The Best & Most Simple Cast Iron Black Raspberry Bars That You’ll Crave All Year Long—Watch Out for Those Thorns!

Man, do I LOVE black raspberries! Tiny and seedy little raspberries graciously planted by the birds in my hometown in Illinois. This summer we got the surprise of the year when we were walking in the back of my MIL’s property and found a TON of black raspberry bushes. I think we found a new section of bushes every day that we went out there and we collected a bunch of berries every time we went.

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What you’ll need:

• Cast Iron (or another dish for baking)
• Pastry Blender
• Black Raspberries (or any other berries)
• Flour
• Sugar
• Egg
• Vanilla
• Cornstarch
• Baking Powder

First, you pick the black raspberries…

The bad thing about black raspberries is that they only have berries for a couple of weeks and they don’t keep very well so you’ve got to use them or freeze them quickly. We did both! We made these yummy black raspberry bars, black raspberry jam, and a black raspberry pie (that we ended up freezing before making because we had an oven mishap), and we froze some berries too for later!

Neil and I had a lot of fun making these bars while Olivia was off spending time with her grandma. We hardly saw her during the trip because as you well realize, grandmas are MUCH more fun than parents!

Here is something super cool that I learned! I was out of baking powder when I started this recipe so I found this awesome website where I learned baking powder can be replaced with some other things. I used the baking soda + lemon juice option because we happened to have those! Here is the website I looked at, in case you ever find yourself in a pickle.

Then, you make the black raspberry bars!

So here we go. Preheat your oven to 375º and make sure your cast iron is seasoned and all the mumbo jumbo (that’s Neil’s job, maybe he’ll do a guest blog post someday telling you how to season a cast iron…if not…google it 😆)

Don’t forget to sneak a few black raspberries every few minutes. That’s an important step in this recipe.

Next, in a medium bowl, mix together flour, 1 cup of sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add in the butter and egg. Using a fork at first, start to combine the ingredients. Then, with clean hands, continue to combine until your crumbly dough forms. Push half of the dough into the cast iron, leaving the rest for the top.

Halfway done already, sneak a couple
raspberries before it’s too late!

Before you have measured out your 4 cups of berries, please be sure to taste test at least a couple of handfuls of them…but NOT if that’ll leave you less than 4 cups! 😆 My favorite part of the black raspberry season is eating fresh berries. As much as I love baked recipes with black raspberries, fresh will always be the MVP.

In another medium bowl, carefully stir together berries, cornstarch, and the rest of the sugar (1/3 cup).

Add the berry mixture to the cast iron on top of the bottom crumble. Top the berries with more of the crumble mixture.

Bake for 40-45 minutes, until the top is golden brown. Allow to cool completely and then cut into 12 bars.

We could hardly get these cooled and cut fast enough before we started digging in! The perfect combination of crust and sweet berries. I hope you enjoy this easy recipe just as much as we all did. Come back soon for my Black Raspberry Jam, Black Raspberry Pie, and to see what we do with the frozen berries we hid in the freezer! Be sure to comment below or tag us on social media if you try this recipe.

Black Raspberry Crumble

Experience the rich, bold flavors of our black raspberry crumble recipe, where succulent black raspberries are paired with a buttery, crunchy topping. This easy-to-make dessert highlights the unique sweetness of black raspberries, creating a perfect balance of tart and sweet. Enjoy it warm, topped with a scoop of creamy vanilla ice cream, for a delightful treat that’s sure to impress at any gathering!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Equipment

• 10 inch Cast Iron 9×13 or 7×11 baking dish
• pastry blender

Ingredients

  

• 3 cups flour
• 1 1/3 cups sugar divided
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup butter softened
• 1 egg
• 1 Tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 4 cups black raspberries

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 375º
• In a medium bowl, mix together flour, 1 cup of sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add in butter and egg. Using a pastry blender, combine the ingredients until crumble forms. Depending on how thick you want your crust, press 1/3-1/2 of the crumble into the bottom of a cast iron or another greased baking pan.
• In another medium bowl, stir together berries, cornstarch, vanilla, and the rest of the sugar (1/3 cup). Use the pastry blender to mash the berries to the desired consistency. Add the berry mixture to the top of your crumble crust. Top with another 1/3-1/2 of the crumble. You may have leftovers.
• Bake for 40-45 minutes, until the top is golden brown. Cool and cut. Serve with ice cream or by itself for a delicious dessert!

Keyword homemade, snack