Guava Jam Bars (Printable)

Buttery, crumbly cookie bars with sweet guava jam and golden streusel topping.

# What You'll Need:

→ Cookie Base and Streusel

01 - 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
02 - 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
03 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
04 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
05 - 1 cup (225 g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
06 - 1 large egg
07 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Filling

08 - 1 cup (320 g) guava jam or guava paste, softened

# How To Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8x8-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang for easy removal.
02 - In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
03 - Add cold, cubed butter and blend using a pastry cutter or fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
04 - Add egg and vanilla extract, mixing until combined and a crumbly dough forms.
05 - Press approximately two-thirds of the dough evenly into the prepared pan to create the cookie base.
06 - Gently spread guava jam over the base, leaving a small border around the edges.
07 - Crumble the remaining dough evenly over the jam layer to form the streusel topping.
08 - Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the top is lightly golden brown.
09 - Cool completely in the pan before lifting out using parchment overhang and cutting into 16 bars.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • They taste like a fancy bakery creation but come together in under an hour with pantry staples you probably already have.
  • The texture contrast—crispy edges, tender crumb, jammy center—means every bite is interesting.
  • Guava adds a tropical sophistication that makes people think you spent way more time on these than you actually did.
02 -
  • Cold butter is non-negotiable—if your kitchen is warm or you've been handling the dough a lot, pop everything in the fridge for 10 minutes and start fresh.
  • The jam layer should be thin enough that you can still see the base through it in places; too thick and it won't bake through, too thin and you lose the whole point.
03 -
  • Cut these bars while they're still in the pan using a sharp knife and a gentle sawing motion—trying to cut after you lift them out almost always leads to crumbling.
  • These keep beautifully in an airtight container for up to five days, though they rarely last that long in my house.
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