Raspberry Linzer Bars

A mix of sweet and tart makes these an instant classic. 

This is one of our favorite desserts to make and serve. Just like a lemon square, they are fruit-forward, but complemented by the most delicious shortbread crust and almond glaze topping. And because they are fantastic served at room temperature, they can be made a day or two in advance!

How To Make Raspbery Linzer Bars

The beloved Linzer bar has quite an interesting history. The original recipe dates back to 1650 with a Veronese (Verona, Italy) origin, but it became popular in the U.S. when an Austrian world traveler, Franz Holzhuber brought the recipe to Milwaukee, and its popularity quickly spread. Its name comes from the city of Linz, Austria. 

The bars can easily be made in stages, and done well in advance.

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The Ingredients You Will Need

The ingredients of this cake are simple and straightforward and easy to find. Many of them, you’ll probably already have on hand.

Here’s What You’ll Need

Flour – All purpose
Sugar – Granulated
Brown sugar – Dark or light (we love the extra molasses flavor in dark)
Salt – Just a pinch
Lemon – Just the zest from the skin, you can still save the lemon for another use
Butter – Unsalted, and chilled
Raspberries – Fresh is best, but frozen will work, too
Cornstarch – For thickening
Confectioners’ sugar – Also known as powdered sugar
Heavy cream – Or half-and-half, or whole milk
Almond extract – Vanilla extract will work, too

EXPERT TIP: It’s important to allow both the crust and the filling to cool before spreading the filling over the crust. Both can still be a little warm, but you’ll have the best results if they have cooled and fully set.

Tips For Perfect Raspberry Linzer Bars

Keep the Butter Cold – Butter is a key component for the crust and topping. To help “cut” the butter into the dry ingredients, we highly recommend cubing the butter. Make sure it’s nice and cold, and working one stick at a time cut the stick into strips and then cube each strip. Add to a bowl and then keep chilled while cubing the remaining butter.

Don’t Overcook the Raspberries – Once the raspberries start to cook, they will break down, and if they are fresh, will release their natural juices. Only cook them for about 2 minutes. You want a spreadable sauce, but it shouldn’t be too thin. Also, leaving some of the raspberries intact adds a nice texture to the filling.

Allow To Cool After Baking – The cooked caked should be allowed to cool somewhat before slicing into it. You can cut it right out of the oven, but the filling will still be somewhat runny and the glazed topping will completely melt when added. It’s perfectly fine to serve them slightly warm, however. Chilling the cake in the refrigerator will expedite the cooling process.

EXPERT TIP: When adding the topping, make sure the small cubes of butter are evenly distributed. As the butter melts in the oven, it is absorbed into the dry ingredients and makes a slightly crispy top. If at the end of the bake time, you see powdery dry ingredients in places, use a spatula to spread it into the buttery areas.

How To Serve and Store

Linzer bars are the perfect mix of tartness with sweetness. But, they are pretty rich. Resist the temptation to cut the squares too large.

If using a 10″x10″ or a 9″x9″ pan, we recommend cutting four rows in both directions. This will yield 16 bars.

The bars will keep nicely in a container lined with parchment or wax paper on the counter for several days. They can be refrigerated for up to a week.

EXPERT TIP: You can drizzle the glaze topping on after you cut them, or directly in the pan. We love to use a spoon to drizzle them over the cooled bars, however, you could also pipe the glaze in a zigzag formation over the entire cake before cutting. The glaze should be thick, but spreadable. If too thin, add more powdered sugar, if too thick, add a little more cream, until it’s just right. It will thicken as it sits, too.

These treats are wonderful any time of the year, and they are so easy to prepare, they are fun to make on the spur of the moment.

But they are always a hit when served for a special occasion. We love serving them as a dessert after a wonderful Easter feast. But, they’re also a perfect sweet treat for showers, birthday parties, or any type of celebration.

Besides being delicious, they are beautiful and very testing.

Other Fruist-Based Dessert Recipes to Try

We love all kinds of desserts, but those that start with a luscious fruit are spectacular. Here are some of our favorites that you should consider making:

Classic Lemon Squares
Lemon Meringue Pie
Homemade Fruit Tart
Cherry Pie
Blueberry Cobbler
Southern Peach Crisp
Classic Peach Cobbler
Homemade Apple Pie

But for now, aren’t you getting excited about making this delectable dessert?

There is just something addictively scrumptious about this classic dessert.

We have found that even those guests that claim they don’t like raspberries love these gems.

The filling is the perfect match for the buttery shortbread crust and crumbly topping. Dessert perfection!

