Who else agrees that apricots are Summer’s most underrated fruit?! There is one thing I do think is better than fresh apricots, though, and that would be fresh apricot jam! Hence, the inspiration behind these absolutely decadent and fruit-filled Vegan Apricot Jam Crumble Bars.
The best vegan apricot bar recipe
There’s something magical about turning slightly bitter fruit like oranges and apricots into a sweet jam. Plus, there’s the added bonus of essentially being able to make your fruit last past peak season. These apricot jam crumble bars taste like a sugar cookie filled with tart jam and crispy almonds on top. If that doesn’t sound like the absolute best apricot jam dessert recipe, I don’t know what does!
Can I use another fruit Jam In This Recipe?
The short answer is YES! It’s an easy 1:1 swap with any other jam you might be wanting to bake with. I’m obviously biased and feel apricot jam is the best choice, but I have tried this recipe with raspberry jam and orange marmalade and loved it with all of those flavors!
P.S- I also have a similar (but gluten-free) recipe on SGTO for Vegan Blueberry Bars if you’re looking to try another flavor.
How to make a quick homemade apricot jam
If you do attempt to make your own jam just remember it can really vary by batch! I’ve tried this recipe a few times and each time the volume of jam I end up differs slightly. I think a lot of this has to do with how ripe your apricots are and the amount of water in them. I can tell you that the very best apricot jam happened the time I made this recipe with very ripe and soft apricots vs. slightly under-ripe ones.
Apricot Jam Takes Around 30 Minutes to Make
I also know that, compared to jam made with citrus fruit, apricot jam takes longer to get to the setting point (around 20-30 minutes) and therefore there is more time for water to evaporate from the fruit. This could very likely be what is leading to different results in the quantity of jam I get each time. Apricots also contain less pectin than citrus fruits so it does create a bit of a runnier jam that still holds its shape.
Does apricot jam need pectin?
This apricot jam can be made without pectin! I personally haven’t tried making jam with pectin yet so I can’t speak to that method in detail. I found this jam gets plenty thick without any pectin added.
Most Importantly- Don’t Overcook the Apricot Jam!
I’ve done this before and it essentially turns into a hard candy if the sugar is caramelized and won’t be spreadable. Once the jam is cooked, it will still be hot and, therefore, will be runny. Once it has time to cool and set in the fridge, it will thicken up.
The other reason you don’t want to cook the jam too long as it will get rid of any small chunks of apricot which lend tons of texture and flavor to this jam recipe.
I really hope you enjoy these Vegan Apricot Jam Crumble Bars! I know they’re a favorite in my house right now, and I’ve already been requested to bring them to several parties coming up. I usually bring extra treats to my office to share and was even told by my boyfriend that I need to keep these bars at home so he can eat them all, so I promise they are good. Happy Summer Baking!
-TSG
Looking for more vegan fruit desserts? Check out these SGTO favorites made with fresh fruit!
Vanilla Cupcakes with fresh berries
Vegan Apricot Jam Crumble Bars
These vegan crumble bars can be made with any jam but they taste best with a homemade apricot jam. The perfect fruit filled treat any time of year!
Ingredients
- Vegan Apricot Jam
- 2-3 small apricots (about 1 cup diced)
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- Vegan Crumble Bars
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup coconut oil (liquid)
- 1 flax egg (mix 1 Tbsp ground flax seed with 3 Tbsp water and let sit 5-10 minutes until thick paste formed)
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste/extract
- 2 Tbsp non-dairy milk (I used almond milk)
- 6 Tbsp apricot jam (made above)
- 1/8 cup crushed almonds
Instructions
Apricot Jam Recipe:
- First, make the Apricot Jam. Add all of the jam ingredients to a small saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil.
- Once the jam is boiling, turn the heat down to a simmer so that the jam is still bubbling but more slowly. Stir consistently and cook the jam anywhere from 20-30 minutes. You can check if the jam is ready through several methods, but I like to dip a spoon into the jam at the 20 minute mark to check. If the jam easily runs off the spoon, continue to cook. If the jam slowly falls off the spoon in clumps, it is likely ready and can be removed from the heat. If you have a candy thermometer the setting point for Jam is 220F/105C which is the most accurate way to check your jam.
- Once the jam is cooked, remove from the stove and set aside. Jam can be stored in a closed container in the fridge for 1 week.
Vegan Crumble Bar Recipe:
- Preheat your oven to 350F.
- In a mixing bowl sift together your flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl add in your sugar, coconut oil, flax egg, nut milk, and vanilla bean paste and use a standing mixer/whisk to combine. Once combined, slowly add in your dry mix containing the flour, salt, and baking soda until thoroughly mixed.The batter will be thick like cookie dough, but should not be dry and crumbly. If the batter is too dry, add in 1/2 Tbsp of extra nut milk at a time until you get a firm but semi-sticky dough texture.
- Take out 3/4 of your dough and add it to a greased 8*8 ceramic baking dish. Use a spatula or spoon to pat the dough down so that it is spread evenly. Add to the oven and bake for 10 minutes.
- While the dough is baking, chop your almonds and add them to the remaining 1/4 of dough in the mixing bowl.
- Remove the baking dish from the oven at the 10 minute mark and evenly coat with the apricot jam. Next, take your remaining dough with the chopped almonds, break into chunks, and sprinke the junks of dough on top of the jam.
- Add the dish to the oven and bake an additional 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool before slicing into 9 even pieces. Enjoy!
Notes
Jam recipe can be doubled or tripled if you would like leftover apricot jam
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 9 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 369Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 21mgSodium: 315mgCarbohydrates: 56gFiber: 2gSugar: 31gProtein: 5g
ShortGirlTallOrder occasionally offers nutritional information for recipes contained on this site. This information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although shortgirltallorder.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
Lisa says
Hey Short Girl!
I made these as soon as Imperfect Produce posted it in an email. I switched in Peaches since they were in season and it turned out delicious. In the peach preserves I added cinnamon and basil from my garden.
Also I used 1/2 oat flour and it made it much more substantial with a slightly nutty flavor.
Thanks for creating this amazing recipe!!
mhorowitch8 says
Hey Lisa- so glad you enjoyed the recipe! Peach Preserves with cinnamon and basil sounds so amazing. I will definitely have to try using oat flour too, what a great addition and thanks for sharing 🙂