a hit!
These are the details
Ingredients
- mini salted pretzel twist
- old-fashioned oats
- all-purpose or whole wheat flour
- brown sugar, preferably dark brown and organic – I don’t use a lot
- baking powder
- salted butter
- vanilla extract
- jam – etc, strawberry/raspberry/blackberry/blueberry/peach
- fresh berries
Special Tools
To make these bars, you need a food processor or blender, a mixing bowl, and a rectangular baking dish. Plus, parchment paper.
Steps
Step 1: Grind the pretzels
Using a food processor or blender, pulse the pretzels into a coarse flour. They don’t need to be completely ground—a few small pieces are just fine!
Step 2: Make the dough
Transfer the pretzel flour to a bowl. Add the oats, all-purpose flour, baking powder, a pinch of salt, and brown sugar. The recipe calls for 1/4 to 1/2 cup of sugar, but I usually go with just 1/4 cup for a less sweet bar—feel free to adjust based on your preference!
Add in the butter and vanilla, then beat everything together until a soft dough forms.
Step 3: Add the jam
Press about a 1/3 of the dough into a baking dish. Top with a layer of fresh berries or sliced peaches, then spread your favorite jam (or a mix!). Just make sure to use a thicker jam so it doesn’t get too runny while baking.
Crumble the remaining dough evenly over the top.
Step 4: Bake
Bake the bars for 30–40 minutes, until the top is golden brown and your kitchen smells like summer.
Let the bars cool completely before slicing into squares—then enjoy!
How Best to Enjoy These
These bars are perfect for breakfast (especially if you go light on the sugar), as an afternoon snack, or even for dessert—maybe with a scoop of ice cream?
Technically, you’re supposed to let them cool before slicing… but eating them warm, straight from the pan, is so good. Add a little vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream, and you’ve got something extra delicious.
Looking for other summer desserts? Here are some favorites:
Jammy Raspberry Cream Pretzel Hand Pies
Skillet Strawberry Bourbon Cobbler
5 ingredient Raspberry Peach Sherbet
Nonnie’s 5 Ingredient Peach Dump
Cinnamon Maple Brown Butter Blackberry Peach Crisp
Lastly, if you make these Any Fruit Oat and Pretzel Bars, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love hearing from you and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And, of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Any Fruit Oat and Pretzel Bars
Ingredients
- 4 cups salted mini pretzels
- 1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
- 1/2 cup all-purpose or whole wheat flour
- 1/4 - 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 sticks salted butter, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 10-12 ounces jam - strawberry, blackberry, or blueberry
- 1/2 cup fresh berries, chopped strawberries, raspberries, etc.
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9x13 inch baking dish with parchment paper.2. Using a food processor or blender, grind the pretzels into a fine powder or flour. Measure out 1 cup of pretzel flour and add it to a big bowl. Add the oats, flour, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the butter and vanilla. Beat the butter into the flour until combined.3. Press 1/3 of the dough into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Spread the jam evenly over the dough, then top with berries. Sprinkle the remaining dough over the jam. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the crumble is golden brown4. Let cool completely before cutting into bars. Keep stored in a sealed container for up to 1 week.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Doesn’t the amount of sugar have an effect on the texture of the dough? If I only use 2 tablespoons like you do won’t the dough be a different consistency than if I used a whole 1/2 cup? Baking is really a science so I don’t understand how you can use such different amounts and get the same result.
Hi Kellie,
This recipe works well using between 1/4-1/2 cup of sugar, it really just depends on your sweetness preference. Please let me know if you give this recipe a try! xx
I want to make these but really don’t understand how much sugar to add. Your recipe says 1/4c -1/2c which is already quite a range, but then you wrote that you only use 2 tbsp. I am hesitant to try these because if you don’t even follow your own recipe it makes me suspicious.
Hi Molly,
So sorry for any confusion, I’ve edited the recipe to be 1/4-1/2 cup of sugar depending on how sweet you would like your bars. I hope you love this recipe! xx
Sorry but these had WAY too much salt. Salted butter, salt in the dough, salt in the pretzels. There’s a reason many people use unsalted butter! These were not well received.
