How To Make Old-fashioned Sour Cream Raisin Bars

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All the flavor of sour cream raisin pie, tucked between buttery oatmeal layers

You'll love these sour cream raisin bars. If sour cream raisin pie takes you back to your mom’s or grandma’s kitchen, you’ll love these. That creamy, sweet-tart raisin filling is tucked between two buttery oatmeal layers and cut into squares you can pick up with your fingers.

They’re the kind of old-fashioned treat you set beside the coffee pot—and then notice someone has come back for a second one. If you remember sour cream raisin pie and how delicious it was, you'll fall in love with these sour cream raisin bars! The filling you loved so much is tucked between two buttery layers of tender, crumbly oatmeal crust.

These sour cream raisin bars are as easy as pie to bake and capture the indescribable experience of the odd-sounding but amazing combination of ingredients in this vintage pie recipe. If you're an old-timer like me, you will know it. I was surprised and delighted to see our teenage grandson going back for a second piece!

Why You'll Love These Sour Cream Raisin Bars

The recipe makes a generous thirteen-by-nine panful of these yummy bars. Since they are sweet and rich, I suggest cutting them into twenty-four squares, each a little over two by two inches.

That is, unless you're my grandson, who cut a man-sized piece both times, or my husband, who did the same, then put Cool Whip on top! Oh, to have their metabolism! If I did, I would do the same thing! 🤣

These treats keep well and actually got better each day after sitting on the counter, tightly sealed. They freeze beautifully, too, for up to three months, and they taste great right out of the freezer. (Someone told me... 😉)

The ingredients are simple, and the recipe isn't hard to make.

How To Make Sour Cream Raisin Bars

First, plump the raisins by putting them in a bowl and pouring hot water over them. Let that sit for about ten minutes while you prepare the crust for the oven, then drain it.

Combine old-fashioned oatmeal, brown sugar, flour, and baking soda to make the buttery base and topping.

Add the melted butter and stir together until all the butter (oh, how I love butter!) is absorbed. I like this kind of oatmeal topping so much that I can't help myself—I always snitch a few pinches.

Then, pat half of that yummy crumb mixture into the pan. I used the bottom of my measuring cup to firmly press it into place. Bake at 350 degrees for seven minutes while you start the creamy filling!

Mix the egg yolks, sour cream, sugar, cornstarch, and vanilla in a heavy saucepan and cook over medium-ish heat for eight to ten minutes, stirring or whisking frequently until it becomes gloriously thick and creamy.

Then fold in those nice plump raisins. I added some cinnamon, the way Aunt Dora taught me, because I always put some in my sour cream raisin pie filling.

Don't forget to take the crust out of the oven while you're making the filling! Next, pour the creamy sour cream raisin filling on the crust. You can do this immediately while the crust is still hot.

Then, sprinkle the rest of the oatmeal topping evenly over the filling and pop it back in the oven for about forty minutes. The filling will firm up, and the top will be a light golden brown.

You will need to let the raisin bars cool completely before cutting them into squares, but if you know my always-in-a-hurry, ants-in-the-pants behavior, it will not surprise you that I dug out a corner with a spoon to taste them while they were still hot. 👍

When I posted my sour cream raisin pie, some of us started discussing how to enjoy this delightful combination in a way that takes less time than making a pie. I am so glad I found this sour cream raisin bars recipe, and I plan to make them often. 💖

PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD

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Yield: 24 bars

Sour Cream Raisin Bars

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This is a wonderful vintage recipe for sour cream raisin bars with a buttery oatmeal crust and topping. Reminiscent of sour cream raisin pie.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Ingredients

CRUST

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• 2 cups raisins
• 1 3/4 cups flour
• 1 3/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 cup salted butter, melted
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp baking soda

FILLING

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• 1 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 cup white sugar
• 3 egg yolks, lightly beaten
• 1 Tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Put the raisins in a bowl and pour hot water over them. Let them sit for ten minutes, then drain.
3. Mix the oatmeal, baking soda, brown sugar, and flour in a bowl. Add the melted butter and stir until all the butter is absorbed.
4. Put half the crumb mixture into a 13 x 9 pan and press down firmly.
5. Bake for 7 minutes.
6. Mix the egg yolks, sour cream, sugar, cornstarch, and cinnamon in a heavy saucepan and cook over medium-ish heat for eight to ten minutes, stirring or whisking frequently until it becomes gloriously thick and creamy. Add the vanilla and fold in the raisins.
7. Spread the filling over the crust.
8. Sprinkle the remaining topping over the filling and bake for 40 minutes.
9. The filling will firm up, and the top will be a light golden brown.
10. Cool completely before cutting into squares.
11. Store at room temperature in a tightly sealed container for up to three days.
12. These bars freeze beautifully for up to three months.

I love bar cookies anyway because of their simplicity and how amazing they taste. Here are a couple of our family's favorites. Fudgy Brownies, Peanut Butter Frito Bars, and Aunt Martha's Lemon Pie Bars.

If you liked this oatmeal raisin bar recipe, you are my people! If you did, please share it on your social media accounts, such as Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter! It would sure tickle me, and I would be ever so grateful!

If you enjoyed a post, I'd love it if you would leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review or a comment. It really helps my little business connect with other folks like this who love old-fashioned homemade food!. ❤❤

Love, GB (Betty Streff)

Real food. Real kitchen. Real Easy.

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