This post is sponsored by Bob’s Red Mill. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to all the readers of A Sassy Spoon for all your support! xo
When you love guava as much as I do, you find every opportunity to make recipes with guava!
With a bottle of guava jam staring me in the face, I decided to make these Guava Jam Bars! They’re sweet, salty, crumbly, buttery, and oh so delicious!
Whether you call them oat bars, oatmeal bars, jam bars, guava bars, or crumble bars, all I know is that you need to make them ASAP!
Let me show you.
Ingredients You’ll Need
I made a tropical crumble with macadamia nuts, shredded coconut flakes, and rolled oats that we’re using for both the crust AND the topping. Efficient! Love that for us.
- Unsalted butter.
- All-purpose flour.
- Bob’s Red Mill Old Fashioned Rolled Oats. They are 100% whole grain, non-GMO, high fiber, and kosher. These oats are freshly milled from the highest quality oats available anywhere. Click here to learn more!
- Light brown sugar.
- Granulated sugar.
- Chopped macadamia nuts.
- Shredded coconut flakes.
- Guava jam. I used this guava jam! You can use any jam you want as long as it’s thick (not runny). If you can’t find guava jam (or guava preserves), you can also use guava paste. Just boil it down with water or lime juice until you get a jam-like consistency.
When you’re done making this recipe, you should make my Cuban Arroz Imperial!
Recommended For This Recipe
8×8 Baking Dish
This is one of my favorite non-stick baking dishes! It is so easy to clean and cooks super evenly.
Step-By-Step Instructions
- Prep the baking dish. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Lightly grease and line an 8×8 baking dish with parchment paper. This will make it easy to remove the bars from the baking dish. Set aside.
- Make the crumble. In a large bowl or stand mixer, mix butter, flour, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until well combined. Fold in the oats, macadamia nuts, and shredded coconut flakes. The dough will be thick, buttery, and crumbly. Don’t be alarmed if it looks dry, that’s totally ok!
- Layer the crust. Evenly press 2/3 of the dough into the prepared baking dish using the bottom of a cup. Make sure the layer is as even as possible so it cooks evenly.
- Spread the jam. Make sure the jam is warm, at room temperature, or cold so it spreads easily. Top the crust with a thick layer of the guava jam making sure it is evenly spread over the crust.
- Add the topping. Using your fingers, break apart the remaining dough and sprinkle it on top of the guava jam so it looks like a crumble topping. Personally, I don’t like to cover the jam completely with the crumble because I like to see some of the jam oozing out of the bar. You do you!
- Bake the bars for 35-38 minutes or until golden brown and the guava jam is bubbling. Careful the guava will be scorching.
- Slice. Allow to cool completely before slicing with a sharp knife. You may have to clean the knife as you go since the guava jam gets sticky. Serve for brunch or dessert. Enjoy!
When you’re done making this recipe, you should make my guava jam thumbprint cookies (torticas de guayaba)!
Recipe Tips
- Line the baking dish. Line and lightly grease the baking dish with parchment paper. Jam can get sticky so lightly greasing the parchment will help remove them easier.
- Use warmed-up jam. Don’t use cold jam. Warm it up a bit so it’s easier to spread over the crust.
- Thick jam. Speaking of jams, use a thick jam or fruit preserves. Avoid anything too watery. I bought this guava jam but I’ve also used guava paste in a pinch. Just boil it down with water until you get a thick, spreadable consistency.
Why not switch things up and make these jam bars using my homemade mango jam too!
- Make it vegan! Use vegan butter if you’d like to turn these bars into vegan guava bars.
- Slicing. I recommend using a very sharp knife to slice these guava bars. For smooth, clean slices, spray the knife with nonstick cooking spray and clean the knife between cuts.
- Scaling. This recipe makes 9 square bars but you can definitely cut them into 12 smaller square bars if you prefer. You can also double this recipe however I recommend using a 9×13 baking dish instead of an 8×8 baking dish.
When you’re done with this recipe, make one of my savory recipes using guava like my delicious guava bbq glazed meatloaf!
Storage Tips
Once completely cooled and sliced, you can transfer any leftovers to an airtight container and keep them at room temperature for 2 days. You can then place them in the fridge for up to 1 week.
If you’d like to freeze these guava bars, you can store them in a parchment-lined freezer-safe container and freeze them for up to 3 months. Thaw to room temperature before serving.
Guava Jam Bars with Coconut Macadamia Oat Crumble Topping
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup Bob’s Red Mill Old Fashioned Rolled Oats
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar packed
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup macadamia nuts roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup shredded coconut flakes
- 1 1/2 cup guava jam or jam of your choice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Lightly grease and line an 8×8 baking dish with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large bowl or stand mixer, mix butter, flour, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until well combined. Fold in the oats, macadamia nuts, and shredded coconut flakes. The dough will be thick, buttery, and crumbly. Don’t be alarmed if it looks dry, that’s totally ok!
- Evenly press 2/3 of the dough into the prepared baking dish using the bottom of a cup. Make sure the layer is as even as possible so it cooks evenly.
- Make sure the jam is warm, at room temperature, or cold so it spreads easily. Top the crust with a thick layer of the guava jam making sure it is evenly spread over the crust.
- Using your fingers, break apart the remaining dough and sprinkle it on top of the guava jam so it looks like a crumble topping. Personally, I don't like to cover the jam completely with the crumble because I like to see some of the jam oozing out of the bar. You do you!
- Bake the bars for 35-38 minutes or until golden brown and the guava jam is bubbling. Careful the guava will be scorching.
- Allow to cool completely before slicing with a sharp knife. You may have to clean the knife as you go since the guava jam gets sticky. Serve for brunch or dessert. Enjoy!
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