Ingredients
Scale
- For the Dark Chocolate Shortbread Crust & Crumble:
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup unsweetened dark cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- For the Raspberry Filling:
- 2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries (do not thaw if frozen)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- For the Dark Chocolate Topping:
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×13 inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides for easy removal later. Lightly grease the parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, dark cocoa powder, sugar, and salt for the crust and crumble mixture.
- Add the cold, cubed butter and vanilla extract to the dry ingredients. Use a pastry blender, your fingertips, or a food processor to cut the butter into the flour mixture until coarse crumbs form. Be careful not to overmix; some larger pea-sized pieces are fine.
- Press about two-thirds of the crumb mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking pan to form the crust. Reserve the remaining one-third of the mixture for the crumble topping.
- Bake the crust for 15 minutes, or until lightly set. While the crust is baking, prepare the raspberry filling.
- For the raspberry filling, combine the raspberries (fresh or frozen), granulated sugar, cornstarch, and lemon juice in a medium bowl. Stir gently until the raspberries are coated. If using frozen raspberries, they will release juice as they mix, which is normal.
- Carefully remove the partially baked crust from the oven. Spread the raspberry filling evenly over the hot crust.
- To the reserved one-third of the crumb mixture, add the dark chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate. Stir to combine, then sprinkle this mixture evenly over the raspberry filling.
- Return the pan to the oven and bake for an additional 25-30 minutes, or until the crumble topping is lightly golden brown and the raspberry filling is bubbly.
- Remove the bars from the oven and let them cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. This is crucial for the bars to set properly and for clean cutting. Once completely cooled (at least 1 hour, or longer in the refrigerator), use the parchment paper overhang to lift the bars out of the pan. Cut into squares or bars.
Notes
For best results and clean cuts, ensure the bars are completely cooled before slicing. You can speed up the cooling process by chilling them in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes after they’ve cooled to room temperature. These bars can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the refrigerator for up to a week. For an extra touch, dust with powdered sugar before serving. Feel free to experiment with other berries like blackberries or mixed berries for a delightful variation.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 22g
- Sodium: 120mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 38g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 45mg