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Home / Recipes

Skinny Raspberry Shortbread Bars

5
/5
55 minutes
22 Comments
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By: The Chunky Chefpublished: 12/16/2015

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Buttery and sweet, these skinny raspberry shortbread bars are definitely not short on flavor!  You’ll never be able to tell they have under 200 calories per bar!!

These raspberry shortbread bars got a makeover 😉  They’re made with fewer calories than typical shortbread bars, yet are packed full of flavor.  You can whip these bars up with NO mixer and very little “hands on” time, and they certainly have that WOW factor!

Skinny Raspberry Shortbread Bars | These buttery and sweet raspberry bars have under 200 calories per bar, making them the perfect lighter dessert! | http://thechunkychef.comDon’t you guys just love desserts?? I’ve made these raspberry shortbread bars quite a few times, and every time I get just as giddy as the first time. They’re buttery, sweet but not TOO sweet, with that awesome streusel topping and topped off with a decadent drizzle of milk chocolate.

Skinny Raspberry Shortbread Bars | Buttery and sweet, these raspberry shortbread bars are definitely not short on flavor! You'll never be able to tell they're made with fewer calories!

These bars are completely delicious without the drizzled chocolate, but c’mon… things are always better with a little bit of chocolate right?

Skinny Raspberry Shortbread Bars | Buttery and sweet, these raspberry shortbread bars are definitely not short on flavor! You'll never be able to tell they're made with fewer calories!

My secret weapon for all my no regrets baking is Born Sweet® Zingâ„¢ Baking Blend!  Have you guys seen this product?  Zingâ„¢ Baking Blend is made with stevia leaf extract and pure cane sugar. With just 5 calories per serving, it’s a great way to lighten up your recipes by sweetening with less calories!  And my favorite part about it, is that it bakes and browns JUST like sugar.  No weird taste or consistency here folks.

Skinny Raspberry Shortbread Bars | Buttery and sweet, these raspberry shortbread bars are definitely not short on flavor! You'll never be able to tell they're made with fewer calories!

In fact, I guarantee you if I made these for you, and didn’t tell you it was made using Zing, you’d NEVER be able to tell!  All the great taste, and none of the guilt!  Now that’s a dessert I can get behind 😉

Skinny Raspberry Shortbread Bars | Buttery and sweet, these raspberry shortbread bars are definitely not short on flavor! You'll never be able to tell they're made with fewer calories!

The shortbread comes together with just a plastic spatula, no mixer required!  Once you press it into the bottom of your pan, just pop it in the oven.

Spread the crust with your favorite raspberry preserves, no need to let it cool first, and sprinkle the preserves with your streusel topping.  Slide the pan in the oven and let it bake while you go enjoy some “you” time.

You can slice the cooled bars into however many servings you’d like… I typically go for 18 smaller bars, or 9 larger ones.

A word of caution though… once you make these bars, if you share them with anyone, they’ll be requesting them again and again…. so be prepared lol.

Skinny Raspberry Shortbread Bars | Buttery and sweet, these raspberry shortbread bars are definitely not short on flavor! You'll never be able to tell they're made with fewer calories!

To really amplify the almond flavor from the crust, you can sprinkle the top of the bars with sliced almonds!

You can also use this recipe as a great base, and substitute your favorite fruit flavors… like strawberry, blueberry, blackberry, you name it!

Enjoy!

Recipe inspired by Sally’s Baking Addiction

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!

Skinny Raspberry Shortbread Bars | These buttery and sweet raspberry bars have under 200 calories per bar, making them the perfect lighter dessert! | http://thechunkychef.com

Skinny Raspberry Shortbread Bars

5 from 3 votes
Author: The Chunky Chef
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Calories: 189
Servings: 18 bars
(hover over # to adjust)
Print Rate Pin
Buttery and sweet, these raspberry shortbread bars are definitely not short on flavor! You'll never be able to tell they're made with fewer calories!

Ingredients

  • SHORTBREAD CRUST:
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted
  • 2 Tbsp Zing Baking Blend
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp almond extract
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • FILLING:
  • 10 oz raspberry preserves
  • STREUSEL TOPPING:
  • 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
  • 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp light brown sugar packed
  • 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp Zing Baking Blend
  • 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter cut into small cubes and kept cold, 1/2 stick
  • 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
  • 1 tsp vegetable oil
  • fresh raspberries for garnishing, optional

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Line the bottom and sides of an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving enough overhang on all sides. Set aside.
  • To Make the Shortbread Crust:
  • In a medium mixing bowl, stir the melted butter, Zing baking blend, vanilla, almond and salt together. Add the flour and stir until everything is combined. Mixture will be the consistency of wet sand. Using the back of a rubber spatula, press the shortbread mixture into the bottom of prepared baking pan in an even layer.
  • Bake for 15 minutes.
  • Remove the crust from the oven, and increase the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
  • Spread preserves evenly over warm crust.
  • To Make the Streusel Topping:
  • In a mixing bowl stir the oats, brown sugar, Zing, cinnamon, and flour together.
  • Using a food processor, pastry cutter, two forks or your hands, work the cold butter into the mixture. Mixture should look like very coarse crumbs.
  • Sprinkle the streusel topping over the raspberry preserves in an even layer.
  • Bake for 30 minutes, until the preserves are bubbly and the streusel is golden.
  • Let pan cool at room temperature for 20-30 minutes, then refrigerate for several hours to completely set.
  • To serve:
  • Carefully use the overhang of parchment paper to lift the bars out of the pan and slice into desired number of bars.
  • If desired, drizzle bars with melted milk chocolate (see notes section below).
  • Garnish with fresh raspberries and/or sliced almonds if desired.

