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Home Recipes Cookies and Bars

Gluten Free Apricot Jam Bars {Dairy-Free Option}

Published: Jan 24, 2022 by Sandi Gaertner · 16 Comments · This post may contain affiliate links

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A Pinterest image of the apricot jam bars.

These sweet homemade gluten free apricot jam bars make a delicious treat any time. You can use any flavor of jam or preserves you have on hand. Make a batch in about 30 minutes!

a close up of the cut apricot jam bars on parchment paper
Jump to:
  • Why you will love these jam bars:
  • Ingredient notes:
  • How to make gluten free apricot bars:
  • Variations:
  • Tips and Recipe FAQ:
  • More gluten free dessert bars recipes:
  • 📖 Recipe
  • Fearless Dining
  • 💬 Comments

If you are looking for the perfect snack, you will want to give my new homemade gluten free jam bars recipe a try! These bars are fruity and sweet, and absolutely delicious! I made these apricot bars without oatmeal since many who are gluten free are also sensitive to oats.

These apricot jam cookie bars are made with just a few simple ingredients you most likely already have in your pantry! The shortbread crust behaves differently when compressed compared to how it is more fluffy when sprinkled on top of the shortbread jam bars.

They are so easy. My family devoured these apricot squares pretty quickly. If your family devours desserts quickly too, make a double batch and freeze some!

If you love fruity bars, you will also want to try my Gluten Free Strawberry Cream Cheese Bars!

Tried this yesterday! WOW!!!! Yummylicious! My husband loved it too! Thanks for the great recipe and yes, was SO easy! I did use the Walmart GF flour and worked perfectly well.

Jean H., Facebook User

Why you will love these jam bars:

  1. All you need are a few simple ingredients.
  2. You can use any flavor of jam you have on hand.
  3. They freeze beautifully!

Ingredient notes:

photos of the apricot jam bars ingredients
  • Gluten free flour blend - I tested this recipe using Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten Free Flour Blend and King Arthur's Measure for Measure Gluten Free Blend. That doesn't mean others will not work, I just have not tested other flours and I can not guarantee the recipe will work if you use other mixes.
  • Xanthan Gum - If your gluten free flour blend doesn’t contain xanthan gum or guar gum, please add 1 teaspoon.
  • Shredded coconut - Use unsweetened. I also think the smaller shred coconut is easier to use than the ones with long curly coconut shreds.
  • Butter - If you are dairy-free, this recipe can easily be made dairy-free by using vegan/dairy-free butter.
  • Jam or preserves - Use any flavor!

How to make gluten free apricot bars:

photos mixing up the dough

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350º F. Add your dry ingredients to a bowl. Whisk to blend.

Step 2: In a smaller bowl add the wet ingredients. Mix and then pour them into the dry ingredients. Mix well into a semi-crumbly mixture.

photos of the flat crust and spreading the jam on top

Step 3: Line a 9x13 pan with parchment paper and press HALF of the dough mixture into the bottom. Be sure to come up a little bit on the sides.

HINT: When pressing the dough, you can use your hands or the bottom of a flat water glass.

Step 4: Spread the jam or preserves over the crust.

photos of the crumbly topping on the jam layer

Step 5: This is what the jam will look like spread over the crust.

Step 6: Use your fingers to sprinkle the remaining half of the crust mixture over the jam.

Step 7: Bake for 25-30 minutes depending on how thick the bottom crust is.

a slice of gluten free apricot bars on a plate

If you like oats in your bars, these yummy Gluten Free Blueberry Oatmeal Bars or these Gluten Free Lemon Oat Bars.

Variations:

There are so many fun ways to vary this recipe. Here are a few of our favorites:

  • Add walnuts or pecans to the jam layer.
  • Drizzle the tops with melted white chocolate.
  • Top the jam layer with some fresh fruit like blueberries.
  • Try this delicious Rose Jam instead of apricot jam.

Tips and Recipe FAQ:

What is a jam bar?

A jam bar uses jam or preserves instead of fresh fruit.

What can you do with apricot jam?

You can make these delicious gluten free apricot jam cookie bars :-).

How do you keep the crumble fluffy?

The secret to a fluffy crumb topping is to crumble the top crust mixture into tiny pieces before baking.

Can you make these bars dairy-free?

You can easily make these bars dairy-free by using dairy-free or vegan butter.

How long will these apricot jam bars keep fresh?

These apricot jam bars will keep for up to 3 days in an air-tight container or up to 4 months in the freezer.

