Strawberry Crumb Bars

A buttery crumb topping goes on the bottom and the top of these easy Strawberry Crumb Bars. Use fresh strawberries for an easy summer dessert that is ready in under 1 hour. It’s like strawberry shortcake in a bar!

In Ohio, early June is strawberry season. You’ll find Strawberry festivals, farmer’s markets selling beautiful big, ripe berries, and grocery stores with berries on sale for 99 cents a pound.

That can only mean one thing…it’s time to bake everything with fresh strawberries. This easy strawberry dessert is perfect when you are craving something sweet. It makes a small amount…enough for you to sample and maybe share with a friend.

These strawberry bars with fresh strawberries are a great take along dessert for summer picnics, potlucks and family reunions.

Are strawberries good for baking?

The short answer is yes. From strawberry bread to strawberry rolls, they make a sweet dessert with eye-popping color.

Strawberries are high in water content, which can make them tricky for baking. For that reason, it’s best to use slightly underripe strawberries for this recipe so that you don’t end up with a juicy mess.

Slightly underripe strawberries are red, but have just a small amount of white at the top of the strawberry by the hull.

Save those bright red, juicy & sweet strawberries for enjoying fresh!

Tips for Making Strawberry Crumb Bars

• Line the baking pan with parchment paper or foil. Crumb bars can be tricky to cut and remove from the pan without it.
• The base of the bar is also the crumb topping. Mix up the crumb mixture, then press half of it into the bottom of the pan. The rest of the crumbs go over the strawberry filing as a crumble topping. It’s like a strawberry crumb sandwich…which would be my favorite kind of sandwich.
• The fresh strawberry mixture in this easy bar recipe is simply diced strawberries, sugar and corn starch. The cornstarch is what will thicken the strawberry filling just a little bit to make the bars stay together.

Storage Instructions

The bars are best if you store them in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days. You can also pop them into the freezer and store for up to 6 weeks.

Recipe Variations

• Try adding lemon zest to the crumble mixture. It adds a delicious, fresh flavor. You could even add a tablespoon of fresh lemon juice to the strawberries.
• Use half brown sugar and half white sugar for a warm depth of flavor.
• Serve with vanilla ice cream on top. It’s a unique twist on strawberry shortcake.
• Use all-purpose gluten free flour for a gluten free dessert.

You may also love our blueberry crumble oatmeal bars.

Strawberry Crumb Bars

4.65 from 67 votes

A buttery crumb topping goes on the bottom and the top of these easy Strawberry Crumb Bars. Use fresh strawberries for an easy summer dessert that is ready in under 1 hour. It’s like strawberry shortcake in a bar! 

Servings 12

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 55 minutes minutes

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Ingredients

 

US Customary – Metric

For the crust & topping:

• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup salted butter (cold)

For the strawberry filling:

• 1 pound fresh strawberries diced up
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 375ºF. Prepare a 8×8 inch baking dish by lining it with foil or parchment paper allowing the edges to overhang the pan for easy removal. Then, spray the lining with cooking spray.
• In a large bowl, add the ½ cup sugar, flour, baking powder and salt and mix until combined.
• Then, add the egg and vanilla. Mix well.
• Cut the cold butter into the flour mixture until it is crumbly.
• Take half of the flour mixture and pack it down in the bottom of your pan. Reserve the remaining crumbs for the topping.
• In a medium bowl, combine the diced strawberries, ⅓ cup sugar and cornstarch. Mix until the strawberries are coated well.
• Spread the sweet strawberry filling over the bottom layer in the pan and spread out evenly.
• Sprinkle the rest of the flour mixture evenly over the top of your strawberries.
• Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the top is golden brown. Allow to cool completely before cutting with a sharp knife.
• Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Video

Notes

The calories shown are based on the bars being cut into 12 pieces, with 1 serving being 1 strawberry bar. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate.

Nutrition

Calories: 198kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 35mg | Sodium: 56mg | Potassium: 97mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 265IU | Vitamin C: 22.2mg | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 1mg

Author Julie Clark

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Calories 198

Keyword berries, brunch, picnic, shower, strawberry, summer

Have you tried this recipe?

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Tools to Make This Recipe

• Pastry Cutter: I use this tool all the time. It cuts butter into flour perfectly for streusels, crusts and other pastries.
• 8×8 Cake Pan: For small cakes and casseroles.
• Strawberry Slicer: Get perfectly sliced strawberries to decorate your desserts.