Want to save this recipe for later? Click the heart in the bottom right corner to save to your own recipe box!

Chef Tips

TO MELT THE CHOCOLATE:
Add chocolate chips to microwave-safe bowl and drizzle with vegetable oil. Microwave in 15 second bursts, stirring in between each burst, until chocolate is most of the way melted. Stir to let the residual heat melt the remaining chocolate.
Pour melted chocolate into icing bottle or a zip-top plastic bag. If using a bag, carefully snip a VERY small piece off the corner of the bag. Drizzle over bars as desired.
** Bars can be made a few days ahead of time and kept refrigerated. Bars can also be frozen.
** To double, double all recipe ingredients, bake in a 9x13" baking pan for 45 minutes. Continue with recipe as written.

Nutrition Disclaimer

The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.

Did You Make This?Tag @the_chunky_chef on Instagram and hashtag it #thechunkychef so I can see what you made!
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Skinny Raspberry Shortbread Bars | These buttery and sweet raspberry bars have under 200 calories per bar, making them the perfect lighter dessert! | http://thechunkychef.com

Skinny Raspberry Shortbread Bars | Buttery and sweet, these raspberry shortbread bars are definitely not short on flavor! You'll never be able to tell they're made with fewer calories!

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Meet The Chunky Chef

Hey there! I'm Amanda. Wife, mother, photography nerd, and bacon lover! I believe that delicious meals should be easy to make. Now that you’re here, stay a bit, browse a few recipes, and let’s get cookin’!

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Recipe Rating




  1. sierra says

    Posted on 4/9 at 7:21 pm

    hi there can I use sugar instead of zing?
    Thanks!

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 4/10 at 8:25 pm

      I was paid to develop this recipe for Zing, so I didn’t test this using regular granulated sugar. However, I think it would work just as well 🙂

      Reply
  2. Caroline | carolinescooking says

    Posted on 12/21 at 7:17 am

    I’ve been thinking about making bars a bit along these lines for a while and you’re definitely inspring me again – these look delicious! And a definite wow factor. Thanks for sharing with us at FF.

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 12/24 at 9:50 am

      Thank you Caroline!! 😀

      Reply
  3. Jhuls says

    Posted on 12/20 at 4:47 am

    These look absolutely good, Amanda! And so lovely to use such sweetener. 🙂

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 12/24 at 9:49 am

      Thank you so much Jhuls!!!

      Reply
  4. Michelle @ A Dish of Daily Life says

    Posted on 12/18 at 12:27 am

    Those bars look SO good!

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 12/24 at 9:48 am

      Thank you Michelle!!

      Reply
  5. Renee - Kudos Kitchen says

    Posted on 12/17 at 8:23 pm

    Your photos are like food porn to me. LOL Maybe that’s too much information? Skinny too? Be still my heart!

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 12/24 at 9:47 am

      LOL not too much info at all, I take it as a compliment!! 😀

      Reply
  6. Jenny B | Honey and Birch says

    Posted on 12/17 at 11:56 am

    These bar cookies look delicious! I can eat 2 or 3 because they’re skinny, right? 😉

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 12/24 at 9:46 am

      Thanks Jenny!! Lol that’s right, they’re skinny, so have as many as you want 🙂

      Reply
  7. Trish - Mom On Timeout says

    Posted on 12/17 at 10:35 am

    I bow down to your greatness! These bars are IT!

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 12/24 at 9:45 am

      Hehe, thank you Trish!! They’re so tasty 🙂

      Reply
  8. Tonia says

    Posted on 12/16 at 11:45 pm

    These certainly don’t look like a lightened version! They look amazing!

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 12/17 at 10:20 am

      Thank you Tonia!! 😀

      Reply
  9. Becky Hardin | The Cookie Rookie says

    Posted on 12/16 at 9:56 pm

    These look SO divine! Love the flavors!

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 12/17 at 10:20 am

      Thank you Becky!! Raspberry and chocolate are one of my favorite flavor combos 🙂

      Reply
  10. Lauren @ Hall Nesting says

    Posted on 12/16 at 1:57 pm

    I’ll take a whole pan please!

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 12/17 at 10:20 am

      Comin’ up! 😀

      Reply
  11. Annie says

    Posted on 12/16 at 10:59 am

    These look amazing!! I love Zing! It is such a great low calorie sweetener!

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 12/17 at 10:20 am

      Thank you Annie!! I’ll definitely be keeping a canister of Zing around from now on… it’s amazing 🙂

      Reply

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Hey there! I'm Amanda. Wife, mother, photography nerd, and bacon lover! I believe that delicious meals should be easy to make. Now that you’re here, stay a bit, browse a few recipes, and let’s get cookin’!

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