Maine Raspberry Crumble Bars
Mashed potatoes help make these winning raspberry crumble bars extra tender and moist.
By Yankee Magazine|Aug 17 2026|
Maine Raspberry Crumble Bars
Credit: Joseph Keller/styling by Catrine KeltyFor over 40 years, Norma C. “Sunshine” King of Lovell, Maine, was a Fryeburg Fair star. She won hundreds of ribbons in baking, gardening, and art contests, and served as a fair ambassador to the local media. Among her winning categories: apple pie, dried-flower arranging, photography, and garden vegetables. “We wait all year for the fair to come,” she told the TV show Chronicle, “and I see it as an extension of my home.” Norma passed away in January at age 95, and we are happy to honor her legacy by sharing this recipe.
Note: Maine bakers have a long history of incorporating mashed spuds into things like breads, cakes, and cookies, which makes them more tender and moist. If you don’t happen to have any leftover mashed potatoes on hand, just prick a potato all over with a fork and microwave it for 4 or 5 minutes.
This winning Maine Raspberry Crumble Bars recipe first appeared in “Blue-Ribbon Buffet” in the September/October 2026 issue of Yankee.
Yield
12 bars
Ingredients
1¾ cups all-purpose flour
⅔ cup finely chopped walnuts
¾ cup (1½ sticks) salted butter
½ cup cooked, mashed potato, at room temperature
½ cup powdered sugar, plus more for garnish
½ teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon almond extract
¾ cup raspberry jam
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375°F and set a rack to the middle position. Grease a 9-by-9-inch baking pan and set aside.
In a medium bowl, stir flour and walnuts together, and set aside.
In a large bowl, using a stand or handheld mixer, beat the butter until soft. Add the mashed potato and beat until combined, then beat in powdered sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla and almond extracts. Add the flour-nut mixture and beat just until crumbly.
Press ⅔ of the crumb mixture into an even layer at the bottom of the baking pan. Spread raspberry jam over the base, then sprinkle remaining bits of crumb mixture over the top. Bake until golden and fragrant, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from oven, cool to room temperature, sprinkle with powdered sugar, and cut into bars.
I feel like this may be a silly question but am I using a “naked” mashed potato or can I use leftovers that have butter & milk in them?