These strawberry crumble bars are great as a treat, snack or a casual dessert. Crispy and buttery shortbread base with jammy layer of juicy strawberries and topped with delicious oat crumble. They are chewy, gooey and delightfully crunchy!
Aside from delicious flavour, these strawberry bars are very quick and easy to make, and do not require any special equipment.
What a fabulous way to use fresh strawberries! I made these crumble bars yesterday and they've already disappeared! Next time, a double batch...★★★★★
- Jacqueline
If you are a fan of good, old-fashioned crumble, then these crumb bars will definitely be up to your liking. It is basically my strawberry crumble, but turned into individual dessert bars.
I love making pies, tarts and crumbles because they are usually very easy and forgiving, low on effort and big on flavour. And that is what makes these strawberry crumble bars so tempting, delicious, sweet and buttery flavour and super easy technique!
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Ingredients
You'll need the following ingredients to make this strawberry crumble bars recipe:
- Butter - Salted or unsalted is fine butter is fine. I always choose unsalted, but either will work.
- Plain flour - Use plain flour (all purpose flour).
- Oats - For an extra layer of texture and flavour.
- Sugar - Use white caster sugar (superfine sugar) or granulated sugar. Alternatively, soft light brown sugar will also work.
- Strawberries - Fresh strawberries to create that sweet and juicy strawberry filling.
- Strawberry jam - Adding a little bit of jam produces more intense flavour and helps to "seal" the filling more.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions and Variations
- For a gluten-free version, swap plain flour for gluten free flour. If using oats, make sure they are also gluten free.
- Sprinkle some extra demerara sugar on top of the strawberry crumble. It will add a lovely crunch to the streusel topping.
- Oats are not necessary to make crumble. If you don't have any, use extra flour instead (100 grams). If using oats, try to avoid the superfine ones, jumbo oats or rolled oats will work best.
- Add a handful of mixed seeds or your favourite nuts to the crumble topping. They will create layer of extra texture and flavour.
- It's best to use fresh strawberries, as frozen berries have higher water content. Frozen berries will add more moisture to the bake and could make the bars soggy.
- For a vegan version of these bars, use dairy free butter and make sure the jam is vegan-friendly, without extra gelling agents.
- Love the idea of strawberry bars, but don't want to bake? Why not give these delicious Strawberry Cheesecake Bars a try?
Instructions
Combine flour, oats, sugar and salt with melted butter. The mixture should resemble the texture of the wet sand, and you want a combination of small and big clumps/ crumbs.
Sprinkle chopped strawberries with 1 tablespoon of sugar and set aside for 10 minutes. Discard the juices and add vanilla and strawberry jam.
Press ⅔ of the crumble mixture into the base of prepared baking tin, and prick the base gently with fork.
Bake the base for 20 minutes or until it is golden brown.
Add strawberries on top of the base, and spread them in an even layer.
Top with the remaining crumble and bake again for 30- 40 minutes, until bubbly and golden.
Once baked, remove the strawberry crumble from the oven and allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes. Gently lift the bake from the tin onto a chopping board and use a sharp knife to cut into slices.
Serving suggestion
Enjoy these easy crumble bars on their own, with a dusting of icing sugar, finely grated lemon zest or with a drizzle of simple glaze. You can also serve them with a drizzle of custard, cream or scoop of ice cream.
Storage
Strawberry crumble bars keep well in in an airtight container in a cool, dry place or in the fridge for 3-4 days. Note that the crust and the crumble will soften slightly with time.
You can also freeze these crumble bars. Allow them to cool completely, then wrap each slice in a double layer of clingfilm and transfer to freezer bags or container and freeze for up to 3 months.
Defrost them on the kitchen counter, allowing the bars to come to room temperature or reheat in the oven for 10 minutes.
Top Tips
- When lining the baking tin, leave plenty of overhang baking paper. It will make it easier to remove the bake from the tin later.
