Strawberry Crumble Bars (Easy Strawberry Crumb Bars)

Quick Summary: Strawberry crumble bars have a buttery oat crumb crust and topping with a fresh strawberry filling, baked in a square pan at 375°F (190°C) until golden. This easy summer dessert uses simple ingredients and slices into neat bars.

What are strawberry crumble bars?

Strawberry crumble bars are a baked dessert with a buttery oat crumb layer on the bottom, a fresh strawberry filling in the middle, and more of the same crumb mixture on top. Also called strawberry crumb bars, they slice into neat squares once cooled, making them easy to pack and share.

The crumb doubles as both crust and topping, which keeps the recipe simple. You can make the filling with fresh or frozen strawberries, or with strawberry jam when berries are out of season.

Why you'll love this recipe

• Strawberry crumble bars are an easy summer dessert when the strawberry season arrives.

• They are a great make-ahead for even a beginner baker: success is guaranteed.

• These fresh strawberry bars are perfect as an afternoon snack and a delicious dessert taken to a summer party, picnic, or potluck.

• It is a great strawberry baking recipe to enjoy: it uses just simple ingredients.

• The buttery shortbread-like crumb crust is well balanced with the sweetness of the fresh strawberry filling.

• This fruity bar recipe is customizable: it works with almost any fresh fruit.

Ingredients

For ingredients and detailed instructions, refer to the recipe card below.

• Oatmeal: the recipe calls for 1-minute instant oatmeal.

• Sugar: use golden brown sugar to make the crumble or replace it with granulated sugar. To make the recipe refined sugar-free, replace regular sugar with coconut sugar.

• Flour: Use all-purpose flour for this recipe. To make it gluten-free, replace flour with a gluten-free 1:1 flour blend.

• Butter: The recipe calls for unsalted butter right from the refrigerator. It has to be cold to make the crumble.

• Strawberry preserves: Use fruit preserves or strawberry jam. If it is thick enough to spread, microwave it for 1 minute to soften.

• Fresh strawberries: seasonal, sweet fresh strawberries are great for these crumb bars. Travel to your local strawberry farm for strawberry picking or purchase ripe berries in a grocery store or a farmers market. You can replace them with blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, or stone fruit.

• Cornstarch is used to toss fresh red berries to thicken their juice while baking. Replace it with tapioca flour or arrowroot starch if desired.

Equipment

To make strawberry crumble bars at home, gather these basic kitchen tools before you start:

• 7x7-inch (18 cm) square baking pan
• parchment paper
• large mixing bowl
• small mixing bowl
• pastry blender
• sharp knife
• wire rack

How to make strawberry crumble bars

Step 1. Prepare for baking. Heat oven to 375°F (190°C). Butter or spray a 7 x 7-inch (18 x 18-cm) square baking pan with cooking spray. Line it with parchment paper, hanging it over two sides.

Step 2. Make the crumble. In a large bowl, combine flour, oatmeal, and brown sugar, and mix. Add cold butter to the dry ingredients.

Mix with your hands, a fork, or a pastry blender until the crumbly mixture sticks under pressure (photo 1).

Press two-thirds of the crumble mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan (photo 2).

Spread strawberry preserves evenly over the buttery crust (photo 3).

Step 3. Make the sweet strawberry filling. In a small bowl, combine strawberries cut lengthwise into four, granulated white sugar, and cornflour (photo 4).

Distribute berries into the fresh strawberry layer (photo 5). Using your hands, cover with the remaining dough (photo 6).

Step 4. Bake and serve. Bake for about 50 minutes or until the top is golden brown (photo 7). Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 to 20 minutes in the pan.

Lift the crumble out of the mold using parchment paper. Let cool completely. Using a sharp knife, cut into squares (photo 8). Serve them on their own or accompany a scoop of ice cream.

Expert tips

1. To cut strawberries, use a strawberry slicer if desired.
2. Use very cold butter to get the correct crumble consistency.
3. Don't overmix the crumbly topping. Once you get the sandy mixture, please stop. Read more about making the perfect streusel topping.
4. Be sure to line your baking dish with parchment paper hanging over at least two sides. This will make it easier to remove the strawberry bars after baking.
5. Let your bars cool completely before slicing for at least an hour.

Recipe variations

This recipe is foolproof and perfect as is. But you can play with the crumble thickness, different fruits, and add-ins.

• Instead of dividing the crumble mixture into ⅓ and ⅔, make the bottom layer equal to the top crust layer. Press half of the crumb mixture to the bottom of the pan. Then cover the strawberry layer with the remaining crumble.

• For even more crunch, add ¼ cup chopped nuts to the crumb mixture.

• For a citrus flavor, add some lemon zest to the strawberry filling.

• Finally, replace juicy strawberries with other fruits, such as blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and stone fruit.
• Frozen strawberries: use frozen berries when fresh are out of season; thaw and drain them well, then add an extra teaspoon of cornstarch to the filling.
• Gluten-free: swap the flour for a 1-to-1 gluten-free baking blend and use certified gluten-free oats.

No need to add sugar or cornflour when using whole fruit. But add 1 teaspoon of cornstarch when using stone fruit cut into slices.

Storing & freezing

Store bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or keep them in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Can you freeze strawberry crumble bars? You can freeze these bars for up to 3 months. Cover cooled bars with plastic wrap or place them in a freezer-safe container, then freeze.

To thaw, refrigerate overnight. Serve bars at room temperature.

Recipe FAQ

Can you make strawberry crumble bars with frozen strawberries?
Yes. Use frozen strawberries in place of fresh ones. Let them thaw, then drain them well before chopping so the filling does not turn watery.

Can you use strawberry jam instead of fresh strawberries?
Yes. Spread a layer of strawberry jam or preserves over the crust instead of the fresh filling for a quicker, jammier version.

Do strawberry crumble bars have oats?
This recipe uses oats in the crumb for a hearty texture. You can leave them out and use all flour if you prefer a smoother shortbread-style crumb.

How do you keep the bars from being soggy?
Use cold butter, do not overmix the crumb, and drain thawed or juicy berries. Letting the bars cool completely before slicing also helps them set.

Can you make these bars gluten-free?
Yes. Swap the all-purpose flour for a 1-to-1 gluten-free baking blend and use certified gluten-free oats.

Love strawberry desserts? Try these next!

• Easy Strawberry Clafoutis (Clafoutis aux Fraises)
• Tarte aux Fraises (French Strawberry Tart)
• Fraisier Cake (French Strawberry Cake)
• Browse all the fruit dessert recipes

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Recipe card

The nutritional information has been calculated using an online recipe nutrition calculator such as Verywellfit.com and is intended for informational purposes only. These figures should be used as a general guideline and not be construed as a guarantee.

The recipe was originally published on April 26, 2021. It has been revised to include improved content and photos.