Description
Delight in these homemade Strawberry Oatmeal Crumble Bars featuring a buttery, oat-filled crust topped with fresh, juicy strawberries and a crunchy oatmeal crumble. Perfect as a snack or a dessert, these bars combine the natural sweetness of fruit with a satisfying texture, baked to golden perfection.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Butter and Wet Mix
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Strawberry Filling
- 2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and diced
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar (for strawberries)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides for easy removal after baking.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the flour, rolled oats, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt. Stir until all the ingredients are well incorporated.
- Cut in Butter: Add the cold, cubed butter to the dry mixture. Use a pastry cutter or your fingers to cut the butter into the mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces.
- Add Egg and Vanilla: In a separate bowl, whisk together the large egg and vanilla extract. Pour this over the oat and flour mixture and stir until the mixture is evenly moist and crumbly.
- Form Crust: Press about two-thirds of the oatmeal mixture firmly into the bottom of the prepared baking pan to form an even crust layer. Reserve the remaining one-third of the mixture as crumble topping.
- Prepare Strawberry Filling: In a medium bowl, toss the diced strawberries with lemon juice, cornstarch, and 1/4 cup granulated sugar until the fruit is evenly coated. This mixture helps thicken the strawberry layer during baking.
- Assemble Bars: Spread the strawberry mixture evenly over the crust in the baking pan. Then sprinkle the reserved oatmeal crumble mixture evenly over the strawberry layer, gently pressing it down without compacting too tightly.
- Bake: Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the strawberries are bubbly and slightly thickened.
- Cool and Serve: Remove the bars from the oven and allow them to cool completely in the pan. Use the parchment paper overhang to lift the bars out of the pan, then cut into squares and serve.
Notes
- Ensure the butter is cold when cutting into the dry ingredients for a crumbly texture.
- Use ripe, fresh strawberries for the best flavor and consistency.
- Allow bars to cool fully to set the filling before slicing to avoid soggy edges.
- For easy removal, make sure to leave an overhang of parchment paper in the pan.
- These bars can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerated for up to 5 days.
- Optionally, add a pinch of cinnamon to the dry ingredients for extra warmth and depth.