Raspberry Chocolate Chip Bars are chewy, fruity, and chocolaty for a trifecta of deliciousness! These sturdy bars do not need refrigeration, making them an ideal choice for picnics or care packages.
Why you’ll love this recipe
For me, summer begins and ends not based on astronomical or meteorological definitions, but based on when school begins and ends. When the kids are out of school, it’s the summer.
When the kids go back to school, summer is over. According to my school-in-session definition, summer has only a few weeks left around here!
School used to start after Labor Day, but not anymore. My daughter is a teacher here in St. Louis. She goes back for professional development meetings the first week in August and the students start the following week!
The weatherman may still be talking about temperatures in the 90’s, but the Back-to-School aisle at Target is stocked and ready for crowds.
Despite my seasonal definition, there is no immediate end in sight for hot weather. It is still very important to pick picnic and care package baked goods carefully considering the length of time they will be exposed to heat. Nobody wants moldy baked goods!
Raspberry Chocolate Chip Bars are summer heat resistant. Traditional fruit bars, filled with a bounty of fresh summer fruits, are amazingly delicious but they don’t travel well.
You need a sturdy bar that doesn’t require refrigeration. For long distance care packages in hot weather, fresh fruit is not a recommended ingredient.
Summer shipping and fruit
Don’t do it. Fruit is full of moist sugars which will cause baked goods to mold in very little time when shipped in hot weather.
Instead, use recipes that provide fruity flavor without actually adding fruit. Look for recipes like Raspberry Chocolate Chip Bars that use fruit flavoring instead.
- Powdered drink mix (like Kool Aid)
- jello powder
- extracts (I love LorAnn Bakery Emulsions. The flavors don’t bake out.)
More fruity cookies and bars
White Chocolate Lemon Bars are chewy citrus blondies with creamy white chocolate and tart lemon flavor. Perfect for summer picnics and care packages.
Lemon Biscotti are crunchy, dunkable cookies. Enjoy them with a cup of tea or as a snack anytime.
Orange Cookies have a crunchy outer sugar coating and a soft, cake-like interior. These citrus cookies should be a summer time staple.
Strawberry Lemonade Bars are soft, fruity bars in layers of pink and yellow.
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Chocolate Chip Raspberry Bars
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup butter flavor vegetable shortening
- 1¼ cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs + 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon raspberry jello powder OR 2 teaspoons raspberry extract
- 4-7 drops drops of pink food coloring gel optional
- ½ cup mini chocolate chips semisweet or dark chocolate chips
- 2-3 tablespoons pink and red nonpareil sprinkles
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9” x 9” square baking pan with aluminum foil extending over the edges. Spray the foil with non-stick spray.
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt.
- Place vegetable shortening in large microwave-safe bowl and microwave about 1 minute until melted.
- Into the large bowl of melted shortening add flour mixture, sugar, eggs and yolk, and vanilla extract and raspberry jello (or raspberry extract). Mix with a large spoon until smooth.
- For a pink colored bar, mix in food coloring gel.
- Stir in chocolate chips.
- Spread the batter evenly into pan, then sprinkle with nonpareils. With fingertips, gently press the sprinkles to make sure they sticks to the batter.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
- Cool completely in pan on wire rack.
- When cool, remove from pan by lifting the overhanging foil.
- Cut into bars.
- Store at room temperature in an airtight container or ziplock bag for up to 10 days. For longer storage, do not cutting into individual bars, but wrapping the entire square.
Notes
- Substitute white chocolate chips or chopped white chocolate bars for all or part of the semi-sweet chocolate chips to add creamy vanilla flavor.
- Instead of sprinkles, you can also sprinkle chocolate chips on top of the batter as decoration before baking.
- Double wrap bars individually or in pairs in plastic wrap before placing in airtight containers or ziplock bags.
- Wrapping the entire pan of Raspberry Bars without cutting will preserve moisture and keep the bars chewy for longer.
- If sending the bars uncut, for easy wrapping and shipping, bake in a disposable square pan and wrap the batch right in the pan.
Carlee
Yum! I love the raspberry and chocolate combo, though the color and the chocolate speckles in the stacked picture remind me of watermelon for some reason! 😉 These look like a perfect treat. Also, I completely agree, the summer season is set by the school calendar!
Mary
Love all your recipes would love to be on your test team though I live in Ireland so might be a bit of a stretch sending it but I sure could tell you if they travel well, have a lovely summer and thank you for all the amazing recipes .
The Monday Box
Thank you so much for your very kind words, Mary! You’ve given me a big smile which will last all day! 🙂 Lots of my recipes have made it successfully to Afghanistan and onto ships in the Pacific in military care packages. I’m pretty sure we could get cookies to Ireland! 🙂
Mary
Oh I’m so glad I made you smiles your kindness sending care packages does that to lots of military if you consider me as a taster get in touch would love that have a lovely day