Strawberry Crumble Bars + Video
MMMMKAYYYYYYY yussss strawberry crumble bars let us discuss at length.
First of all. A tender, rich, flaky brown sugar crust. Second of all, a juicy, succulent, jammy, sweet, tart strawberry filling. Third of all, a crispy, oaty crumble topping.
And it just so happens to be that the crust and crumble for these strawberry crumb bars are made from the same mixture. Which means these crumb bars are even easier to prepare than they perhaps appear (that was a poem).
And it also just so happens to be that I have a video tutorial for these delectable strawberry crumble bars. If you’d just press play:
Or, watch it on YouTube.
Okay. The crust. And crumble. Because they’re made from the same mixture, remember?
It’s filled with oats. Rolled oats. More rolled oats than flour, even. The oats add earthiness and denseness and heartiness and chewiness and texture and flavor.
It’s sweetened with brown sugar. And brown sugar only. Which makes this crust extra tender and soft and moist and rich.
It’s spiced with ground cinnamon and nutmeg, for spicy kicks and strawberry complements.
It’s also got vanilla extract and salt, obviously.
And lastly, oil, to bring the crust/crumble together and make it tender and flaky and rich. You can substitute butter for the oil, if you’re seeking that buttery flavor bombness, but oil also works wonderfully here, especially if you’re after a completely dairy-free dessert.
Which is what these strawberry crumble bars are. Completely dairy-free.
Now. The filling. The juicy strawberry filling.
Guess what? You can use frozen strawberries for these bars. It’s what I used, for the bars you see here. And don’t even bother defrosting the fruit, if you’re using frozen ones. No need.
The strawberries, fresh or frozen, or a combination of both, are tossed with sugar and cornstarch and vanilla extract and lemon zest and lemon juice.
And it bakes up into a jammy, bubbling, succulent, sweet and tangy strawberry filling that is encased in that rich, oaty brown sugar crust and crumbly topping and it is summer, in a nifty, utensil-free, heavenly bar form.
These strawberry crumb bars are so quick and easy to prepare. All the crust ingredients get stirred together at once in one bowl, half gets pressed into the baking pan, the strawberry filling is tossed together in minutes and is arranged over the crust, and the remaining crust is sprinkled over the fruit.
Here’s the issue: These strawberry bars take a good forty-five minutes to bake. And then a good couple hours to cool down and firm up so that they can be sliced cleanly.
But. If you don’t wanna wait all that downtime. Feel free to dig into the hot bars with a spoon and pretend it’s a crumble and not supposed to be neat squares.
Soft and tender and flaky and rich and dense and spiced and oaty crust. Juicy, succulent, jammy, bursting, tangy, sweet strawberry filling. Some more of that soft and tender and flaky and rich and dense and spiced and oaty mixture, this time sprinkled over the fruit to become crispy and crumbly and clumpy and irresistible.
Strawberry crumble bars — “one bite is all it takes, fallin' in love with you…”
Strawberry Crumble Bars + Video
Yield: 18-24 squares
Crust and Crumble:
2 1/2 cups rolled oats
2 cups packed flour
1 heaping cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup + 2 tablespoons oil (can sub equal parts melted butter)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Strawberry Filling:
4 cups strawberries (fresh or frozen- no need to defrost)
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons lemon zest
Generous squeeze of fresh lemon juice
1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a 9x13” baking pan with parchment paper, leaving some excess hanging over the rim for easy removal later.
2. In a large bowl, mix together all crust/crumble ingredients until combined. Press 1/2 the mixture firmly into the bottom of prepared pan. Bake for 12 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, stir together the strawberry filling ingredients until evenly coated. Spread the fruit over the crust (can still be hot), and scatter remaining crumble over the fruit.
4. Bake bars for 40-55 minutes, until golden brown and fruit juices are bubbling at the edges. Let bars cool and firm up for a couple hours before removing from pan and slicing (can speed up cooling process in the fridge).
