Blueberry Jam and Hazelnut Bars

These delicious and easy to make Blueberry Jam and Hazelnut Bars are made with homemade blueberry jam and toasted hazelnuts. Don't have any of these ingredients? You can put your own twist on these jam bars and use your favorite jam and nut combination!

I used to think that making homemade jam wasn't worth the effort. But I realized that if I made small batches that could be consumed within a few weeks, the jam could be stored in the refrigerator and I wouldn't have to sterilize the jars.

You only need three ingredients to make this delicious low-sugar blueberry jam. Since then, I've made other berry jams and this plum jam recipe. Either would be delicious in these jam shortbread bars.

This blueberry jam bar recipe is inspired by a dessert that my mom makes. The bars are composed of two layers of what I can only describe as a cross between shortbread and cake and contain jam and nuts sandwiched in the centre of the layers. In Arabic, this dessert is called 'Biscotta'. Since blueberries and hazelnuts pair so well, I decided to make a batch using blueberry jam and toasted hazelnuts.

How to Make it

These bars taste amazing, blueberry jam and hazelnuts work perfectly in this recipe. But since this recipe is super adaptable you can make it with other nut and jam combinations. Think strawberry jam with walnuts or raspberry jam combined with almonds.

Here's an overview of the ingredients and steps to making these jam bars. Please see the recipe card at the end of the post for the full recipe.

Ingredients Overview

• All-purpose flour
• Baking powder and salt
• Unsalted butter
• Sugar
• Eggs
• Vanilla extract and lemon zest (lemon zest can be omitted)
• Blueberry jam - or other jam of choice
• Hazelnuts - You can also use walnuts, almonds or cashews.

Steps Overview

1. Preheat the oven and line a 9x13 inch baking pan with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, add the flour, baking powder and salt, whisk and set aside.
3. Melt butter and whisk with the granulated sugar until they are combined. Add the eggs, vanilla and lemon zest and whisk to combine.
4. Add a third of the flour mixture and whisk to incorporate it into the batter, repeat with each third until all the flour is mixed in. Divide the dough into two portions, one just a bit larger than the other.
5. Keep the larger half to work with immediately and place the smaller portion in the freezer. This will make it easier to grate the top layer of the bars.
6. Press the larger half onto the bottom of the pan, gently pressing down on the surface to make sure that the bottom layer is even.
7. Spread the blueberry jam on the bottom half and sprinkle with the chopped hazelnuts.
8. Remove the remaining dough from the freezer and using the large holes of a box grater, run the dough across the grater to create a crumbled topping. Make sure to spread the topping evenly across the top of the bars.
9. Bake until the edges of the bars are golden, about 35 to 40 minutes. Cool pan on a rack for 15 minutes before cutting into bars.

Serving Suggestions

You can serve biscotta for dessert, but since they are light and not overly sweet, they also make a great snack and go perfectly with a hot cup of tea or coffee.

If you've got extra homemade jam you need to use up, you can spread it on fresh bread with a piece of brie or other cheese and it's also excellent stirred into yogurt or on top of vanilla ice cream.

Storage Instructions

These jam shortbread bars can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. Store remaining bars in the refrigerator or freeze the bars in an airtight container for up to three months. Thaw them overnight in the refrigerator.

Enjoy!

More Delicious Treats

• Chewy Almond Marzipan Bars
• Apricot Almond Bars
• Espresso Cardamom Shortbread Cookies
• Baklava Rolls

Blueberry Jam and Hazelnut Bars

Author: Sweet and Savoury Pursuits

These bars are made with blueberry jam and hazelnuts but you can use your favourite jam and nut combination and put your own twist on them!

4.88 from 8 votes

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Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Course Dessert/ snack

Cuisine European, Middle-Eastern, Western

Servings 24 bars

Calories 236 kcal

Ingredients

  

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For the crust and topping:

• 3.5 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• ¼ tsp. salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 tsp. lemon zest

For the filling:

• ¾ cup blueberry jam or other jam
• 1 cup hazelnuts toasted, skinned and roughly chopped

Instructions

 

• Place a rack in the centre of your oven and preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking pan and line it with parchment paper making sure to leave a few inches of paper hanging over opposite sides of the pan. Doing this will make it easier to lift the finished bars out of the pan.
• In a medium bowl, add the flour, baking powder and salt, whisk and set aside.
• Melt the butter in the microwave.
• In a large bowl, add the melted butter and granulated sugar. Whisk vigorously until butter and sugar are well combined.
• Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking after each addition until the egg is blended into the batter.
• Add vanilla and lemon zest and whisk into batter.
• Add one-third of the flour mixture and whisk to incorporate into batter, repeat with each third until all flour is mixed in.
• If the dough remains too sticky, go ahead and add that extra half cup of flour. Mix it in the dough and divide the dough into two portions, one just a bit larger than the other.
• Keep the larger half to work with immediately and place the smaller portion (wrapped in plastic wrap) in the freezer until ready to use.
• Press dough onto the bottom of the pan. Gently press down on surface to make sure that the bottom is even.
• Spread blueberry jam on bottom half of the dough and sprinkle with the chopped hazelnuts.
• Remove the remaining dough from the refrigerator, working with a bit at a time and using the large holes of a box grater, run the dough across the grater to create a crumbled topping.
• Spread the topping evenly across the top of the bars.
• Bake until the edges of the bars are golden, about 35 to 40 minutes. If surface of bars isn't golden place it under the broiler for about two minutes until the top is golden.
• Cool on a rack for 15 minutes and then pulling up on sides of parchment paper lift bars out of the pan onto the cutting board and cut into evenly sized bars.

Notes

1. The bars can be stored in the refrigerator for 5 days, or frozen for later consumption.

Nutrition

Calories: 236kcalCarbohydrates: 31gProtein: 3gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 41mgSodium: 33mgPotassium: 114mgFiber: 1gSugar: 14gVitamin A: 267IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 34mgIron: 1mg

Keyword Biscotta, Blueberry Jam and Hazelnut Bars, Blueberry Jam Bars, Jam Bars

Tried this recipe? Have any questions, comments or suggestions? Leave a comment below!Mention @sweetandsavourypursuits or tag #sweetandsavourypursuits!

Recipe was updated, September 19, 2022.