Strawberry Crumb Bars

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Strawberry Crumb Bars are sweet, savory, and tart. These delicious homemade bars have a layer of jammy strawberries sandwiched between a packed pastry crust layer on the bottom and a crumbly layer on top. Serve them warm with a scoop of No Churn Vanilla Ice Cream.

Strawberry Crumb Bars are sweet, savory, and tart homemade bars made with a layer of jammy strawberries sandwiched between two crumbly pastry layers. | aheadofthyme.com

Similar to our Cranberry Sauce Oat Bars, this recipe is so easy to throw together and it's ready to serve in just an hour. They look like they came from the bakery but are actually easy to make from scratch at home! It's one of the most delicious summer desserts to keep in your cookbook. And trust me, you will keep going back to it all season long.

Why You’ll Love Strawberry Crumb Bars

Freshly baked fruity dessert. There’s nothing quite like a freshly baked summer dessert that is loaded with berries. When strawberry season comes around, you are sure to find me in the kitchen baking up a storm. Whether it's these crumb bars, Fresh Strawberry Pie or Strawberry Cupcakes the natural sweetness in these desserts are phenomenal.
Easy homemade pastry dough. Making pastry dough is easy when you know the tips and tricks that make it taste great. The secret to an easy pastry dough is using very cold butter and pastry cutter (or fork!). You can also combine the ingredients into a food processor — See the Recipe Variations below for instructions.
Quick and easy. These dessert bars are ready from start to finish in under one hour, plus the prep time is just 15 minutes. There’s no coming and going, incessant waiting, or proofing. And it's baked in one tray, so clean-up is relatively easy. All you need to do is cut the bars into a size that suits you and wash the tray.

Ingredient Notes

To make these delicious strawberry crumb bars, you will need the following ingredients (full measurements in recipe card below):

all purpose flour - scoop and level the flour or weigh it out to get the precise amount.
granulated sugar - added for sweetness. Adjust the amount to your liking.
baking powder
salt
cold butter
egg
strawberries - I recommend using fresh strawberries in this recipe. Using frozen strawberries will make the filling too watery.
cornstarch - this helps to thicken the strawberry mixture so that is it not oozing out everywhere.

You will also need measuring cups and spoons, mixing bowl, 8-inch square baking dish, and a food processor.

How to Make the Best Strawberry Crumb Bars

Make the crust. In a large mixing bowl, add flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt, and whisk together. Add the cold butter cubes and use a pastry cutter or fork to cut he butter in until crumbly and resembles small peas or breadcrumbs. Add the egg and vanilla. Use a rubber spatula (or your hands) to mix together until combined.

Make the strawberry filling. In a medium mixing bowl, combine strawberries, sugar, and cornstarch until evenly coated.

Assemble the crumb bars. Line an 8-inch square baking dish with parchment paper. Evenly spread ⅔ of the crumb mixture into the baking pan and press to pack it down and form an even bottom crust. Spoon the strawberry mixture on top of the crust and evenly spread it all over. Sprinkle the remaining ⅓ crumb mixture on top.

Bake. Bake in a 375F preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, or until the crust turns golden brown. Let it cool completely at room temperature.
Serve. Cut the strawberry crumb bars into 9 squares and serve warm or cold.

Recipe Variations

Try other berries or summer fruits. Once you have a good basic recipe for strawberry bars (ahem, like this one), you can change it up with other fresh fruit fillings! Make blueberry crumb bars or blackberry crumb bars following the same basic recipe.
Make a larger batch. This recipe makes enough for 9 servings in an 8-inch square baking pan. If you want to make a larger batch (16 servings), use a 9x13 tray and follow the measurements from my Cherry Crumb Bar recipe.
Make strawberry oatmeal bars instead. If you're a fan of oat-filled fruit crisps and want more crunch and chew, follow my Blueberry Oatmeal Bars recipe and replace the blueberries with fresh strawberries. Since strawberries have so much more moisture than blueberries, you may want to add a little extra cornstarch.
Add lemon zest. Strawberry lemon is a classic combination. I don't recommend adding lemon juice as it can thin out the fresh strawberry filling, but a little fresh lemon zest would be a lovely addition to the berry layer.
Make the dough in a food processor. To speed things up, add your dough ingredients into a food processor. Pulse on and off until flour mixture forms into small pieces of dough, approximately 1 minute. Drizzle 1-2 tablespoons of ice water into the mixture. Close the lid and continue to pulse on and off for another 1 minute, until the dough turns into a breadcrumb consistency.

How to Serve

These Strawberry Crumb Bars are the perfect treat to make this season. We love to serve it as is or with a big scoop (or two!) of No Churn Vanilla Ice Cream. If you plan to serve these crumble pairs as part of a bigger dessert spread, try including some of these favorites:

For more recipes, see our 40 Best Summer Desserts.

Recipe Tips and Tricks

Chop the strawberries evenly. When you slice your fresh berries, aim to keep them the same size. Consistent berries will ensure that the filling has a smooth and consistent texture and cooks evenly.
Be patient. Your crumb bars will be especially crumbly if you try to serve them too quickly! Let them cool for at least 30 minutes to firm up the crumb crust and crumble topping. The cooled bars will also be neater to serve and eat.
Use cold butter. Just like making a pie crust, you'll need to cut cold butter into your shortbread crust. This requires cold butter straight from the fridge.
Line the pan with parchment paper. For easy serving, add a line layer of parchment to the bottom of the baking pan. It will help the bars lift neatly from the tray. Be sure to remove before eating.

Storing and Freezing Instructions

How to Store

Store strawberry crumble bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

How to Freeze

You can also store the strawberry crumb bars in the freezer for up to 3 months. Wrap them individually in plastic wrap and store in a freezer bag or airtight container.

FAQ

How do you make the base for strawberry crumb bars?

Strawberry crumb bars are like fruit crumbles on steroids. The main component is the crumble mixture, which is pressed into the pan to make a buttery crust and also sprinkled on top. My version calls for flour, cold butter, sugar, baking powder, salt, and egg, which are pulsed together in the food processor to keep from warming the butter too much and for that crumbly, flaky texture. Perfect for summer!

Can you use frozen strawberries for strawberry crumb bars?

Yes, you can bake with frozen strawberries, but be aware that they will weep excessively and become quite soft. You'll need to let the strawberries thaw completely and strain off as much extra liquid as possible. This will result in a softer fruit layer that may be a little messier to eat as well. You may also need to add a little more cornstarch to hold the filling together. I highly recommend using fresh strawberries for the strawberry layer whenever possible. They're easier, tastier, and will give you a more consistent result every time.

Can you make gluten free strawberry crumb bars?

This method has not been tested with this recipe, but you can generally replace all-purpose flour with a storebought gluten free flour blend as a 1:1 substitute. This means you'd use exactly the same amount of the flour blend as the regular flour in the recipe. For celiacs, be sure to use certified gluten-free corn starch for the fruit layer as well.

More Strawberry Dessert Recipes

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