Cornmeal Jam Bar Crunch

My childhood is littered with memories of kitchen goodness. Filled with homemade lemonade using lemons from our tree, spiced apple pies with streusel topping, blueberry muffins, and of course…. these jam bars. My momma’s recipe is a bit different and absolutely delicious without my additions. However, half the fun or cooking and baking, for me, is the process of constantly adapting and creating! Sometimes it goes horribly wrong, and others- it goes so right. My Cornmeal Jam Bar Crunch is guaranteed to hit the spot.

*Updated January 2021

Nutty, crunchy, crumbly and gooey in all the right places. While I love all jam bars, my Cornmeal Jam Bar Crunch is a favorite!

Cornmeal Jam Bar Crunch

5 from 1 vote

Recipe by Susanna Grace Course: DessertDifficulty: Easy

Servings

12

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

30

minutes

Calories

400

kcal

Total time

45

minutes

A sweet treat that hits just right with just one sheet pan. Nutty, crunchy, gooey goodness bursting with fruity jam!

Ingredients

• 2 cups 2 Rolled Oats (not instant or steel cut)

• 1 cup 1 Butter, softened

• 3/4 cup 3/4 Whole Wheat Flour (all purpose is fine)

• 1/2 cup 1/2 All Purpose Flour

• 1/2 cup 1/2 Cornmeal (stone ground preferred)

• 1/2 cup 1/2 Pecans, finely chopped (walnuts would be great), optional

• 3/4 ts 3/4 Salt

• 1/2 ts 1/2 Baking Soda

• 1 cup 1 Brown Sugar

• 1+ cup 1+ Jam or preserves of choice (such as strawberry or cherry)

Directions

• Preheat oven to 400F and grease or line your pan with parchment paper.
• Dump all ingredients, except for preserves, into a large mixing bowl and beat on low speed until combined and crumbly. Reserve 2 cups of mixtures and place to the side.

  • 

• Press remaining mixture into a prepared 9×13 baking dish for thicker gooier bars, and a sheet pan for thin, crunchy bars. Spread liberally with preserves of your choice. Depending on how thick my jam/preserve is I can easily total 1.5 +cups. Depends on you and your jam choice.
• Next, sprinkle your reserved topping over the preserves and pop into the oven for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. I’d set the time for 20, and take a look. My oven runs hot, so I’m extra cautious and always check progress before the recommended time.
• Once golden, remove from oven and allow to stand for 15 mins which will allow the preserves to set. The longer the pan sits the more firm your goodies will become. I recommend cutting into squares while warm… I have forgotten this step several times (squirrel!) and it’s much more difficult to cut when completely cool.

Recipe Video

Notes

• You can easily make these with all, all purpose flour if you don’t have whole wheat and/or cornmeal on hand. I simply enjoy the extra nutty-earthy-crispy-crunch that whole wheat and cornmeal provide!
• If you are planning on pounding the whole pan you can store covered on the counter. If a whole pan is too much for your situation you can freeze some for later. Over here, at least 1/2 the pan gets bagged for the freezer. If you opt to freeze a portion of these goodies, allow the squares to cool completely before freezing so that they don’t stick together!
• Serve these bad boys warm and a la mode or topped with whipped cream! They’re just as delicious with or without the extra bits! They happen to taste just a great straight from the freezer on a hot summer day.
• Please note the nutritional information below was calculated using a calculator designed by: Verywell Fit. This information is accurate to the best of my knowledge, but should not be taken as medical advice 🙂 

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This recipe was a happy accident. I was over here, participating in my state’s stay-at-home order and found myself wanted jam squares. My mom’s recipe calls for chopped nuts which I didn’t have. I looked for the next closest thing and dug up some cornmeal from the back of the fridge. Took a look at it and figured- it was course, nutty in flavor, and grainy the way finely chopped nuts might be. In it went.

The best part about this recipe is how easily you can adjust the ingredients and still WIN!

A perfect last of spring, early summer treat using any sort of jam or preserves from strawberry to rhubarb to blueberry. I have yet to try with other types of flour like coconut, almond, or flax, so if you decide to make a swap for your own ingredients let me know how they turn out! I’d love to share your successes with others who might be wondering how different flours work.

Whether you’re still in isolation, stay-at-homing, or on the go- I hope the smell of love fills your kitchen in one way or another. There will be a time to gather and connect once more, and I can guarantee this Cornmeal Jam Bar Crunch will be the perfect addition to that sweet, sweet day!

If you make this recipe, I’d love you to come back and leave a review. While you’re at it, Save to Pinterest or Share on Facebook. Because sharing is caring, and I’ll need all the support I can get to keep on growing this dream of mine. A place where practical is better than perfect and simple, delicious food is a lifestyle. A place where together, we can begin filling homes and tables with joy!

Hugs, because handshakes are awkward~