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With sweet raspberry jam nestled between melt-in-your-mouth shortbread and a buttery crumble topping, this Raspberry Jam Shortbread Tart is beyond delicious!
If you need a dessert that will bring "wows!" every time you serve it, you don't need to look any farther! This Raspberry Jam Shortbread Tart is a tried and true go-to dessert for me and it never fails to please.
As you can imagine, I've made a lot of desserts over the years and Scott, having a well-tuned sweet tooth, has enjoyed most of them. But this one got his highest accolades. He pronounced it "my favorite dessert, ever!"
And I had to laugh when one sweet friend of ours asked for "a moment of silence" after she took the first bite. So she could, "savor every morsel without distraction!".
The original recipe (from Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey) called for baking the delicious treat in a 9x13 pan, yielding lots of bars; perfect for picnics, potlucks and bake sales. I halved the recipe and used a 10-inch tart pan which makes an elegant dessert presentation.
Since raspberry jam is the star ingredient in this wonderful dessert, you'll want to use a good quality jam. I like to use this Overnight Raspberry Freezer Jam, but if I had to use a purchased jam, I'd go with Bonne Maman Preserves or something similar.
I love that the crust and the crumbly topping of this dessert are made from the same dough. It's a one-bowl, no-mixer, melt-in-your-mouth shortbread dough which includes butter, sugar, all-purpose flour and almond flour. Half the dough is pressed into the bottom of the pan and par-baked, while the other half gets tossed in the freezer to make for easy crumbling.
Almond flour - that fine European flavor
What is almond flour? It's just almonds, ground till they're fine and floury. I find it fascinating that a small portion of almond flour not only accents the flavor of raspberries and other fruits, but it also adds a mysterious touch of fine European flavor to desserts; a deliciousness no one can quite figure out!
A light dusting of powdered sugar is optional, but adds a really pretty touch.
This Raspberry Jam Shortbread Tart is delicious on its own, but served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or custard takes it into the "nirvana" realm! I like to drizzle a small spoonful of raspberry jam over the melting ice cream and garnish it all with a tiny sprig of mint.
Need a yummy dessert for a dinner party coming up? Maybe you'd just love to surprise family/friends with something special (but easy)? This one doesn't take long to put together; definitely under an hour. You'll hear "wows" when you bring the pretty tart to the table and "oohs and aahs" with the first bites. Oh, and don't act a bit surprised if someone asks for "a moment of silence".
Café Tips for making this Raspberry Jam Shortbread Tart...
- Almond flour is simply almonds that have been finely ground. Since it's made from almonds it's expensive, but you don't need much to add amazing flavor. I keep mine in the freezer and it lasts forever. You can find it at most larger groceries, Trader Joes (good price) and online.
- I use my Overnight Raspberry Freezer Jam but any good quality raspberry jam is fine. I really like Bonne Maman Preserves if I don’t have homemade.
- For a pretty look, I like to reserve about a tablespoon of the jam. After I add the crumbled topping, I drizzle the reserved jam with a small spoon into the cracks and crevices between some of the crumbles to look like it’s peeking out. Otherwise, the topping will cover the jam, still very pretty but I think it's enticing to see a little of the jam peeking through.
- Since this recipe doesn't require a mixer, make sure your butter is very soft. Sometimes it's difficult to soften butter, especially during the winter months when the house is chilly. I like to soften mine in the microwave with the light left on. I don't even start the microwave. The small amount of heat from the light is enough to soften the butter within about 4-6 hours.
- You can also soften cold butter by placing it in the microwave and setting the power on 10% for about one and one half to two minutes. Watch it closely the first time as every microwave is different. You'll learn exactly how much time it takes for your microwave.
- You can use either a 9 or 10-inch pan for this recipe. I really like to use a tart pan with a removable bottom but it could be made in a 9-inch cake pan if you line the pan with parchment paper.
- I love to use a Danish whisk for mixing up bread and cookie dough as well as cake batters without having to pull out the mixer. My Danish whisk is a small but essential little workhorse in my kitchen! I like this one and love that it comes in a set so you can keep one and give the other to your favorite cooking buddy!