Don't forget to try my incredibly chocolatey Gluten Free Brownie Cheesecake Bars recipe too! You may also love these Gluten Free Raspberry Cream Cheese Bars!

the top view of sliced apricot jam bars

More gluten free dessert bars recipes:

  • Gluten Free Tropical Matcha Cookie Bars
  • Easy Gluten Free Peanut Butter Bars
  • Gluten Free Apple Crumb Bars
  • Gluten Free Banana Chocolate Chip Bars

📖 Recipe

a close up of the cut apricot jam bars on parchment paper

Gluten Free Apricot Jam Bars

Sandi Gaertner
These sweet delicious gluten free apricot jam bars are topped with a thick fluffy crumb topping. Use apricot jam, or any flavor! There is also a dairy-free option.
5 from 8 votes
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Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 25 minutes mins
Total Time 35 minutes mins
Course Gluten Free Dessert Recipes
Cuisine American
Servings 18 slices
Calories 223 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups gluten free flour blend * see note
  • 1 cup shredded coconut unsweetened
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup butter unsalted, melted
  • 1 egg large
  • 13 ounces apricot jam

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350º F.
  • In a large bowl, add the dry ingredients and whisk to blend.
  • In a smaller bowl, add the wet ingredients and mix well.
  • Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix into a crumbly mixture. Divide it in half.
  • Line a 9x13 pan with parchment paper.
  • Press half of the crust mixture into the bottom of the pan.
  • Spread the apricot jam over the crust.
  • Use your fingers to sprinkle the remaining crust over the jam.
  • Bake for 25 minutes. Remove and allow the bars to cool before slicing them.

Notes

  1. I have tested this recipe with King Arthur Measure for Measure GF and Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 GF blend. That doesn't mean others will not work, I just have not tested other flours.
  2. Xanthan Gum - If your gluten free flour blend doesn’t contain xanthan gum or guar gum, please add 1 teaspoon.
  3. To make this recipe dairy-free, substitute the butter for vegan butter.
  4. These apricot jam bars will keep for up to 3 days in an air-tight container or up to 4 months in the freezer.

SPECIAL NOTE

Please know that every gluten free flour blend has a different starch to grain ratio. If you use a blend I didn't test, you may need to adjust your moisture levels in your baked goods.

Nutrition

Serving: 1barCalories: 223kcalCarbohydrates: 34gProtein: 2gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 29mgSodium: 109mgPotassium: 50mgFiber: 2gSugar: 20gVitamin A: 292IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 22mgIron: 1mg
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Nutrition Disclaimer

Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.

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Comments

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Lori

    September 15, 2023 at 9:45 am

    5 stars
    These bars are spectacular!!!!!

    Reply
    • Sandi Gaertner

      September 15, 2023 at 11:11 am

      I am so glad you loved them!

      Reply
  2. Annie Hughes

    June 20, 2022 at 11:06 pm

    5 stars
    Amazingly adaptable recipe and have made it with apple and raspberry jam as well. Easily converted to dairy free and vegan

    Reply
    • Sandi Gaertner

      June 21, 2022 at 3:42 pm

      I am so glad you love these bars, Annie. Thank you for coming back to let everyone know the recipe is great :-).

      Reply
  3. Jean Holtmann

    May 01, 2022 at 11:00 am

    5 stars
    So easy and super delish!!!!

    Reply
    • Sandi Gaertner

      May 01, 2022 at 1:55 pm

      I am so glad you loved these Jean! Thank you for coming back to let other readers know!

      Reply
  4. Janet

    April 27, 2022 at 4:23 pm

    I don’t want to use coconut. What would you suggest to replace it? Thanks.

    Reply
    • Sandi Gaertner

      April 28, 2022 at 1:20 pm

      Hi Janet, You can use this recipe, which is very similar and has no coconut. https://www.fearlessdining.com/strawberry-cream-cheese-bars/

      Reply
  5. Jan T

    April 03, 2022 at 4:40 pm

    5 stars
    Yes, oh yes!! I've been missing these!

    Reply
    • Sandi Gaertner

      April 03, 2022 at 6:43 pm

      I can't wait to hear which flavor of jam you use!!

      Reply
  6. Diana

    February 05, 2022 at 4:30 pm

    5 stars
    I didn't have apricot jam, so I used strawberry rhubarb jam. A hit with the whole family, including my picky four year old!
    Thank you!

    Reply
    • Sandi Gaertner

      February 06, 2022 at 8:17 am

      Strawberry rhubarb jam sounds incredible for this recipe. I am so glad everyone loved them!

      Reply
  7. Suzette White

    January 25, 2022 at 7:13 pm

    Could you suggest a substitute for the sugar?

    Reply
    • Sandi Gaertner

      January 25, 2022 at 7:42 pm

      Hi Suzette, I have not tried this, but many of my readers are commenting on other baked desserts that they had good success with monk fruit sweetener. Have you tried it?

      Reply
  8. LCG

    January 24, 2022 at 2:06 pm

    Have you tried adding some GF oats to the apricot bar recipe?

    Reply
    • Sandi Gaertner

      January 24, 2022 at 2:52 pm

      Hi Lisa, I have not tried oats...if you do I would leave out the coconut as they both absorb a lot of liquid.

      Reply

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Welcome to my blog! I am so glad you are here. If you have Celiac Disease, are gluten intolerant, or have a wheat allergy, you've come to the right place. With years of extensive experience in recipe development, I am dedicated to assisting you on your gluten free journey. As a seasoned gluten free cookbook author and recipe developer, I specialize in creating easy, family-friendly recipes that rival their gluten-filled counterparts. Rest assured, my recipes undergo rigorous testing and refinement, ensuring foolproof results every time.

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