Happy July! It’s still strawberry season, so I’m eating as many of these beauties as possible. And with Canada Day and the Fourth of July upon us, what better way to celebrate than an easy, bright red dessert for a crowd? These strawberry crumble bars are the best way to use up those extra, sweet summer berries you’ve got laying around — and they’ll be the hit of the Independence Day block party.
The strawberries cook down to a jam-like consistency, so the thinner you slice the berries, the fewer chunks you’ll have in the cooked bars. And if you don’t have oatmeal, you can substitute another cup of flour. But like a streusel, I love having those oats in the topping (and base).
I imagine these work great with most berries, or even other fruits. If you try it, be sure to let me know!
Strawberry Crumble Bars
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup cold unsalted butter cut into cubes
- 1 large egg
- 3 teaspoons cornstarch
- 3 cups fresh strawberries sliced
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F . Cover a 9x13 inch pan with parchment paper and spray with non-stick spray.
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Stir together both sugars, flour, baking powder, oats, and salt in a medium bowl. Next, cut in the butter cubes and egg with a pastry cutter or fork. Dump half of the crumbly dough into the pan and pat solid.
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In a small bowl, gently stir together strawberries and cornstarch. Layer strawberry mixture on top of prepared dough, and sprinkle remaining dough on top. You can leave it loose and holey so the strawberries peak through.
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Bake for 45 minutes, or until top is golden brown. Cool completely before using parchment to lift the bars out of the pan, and cutting into squares.
Recipe Notes
Note: If strawberries aren’t super sweet (or are out of season), you can add 1/4 cup sugar or 2 tbsp honey when you mix in the cornstarch.