P.S. See those fun powdered sugar "sprinkle" pictures above? It's a bit tricky to get images like that so we do some lots of practice shots before we try to catch the real deal. Thought you might enjoy seeing one of the "before" shots.
This Raspberry Jam Shortbread Tart was originally shared in 2016. It's one of our favorite recipes ever and we didn't want it to get lost in the Café archives of over 1,000 recipes. So we tweaked the recipe (to make it easier), updated the images and present it to you today for your baking pleasure!
With a layer of sweet raspberry jam nestled between the crisp, melt-in-your-mouth shortbread crust and buttery crumble topping, this Raspberry Jam Shortbread Tart just might be one of the most delicious desserts ever!
- 8 ounces butter very soft
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup almond flour see notes above
- ¾ cup raspberry jam see notes above
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Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees.
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Combine the butter and sugar in a large bowl. Using a sturdy spatula or Danish whisk, beat until creamy. Add vanilla and salt and mix until combined. Add the all-purpose and almond flours and continue to mix until flour is incorporated and large crumbles start to form.
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Spray a 9 or 10-inch tart pan with baking spray or grease well and press one half of the dough evenly into the pan to form a bottom crust. Wrap the remaining dough in plastic wrap and freeze while the bottom crust is baking, (no longer than 15 minutes).
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Place the tart pan on a baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes, until the crust is just beginning to firm and turn pale golden brown at the edges.
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Remove the pan from the oven and allow the tart to cool for 10 minutes, then spread the raspberry jam/preserves evenly over the crust, leaving a ¼-inch border around the edge. (see notes above for a pretty presentation tip).
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Remove the remaining dough from freezer, and with your fingers, sprinkle it in big crumbles over the jam to form a topping.
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Return the pan to the oven and continue baking until topping is firm, crisp and lightly golden in color, about 25-30 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature, then dust lightly with powdered sugar, if desired.
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Use a sharp knife to cut the tart into wedges. Serve warm (I used the microwave for about 10 seconds for each wedge) with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or frozen custard, if desired.
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Dessert can be made 6-8 hours in advance. It can also be made and frozen after cooling. To serve after freezing, allow to thaw, then warm for 10-12 minutes in a 300˚ oven.
See Café Tips above for more detailed instructions and further tips.
Adapted from Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey
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Cornelia Guest says
If I make this without almond flour, do you think it would help to add some almond extract? If so, how much would you advise?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Cornelia, Yes a little almond extract would be wonderful. I would use ½ teaspoon for a subtle almond flavor and 1 teaspoon if you really love the flavor of almond extract.
Cornelia Guest says
Thank you! I used 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract and it was delicious.
Chris Scheuer says
Yay! Thanks for stopping back to share your results, Cornelia! 💕
LCook says
So delicious! My husband said it is the best dessert I've made.
Chris Scheuer says
Awesome! I think your husband and mine might just be two peas in a pod. That's exactly what he said! 💕
JKL says
Hi - Im just wondering if these might work as bite size mini tarts using mini muffin tins.
Chris Scheuer says
Hi JKL, I think that should work fine!
Margaret says
I made this delicious tart with lemon curd. It was amazing!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Margaret! I just posted a version of this with lemon curd. So good!
Roxanna Sanchez says
I LOVE making this recipe it's so delicious!
If I wanted to make this into bars instead of a tart would I just double the ingredients and put it in a 9x13 pan?
Would the cooking time change?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Roxanna, yes, I would double the ingredients and I would give it just a bit longer to bake. I haven't tried this myself so I can't give you an exact time.
Susan Freeman says
My granddaughter's birthday is Christmas Day. I always try to make sure that her day isn't lost in the Christmas festivities. For dessert, I made this tart since she loves raspberries. I made it a few days before and froze it after completely cooling, then double wrapping right in the tart pan. After thawing overnight in the refrigerator, I served it after Christmas dinner. It was a hit. So simple and so delicious. I did use about 1/4 cup more raspberry preserves. Next time, I will pierce the bottom of the tart before the blind bake to keep the crust from rising so much. The fact that this is delicious, easy, and can be made ahead of time will make it a repeat dessert for me.
