Easy Fresh Strawberry Crumb Bars Recipe with Perfect Oat Topping
These strawberry crumb bars feature a tender strawberry filling with a crunchy oat topping, coming together quickly for a simple, wholesome dessert perfect for any occasion.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30-42 minutes
- Total Time: 45-57 minutes plus cooling time
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 ½ cups (190 g) all-purpose flour (unbleached recommended)
- 1 cup (90 g) old-fashioned rolled oats
- ½ cup (100 g) light brown sugar
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- ¾ cup (170 g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 4 cups (600 g) fresh strawberries, hulled and chopped
- ⅓ cup (65 g) granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease an 8×8-inch baking pan or line it with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine flour, rolled oats, brown sugar, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt. Mix well.
- Add cold, cubed butter to the dry ingredients. Use a food processor to pulse until coarse crumbs form or rub in with fingers until crumbly.
- Reserve about 1 cup of the crumb mixture for topping. Press the remaining mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan.
- Bake the base layer for 10-12 minutes until lightly golden and just set. Remove and let cool slightly.
- Toss chopped strawberries with granulated sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch, and vanilla extract gently to coat.
- Spread the strawberry filling evenly over the cooled crust.
- Sprinkle the reserved crumb mixture evenly over the strawberry layer.
- Bake for another 25-30 minutes until the topping is golden brown and the filling is bubbly around the edges.
- Remove from oven and cool completely on a wire rack, ideally for at least 2 hours or overnight.
- Cut into bars and serve.
Notes
Keep butter cold for crumbly texture. Fold strawberry filling gently to avoid crushing fruit. Use old-fashioned oats for best texture. Tent with foil if topping browns too quickly. Cool bars completely before cutting for clean slices. Frozen strawberries can be used if thawed and drained. For gluten-free, substitute flour with almond or gluten-free blend. For dairy-free, use coconut oil instead of butter.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar (1/12 of recip
- Calories: 210
- Sugar: 15
- Fat: 8
- Carbohydrates: 32
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 3
Keywords: strawberry crumb bars, oat topping, easy dessert, fresh strawberries, quick baking, crumb bars, summer dessert