Orange Raspberry Streusel Bars

What happens when you want lemon bars and you want fruit-filled streusel bars and you have a pile of oranges on your counter? Well, if you’re me, you’ll turn those lemon bars into orange bars and marry them with raspberry streusel bars.

Then, if you have a few extra raspberries and a squeeze bottle you can’t resist, you might just drizzle those bars with raspberry glaze. And you will end up with these seriously delicious, orange cream filled, raspberry packed, oh so pretty bars!

Hello, all!

I really love getting into the kitchen, trying some new, and coming up with a recipe that’s a twist on what I’ve tried before, but takes it in a different direction. Especially when the results are so tasty!

And even more fun was making these with my daughter. She has always enjoyed baking with me, so she is the one who did most of the pressing of the crust (I just showed her what to do), and she also made the streusel topping and scattered it over the bars. Honestly, with a little bit of advice and some help with the oven, she could make these all by herself.

Which means don’t be scared of the ingredients list! Each section goes fast and mixes together simply without any fussiness.

Now, the bars are wonderful and tasty all by themselves, and that is probably how I would serve them if I was just making them for us. However, I think the raspberry glaze makes these bars extra pretty!

I would definitely do that again if I was bringing them anywhere. It just makes them perfect for a Valentine’s Day get-together, or for Easter, or for any party throughout the year with hungry people. 🙂 You don’t need to add the glaze, but you totally should.

No squeeze bottle? No problem! Use a thick, plastic resealable bag (like a freezer bag) with the corner cut off and you’ll be all set.

The only danger in these bars is keeping them from being eaten before it’s time. Once I let the family have a taste of the extras, I had to stand guard over the bars to take pictures of them. I’m rather surprised I didn’t have to slap any fingers, but they were good and confined themselves to hovering while I worked.

If you try my recipe for Orange Raspberry Streusel Bars, I would love to hear from you in the comments with your experience and rating! And I’m happy to answer any questions you might have.

– Happy Eating, Annemarie

Print Recipe

5 from 5 votes

Raspberry Orange Streusel Bars

Raspberries pair with an orange cream filling and are topped by an oatmeal streusel in these flavorful and easy bar cookies.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time50 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: raspberry bars, streusel bars

Servings: 24 bars

Calories: 225kcal

Author: justalittlebitofbacon

Ingredients

Crust

• 12 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp table salt
• 2 cups (250 gm) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup old fashioned oats

Filling

• 1 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 tsp orange zest
• 12 oz raspberries

Topping

• 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp table salt
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350F.
• Line a 9x13 baking pan with parchment paper so that some overhangs the sides and grease the paper with spray oil or soft butter.

Make the Crust

• In a medium bowl, mix butter with sugar, vanilla, and salt.
• Add flour and oats and mix until combined.
• Press the mixture into the baking pan to produce an even layer. Bake until just beginning to brown, 11-13 minutes.

Make the Filling

• While the crust is baking, mix together condensed milk, orange juice, lemon juice, egg yolks, and orange zest. Let it for 5-10 minutes so that it will thicken slightly.
• Make sure the raspberries are fairly dry since you don't want to add much liquid to the filling.
• Once the crust comes out of the oven, pour the orange mixture over the hot crust.
• Dot the raspberries around so they are fairly well spread out. Bake for 7-8 minutes, until the orange filling forms a shiny skin.

Make the Streusel

• While the filling bakes, make the streusel. Blend together all the streusel ingredients with your fingers until they are well combined.
• Once the bars come out of the oven, sprinkle the streusel over the top and press it in slightly as you work.
• Return the bars to the oven and bake for 30 minutes more.
• Cool the bars to room temperature, then pull them out of the pan using the overhang. If desired, top with raspberry glaze. Cut into 24 bars.

Notes

• Frozen Raspberries: If using frozen raspberries, allow the raspberries to thaw completely, then drain them, and blot them dry with paper towels.
• Raspberry Glaze: To add the raspberry glaze, mix together 3 tbsp raspberry juice (press raspberries through a fine mesh sieve and collect the juice) with 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar until smooth. The glaze should be thick but flow off the spoon. Add more raspberry juice or some milk to thin the glaze if needed. Drizzle over the bars once they have cooled to room temperature, using either a squeeze bottle or a plastic freezer bag with the corner snipped off.
• Alternate Crust/Topping: For a streamlined version of the crust and topping (one mix for each) which can be used in place of the recipes here, go to my Apple Crisp Bars.