Chris Scheuer says
What a sweet grandmother you are, Susan! Thanks so much for sharing your results!
Stephanie Clark says
Chris, In what cases would you prefer to use a Danish whisk? I think I want to gift one (and of course, one to myself!, haha! Happy Holidays to you!
Chris Scheuer says
I love a Danish whisk for mixing up bread doughs without an appliance as it's so sturdy but it's also great for whisking together thin batters like pancakes and cakes.
Robin says
I use one for mixing up my bread dough. I crushed my hands several years ago, and mixing anything that is thick, well I just can't do...hubby has to do for me. I prefer to be independent and was sooooooooooo excited someone suggested this to me. Now I can mix without help!
Chris Scheuer says
That's awesome, Robin. I love mine too!
Chani says
Hello
Can I make this as mini tarts? I have a tartlet sheet...
Thank you!
Chris Scheuer says
Yes, I think that should work fine.
Fiona says
I have baked this lovely recipe and I am now devouring a slice x however I had only a small amount of jam so I added some plum and apple jelly juice left over from yesterday’s crumble fruit mix so I added it to the jam as a substitute. I has given the shortbread a nice sweet/tart balance . Thank you for such a great recipe x
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Fiona, I love your version, it sounds wonderful! Thanks for sharing your results!
Sandi says
OMG...you had me at raspberry, I made this tart with the jam recipe and all was easy and beyond delicious! I had rave reviews at game night with this dessert. Also Chris, made your recipe for pickled red onions and they were wonderful. Keep up your GREAT recipes...your my favorite food blogger😘
Jennie Pryor says
This recipe looks delicious! What are your thoughts on making it a chocolate tart? I'm not a baker but the thought of rich dark chocolate with the shortbread sounds amazing. How would you do that?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Jennie, I did try the recipe with chocolate and caramel and I wasn't as pleased with it. It almost seemed a little too rich. It may have just been me though. If you try it let us know your results!
Jennie Pryor says
Good to know! I'll let ya know if I attempt it! Thanks for the quick reply!
Chani says
Hi Chris,
This looks great... thank you. Would a pastry blender work (in case butter isn't soft enough)?
Thank you,
Chani
Chris Scheuer says
Yes, a pastry blender would work fine.
Reba Eich says
Help, my tart is in the oven in a tart pan with a removable bottom. How and when do I remove the tart from this pan. Have I completely messed this up? I can only hope that the sides don't adhere to the tart when I try to remove the circular edge. (I did grease the pan)
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Reba, I was out of town but I hope you figured this out. You remove the tart once it's cooled down.
Cyndy Reedyk says
Hi Chris!
I’m preparing the tart this evening and plan to freeze it to serve it for Easter this coming Sunday.
My question is, once cooled completely, should I still remove it from the tart pan before freezing it or freeze it in the tart pan?
Btw...I have the pan with the removable bottom!
Many thanks!
Cyndy
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Cyndy, I usually leave it right in the tart pan as the pan helps protect the tart while in the freezer. But you can also definitely do it without the pan.
Dan says
Cyndy, take it out of the pan. That is what Sid Vicious would do.
Jan C Randle says
Hi Chris, I practiced making this tart yesterday. I used a 9” tart pan, and carefully followed your directions. I have two 9” tart pans and two 12” pans. Although the tart was delicious, I felt like it could have used more jam flavor. I used 3/4 c of Bonne Maman Raspberry Preserves. The shortbread flavor overpowered the preserves.
If I made the tart in a 12” pan, do I use 1&1/2 times your recipe? Or use your recipe and change the preserves to 1 cup, and not use all the shortbread for the topping? Or use a different flavor of preserve, perhaps cherry?
Any thoughts you might have regarding my dilemma would be appreciated. Of course I could just purchase a 10 tart pan, but that doesn’t solve having more jam flavor.
I’ve just discovered your blog about 5 months ago, and have enjoyed many of your recipes.
Thanks for all your help. Janny
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Jan, I would want to try the recipe myself with the adaptations before I advise you as far as pan size and proportions of crust vs jam.