Hi Anne,
Very sorry to hear this! If you want to try again, I would use unsalted butter and skip the salt in the dough. I hope this helps! xx
“The recipe calls for 1/4 to 1/2 cup of sugar, but I usually go with just 2 tablespoons for a less sweet bar—feel free to adjust based on your preference“
This part is really confusing. So how much sugar should I use? I can’t really know ahead of time what my preference is because I don’t know exactly how sweet my result will be just by reading the recipe. I understand there are certain aspects of certain recipes that can be left up to the preference of the chef but i’m kind of afraid to make these without a definitive sugar measurement because at the end of the day I just want them to taste good. What sugar measurement did your family like the best?
Hi Harper,
Thanks for sharing this feedback. My family prefers a less sweet bar, so I would go with 1/4 cup of brown sugar. Please let me know if you give them a try, I hope you love them! xx
If you only use 2 tablespoons of sugar when you baked these then why do you write a recipe that says 1/4-1/2 cup? That is a huge difference and would also change the consistency of the dough.
Hi Hannah,
Thanks for sharing this feedback. The recipe has been edited, you will want to use 1/4-1/2 cup of sugar. Please let me know if I can help in any other way! xx
These were easy to make, we used homemade blackberry jam. The issue was these were so so salty! The salt on the pretzels plus salted butter plus the additional salt was too much for us. The pretzels likely have enough salt, I would recommend not adding additional salt and probably could use unsalted butter too.
Hi Laura,
Thanks for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback, sorry about the salt! I hope you will give them another try! xx
In your write up, you say grind the pretzels into a coarse flour, some small bits are OK. But the recipe states to grind into a fine flour. Which is it? Also, this is your recipe, so why not just make the measurement 2 tbs and then say “up to 1/2 C depending on desired sweetness?” The way it’s written makes it seem like you are adjusting someone else’s recipe.
Hi Cherry,
You will want to grind your pretzels into a coarse flour. You can use between 1/4-1/2 cup of the brown sugar in this recipe. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
The recipe calls for 1/4 – 1/2 cup sugar but you use 2 tablespoons sugar. Why not write the recipe as you make it?
Hi Marla,
You will want to use 1/4-1/2 cup of sugar for this recipe. Please let me know if you give it a try! T
why do you call for 4 cups of pretzels if you’re only measuring out 1 cup of pretzel flour? that seems like a lot of waste?
Hi Chloe,
Once the 4 cups has been blended down, you are going to have much less than that:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
Hi! I’m confused by the amount of sugar that I should use? 2tbs? 1/4c? Or 1/2c? I’ve always been told that “baking is a science” and precise measurements are crucial to success. Can you specify the ideal amount from your testing as opposed to making it seem like a “choose your own adventure”? Thanks!
Hi Anna,
You can use anywhere between 1/4-1/2 cup of sugar, the recipe works nicely either way:) Please let me know if I can help in any other way! xx
Why do you specify organic for brown sugar?
Hi Rachel,
That is what I prefer to use, but you should use your favorite brown sugar:) I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xT
You have two different amounts of dough listed in instructions verses recipe, which is correct?
Hi Jane,
You are going to press 1/3 of the dough into the baking pan in step 3 and then top with the remaining dough after the jam and berries are spread. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
Why does it matter if the brown sugar is organic or not?
Hi Jennifer,
That is what I prefer to use, but you can use your favorite brown sugar. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xx
Curious about the order of berries and jam in that step (3). You state “ Top with berries. Spread the jam evenly over the berries.” but that seems difficult to spread jam evenly over berries, especially if you haven’t warmed or thinned it. Also in your photo, it pretty clearly shows you evenly spread the jam then put the raspberries on top. I’d suggest correcting your recipes verbiage to match what you did/is in your photos/what is easier.
Hi Deb,
Thanks for sharing your feedback and pointing this out. So you are going to spread with jam first, then top with berries, then sprinkle with the remaining dough. I hope this makes more sense! xx
Would like to make these but what size of baking dish do you recommend? 9×13?
Hi Jacqueline,
Yes, you will want to use a 9×13 baking dish. I hope you love this recipe! xx
Good morning! This looks so good. I was just curious – when do you think you’ll be back in your studio? Do you plan on also using that location for some of your lifestyle shoots too? I’m always so interested in the behind the scenes!!
Thanks so much, Aly!! I am honestly not sure yet, everything is a bit up in the air:) Will definitely keep you posted though! xxT