Oatmeal Jam Bar Mix-in-a-Jar ~ Free Printable Recipe Kit

"As they gathered about the table, Mrs. March said,

with a particularly happy face,

"I've got a treat for you after supper."
A quick, bright smile went round like a streak of sunshine."

~ Louisa May Alcott, Little Women

Do you ever stare at the rows of jams and jellies in your pantry and get discouraged that you have not used them up? Here is one of our favorite ways to enjoy a health"ier" sweet treat while utilizing some common pantry ingredients. So, next time you find yourself in a "jam", throw together these simple dessert bars! They can even double as breakfast bars on some special day! 

I prefer to prepare batches as pre-made pantry mixes. This can be quickly accomplished while you have out all the ingredients! It is especially simple with our recipe kit which includes the directions, jar labels and instruction labels. I like to make up six jars at a time but larger families may want to make a few more. 

To Make the Mix ~

Place inside a quart-sized jar the following ingredients:

• 1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour * (or gluten-free flour blend)
• 1 1/2 c. oatmeal (press mixture down after adding oatmeal to make room in jar)
• 1/2 c. packed brown sugar  (or coconut sugar, muscovado sugar, etc.)
• 1 tsp. salt  (we use sea or Himalayan pink salt)
• 1 tsp. baking powder 
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda 
• 1/4 c. chia seeds (optional) * I include these for the added crunch, fiber, antioxidants, protein and amino acids, essential minerals and vitamins A, B and E. Unfortunately, I think most of the essential fatty acids are destroyed in the baking process. 
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon (optional)

* Variation: You can also use 3/4 c. whole wheat flour and 3/4 c. regular flour for a healthier blend. However, due to the shelf life of whole-wheat flour, the mix would only keep for 6-months. With the white flour it will keep for 1 year.

Once ingredients are added, place the lid firmly back on the jar and give it a good shake. The mix is now complete. Simply label and attach directions to the jars (our printable is shared at the bottom of this post).

To Prepare the Oatmeal Jam Bars ~

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch square baking dish.

Dump the homemade mix into a medium-sized mixing bowl and add:

• 3/4 c. coconut oil (melted) *

* Variation: You can substitute the coconut oil for the same amount of cubed, cold, unsalted butter. Just scatter the pieces of butter over the flour mixture and cut in the butter with a pastry cutter until the mixture is moist and crumbly.



Stir ingredients together until moist and crumbly.

• Measure 2 loose cups of the mixture and press it into the bottom of the greased pan. Smear 1/2 cup of jam/jelly gently across the top. Sprinkle the remaining crumb mixture evenly over the jam layer and press down carefully until the crumble is somewhat firm. Bake until the top is golden brown for approx. 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool completely in the pan on a rack and then cut into bars. Refrigerate for a firmer bar.

OR

* Variation (for a thinner bar): Add 2 loose cups of the mixture and press it into the bottom of a greased 9 by 12-inch pan. Smear 1 cup of jam/jelly gently across the top. Sprinkle the remaining crumb mixture evenly over the jam layer and press down carefully until crumble is somewhat firm. Bake until the top is golden brown for approx. 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool completely in the pan on a rack and then cut into bars. Refrigerate for a firmer bar.

The nice thing about making your own mixes is that you can control the quality of ingredients and avoid all the artificial additions. Instead of iodized table salt, we are able to use the healthy sea or pink salts. Instead of baking powder laden with cancer-causing aluminum, we can choose the "clean" version. Instead of bleached sugar, we are able to use a more natural version of sweetener. It is a win-win and a wonderful way to build up your pantry!

HERE is our printable recipe kit (you may also want to add it to your recipe book). Do you like to do these kinds of make-ahead projects? I adore them!

P.S. This recipe will also be featured in our upcoming "food storage/pantry" cookbook as I have been doing my own homework to find recipes made directly with shelf stable foods from the pantry. I hope you enjoy it!

You may also be interested in our other printable recipe kits for:

Cornbread Mix-in-a-Jar

GF Pizza Crust Mix-in-a-Jar
Oatmeal Muffin Mix-in-a-Jar
Savory Herb Butter Dinner "Roll" Muffin Mix-in-a-Jar

All the fine print. This post may be shared with some or all of the following link-ups: The Art of Home-Making Mondays, Modest Mom Monday's, Monday's Musings, Make Your Home Sing Monday, Good Morning Mondays,  The Scoop, Tuesdays with a Twist, Raising Homemakers, Wise Woman Link Up, Homestead Blog Hop,  Wow Us Wednesdays,  Coffee and Conversation, Homemaking Thursdays, Home Sweet Home, Our Simple Homestead, Awesome Life Friday Link Up and Shabbilicious Friday. Thank you lovely ladies for hosting these. This post may contain affiliate links (which are merchant links that help to support this site at no additional cost to you if you purchase an item through them).  Recipe was slightly adapted from here.