Ready to make a dessert that’s been satisfying sweet tooths for generation after generation? Go for it!

And when you do, be sure to take a photo of it, post it on Instagram, and tag @HowToFeedaLoon and hashtag @HowToFeedaLoon!

Raspberry Linzer Bars

Raspberry Linzer Bars are a classic dessert that has been around for generations...and for good reason! These are a staple in our house, and when you make them, they'll most likely become the same in yours! And, they can be a day or two in advance of serving!

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American / Austrian / Italian

Keyword: easy fruit dessert recipe, how to make Linzer bars

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes minutes

Cooling time: 1 hour hour

Total Time: 1 hour hour 50 minutes minutes

Servings: 12 people

Calories: 538kcal

Author: Kris Longwell

Equipment

• 10"x10" baking pan or 9"x11", or 9"x9"

Ingredients

For the Crust

• ▢ 1½ cups unsalted butter 3 sticks, cold, cut into small cubes, plus extra for greasing (room temp)
• ▢ 3 cups all-purpose flour
• ▢ ¾ cup granulated sugar
• ▢ ¾ cup dark brown sugar packed
• ▢ ½ tsp Kosher salt
• ▢ Zest of 1 lemon

For the Filling

• ▢ 4 cups raspberries fresh, 1 lb
• ▢ ⅓ cup granulated sugar
• ▢ 1 tbsp cornstarch

For the Glaze

• ▢ 1½ cups confectioners' sugar aka powdered sugar
• ▢ ¼ cup heavy cream or half-and-half, or whole milk
• ▢ ½ tsp almond extract

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Butter a 10x10-inch square baking pan

Make the Crust and Topping

• In a medium bowl, combine the flour, granulated and brown sugars, salt, and lemon zest.
  3 cups all-purpose flour, ¾ cup granulated sugar, ¾ cup dark brown sugar, ½ tsp Kosher salt, Zest of 1 lemon
• Add the butter and, using a pastry blender or 2 forks, cut into the flour mixture until the butter is the size of small peas (you can also use a food processor to do this).
  1½ cups unsalted butter
• Transfer ¾ of the mixture to the prepared pan and press firmly to make an even layer on the bottom and slightly up the sides.
• Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes.
• Set the crust aside to cool while you make the filling. Chill the remainder of the crust mixture in the fridge.

Make the Filling

• In a saucepan, stir together the raspberries, granulated sugar, and cornstarch.
  4 cups raspberries, ⅓ cup granulated sugar, 1 tbsp cornstarch
• Simmer over medium heat, stirring often, until the sugar dissolves and the berries are juicy, but not completely broken down, about 2 minutes.
• Transfer to a bowl and let cool.

Assemble and Top with Glaze

• Spread the raspberry filling over the partially baked crust.
• Crumble the chilled crust mixture over the filling.
• Bake until golden and bubbly, about 30 minutes.
• Let cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.
• For the glaze, in a bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar, cream, and almond extract. Whisk the ingredients together until combined.
  1½ cups confectioners' sugar, ¼ cup heavy cream, ½ tsp almond extract
• Drizzle (or pipe in a crisscross pattern) over the top of the cake. Serve at once, or store in a container with a tight-fitting lid for up to 5 days.

Notes

See the blog post near the top of the blog post for visual guidance. If you liked the video, please subscribe to our YouTube channel. 

The crust and filling can be made up to several days in advance. Keep covered until ready to assemble and bake.  The entire cake can also be made up to 3 days before serving. 

Fresh raspberries are best, and easy to use for the sauce. If you need to go with frozen, you'll need 1 lb. 

10"x10" pans can be difficult to find. A 9"x9" pan will work, too, with no problems. 

Have a little extra confectioners' sugar and cream on hand when making the glaze. Add a little more sugar if too thin, or a little more cream if too thick. It will keep in the fridge for several days, but you'll need to nuke it in the microwave for a few seconds to thin it enough to make the glaze spreadable. 

We recommend cutting a 10x10 cake into 16 squares (4 rows x 4 rows). Keep in a closed container on the counter for up to 3 days, or refrigerate for 5 to 7 days. They can also be frozen for up 2 months. 

Nutrition

Calories: 538kcal | Carbohydrates: 76g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 67mg | Sodium: 107mg | Potassium: 125mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 48g | Vitamin A: 795IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 37mg | Iron: 2mg

Tried this recipe? Take a Picture!Mention @HowToFeedALoon or tag #HowToFeedALoon!

POST UPDATE: This recipe was originally published in September, 2016, but was updated with improved tweaks to the recipe with new tips and photography and a fabulous new video in March, 2023!