You definitely could just make it the way it is and use a cup of jam instead of 3/4 cup. That would be my advice if you want more jam flavor. Or you could add some fresh raspberries to the jam to give more berry flavor without adding more sugar. Hope that helps!
Tanza Erlambang says
thank you for your recipe.
I should try it.
have a great weekend
Chris Scheuer says
Enjoy!
Diana says
This looks fantastic and I'm planning on making it for Valentine's Day. Ques: Is it necessary to use a spatula or Danish whisk to beat the butter and sugar together? Would mixing the ingredients with a hand-held mixer make any difference in the texture or outcome of the shortbread? (I am getting arthritis in my hands and a mixer would be much easier.)
Thank you so much! Love receiving your recipes and updates. 🙂
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Diana, Thanks so much! You could definitely use a hand mixer for this. It will be wonderful! Enjoy!
Diana says
Thank you! 🙂
Liz says
This is definitely a Bill approved dessert!! Another reason to make your raspberry jam 🙂
Tricia | Saving Room for Dessert says
Another perfectly delicious dessert - great for Valentine's Day or any day!
Paulina Muzzin says
It was amazing and impressed all of my guests. Thank you!
Chris Scheuer says
Yay! Thanks so much Paulina!
Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen says
WOW is right Chris! I'd need to savor every bite without distraction too! Perfect for Valentin'es Day!
Chéri says
I just got off the phone with my daughter and she made the tart last night when she had friends over. She couldn’t stop talking about how simple and delicious it was so...I had to jump into the kitchen and whip one up. It truly is easy and delicious nobody would guess you didn’t slave for hours making a tart worthy of a French Patisserie !!!
Chris Scheuer says
Haha! That sounds exactly like something I would do 🙂 Thanks so much for taking the time to share your results, Chéri!
BTW, that's my job, to make my readers look like superstars - with minimal effort on their part.
Eileen says
I have made this several times to "rave reviews"! My question: would like to make it without almond flour due to nut allergy of a friend. have you tried it with ALL all-purpose flour?
Chris Scheuer says
Hello Eileen, I'm so happy you enjoyed this tart, it's definitely one of our favorites! I haven't tried it with 100% all-purpose flour but I think it should work fine. Of course, the flavor will be a bit different but still very nice, like a shortbread.
Jan says
I made it today with all flour and it was wonderful. Just wanted to try it so I used what I had available. Wonderful and easy.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks for sharing your results, Jan. That's so good to know that it works well with 100% all-purpose flour.
Dina says
I recently started making jam and have a nice stockpile. This is a perfect dessert recipe that helps me use it up. Substituted peach low sugar jam and it was a huge hit. Thanks so much, this recipe is a keeper!
Chris Scheuer says
Yum, that sounds wonderful!
Beverly oneill says
This raspberry shortbread tart was wonderful, will certainly make again and again!! Fabulous !! Followed the recipe to a tea....
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks Beverly for taking the time to share your results! We love this one too!
Reneé says
Could you use all Almond flour. I am gluten intolerant.
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Reneé, since I haven't tried it with 100% Almond flour, I would recommend subbing your favorite all-purpose GF flour for the regular all-purpose.
Ingrid Wilson says
That looks delicious! It reminds me of the "Crostata di Marmellata " (jam tart) which my Italian mother used to make using apricot jam. Would you be able to add fresh or frozen raspberries to the raspberry jam or would it make the pastry go soggy? Ingrid (South Africa. )
Ingrid Wilson says
So sorry Chris! I didn't see your reply as I scrolled to the bottom of the page instead of looking at the top so apologies for reposting it! Thank you for your prompt reply. ?
Ingrid Wilson says
Your dessert looks delicious and reminds me of the jam tart (" Crostata di marmellata" ) that my Italian mother used to make many years ago using apricot jam. I was wondering whether one would be able to add fresh or frozen raspberries to the raspberry jam or would it make it the pastry soggy? I am enjoying browsing through your tasty recipes. Ingrid from South Africa.
Chris Scheuer says
Hello Ingrid! Welcome to The Café I adore fresh raspberries but I wouldn't use them in this recipe for exactly the reason you mentioned. Too much water in the raspberries. You could definitely use apricot jam though and think of your mom 🙂