- For best results, use fresh strawberries. Frozen strawberries may add too much moisture and make these bars soggy.
- Macerate the strawberries. Macerating fruit simply means to soften it. Once you sprinkled strawberries with sugar, allow them to sit for 5-10 minutes. This will amp up their flavour and make them more jammy and juicy.
- While the crust is baking, transfer the reserved crumble topping to fridge or freezer until you need it. It will solidify the butter, preventing the crumble top from spreading too much when it bakes.
- Wait for the bars to cool, before slicing them, otherwise they will be too soft and will fall apart. You can also transfer cooled strawberry crumble to the fridge for an hour to help it set quicker.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! It's really easy to turn this recipe into a gluten-free version. Simply use your favourite GF flour and GF oats. The rest of the ingredients are naturally gluten-free, so these will be the only substitutes you will need.
You can use frozen fruit, but the texture can become a bit more watery and runny with frozen strawberries. Toss frozen strawberries with 1 tablespoon of flour, along with sugar. Flour will absorb some of that extra moisture and will guarantee the jammy texture of the filling.
There could be few reasons, but most obvious is that you've got your topping ingredients quantities wrong: either too much or not enough flour and butter alongside the sugar. Stick to the recipe card for the right quantities and follow the recipe instructions for best results. Also, do not over-mix the crumble ingredients.
Did you try this recipe? Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below and tag @anna_wierzbinska on Instagram!
📖 Recipe
Strawberry Crumble Bars
Equipment
- 8' x 8' baking tin
- baking paper
- mixing bowl
- small saucepan
Ingredients
- 220 g plain flour
- 100 g oats
- 200 g unsalted butter
- 150 g sugar, caster or granulated plus 1 extra Tbsp
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 400 g strawberries chopped
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste optional
- 4 tablespoon strawberry jam
Instructions
- Melt the butter. Place the butter in a small saucepan set over medium heat and allow it to melt completely. Set aside to cool slightly. Meanwhile, pre heat the oven to 160°C (320°F). Lightly grease and line the baking tin with baking paper, leaving plenty of overhang.
- Make the crumble. In a large bowl, mix together flour, oats, sugar and salt. Pour in the cooled melted butter, and use fork to combine it all together, until the mixture resembles the texture of the wet sand. You want a combination of fine crumbs and chunky bits.220 g plain flour, 100 g oats, 200 g unsalted butter, 150 g sugar, caster or granulated, 1 teaspoon salt
- Bake the base. Transfer ⅔ of the crumble mixture into the baking tin, and press it firmly to form the base of the crumble. Use the back of measuring cup or a back of the spoon to smooth out the surface. Place the remaining crumble mixture into the freezer until you will need it. Transfer the base into the oven, and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from the oven.
- Macerate the strawberries. Meanwhile, place chopped strawberries in a medium bowl. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of sugar and set aside for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, discard the juices from the bottom of the bowl with strawberries, then add vanilla and strawberry jam. Mix well.400 g strawberries, 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste, 4 tablespoon strawberry jam
- Add strawberries and crumble topping. Spread the strawberries on top of the base in an even layer. Remove the remaining crumble from the freezer and scatter it all over the strawberries in an even layer. Bake for another 30- 35 minutes, or until golden brown and bubbly.
- Slice and enjoy! Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes in the baking tin. Use overhang baking paper to gently lift the bake from the tin. Transfer to a chopping board and cut into slices.
Please note that all my recipes are developed and tested in metric grams. I recommend that you use digital scales for a more accurate results. I have provided a conversion to US customary in the recipe but please note that I haven’t tested using this method.
Video
Notes
- Leave plenty of overhanging baking paper when lining the baking tin. Use it to lift and remove the bake from the tin later.
- For best results, use fresh strawberries. Frozen strawberries may add too much moisture and make these bars soggy.
- Let the strawberries sit for 5-10 minutes, once you sprinkled them with sugar. Allow them to release their juices, then drain, discarding the juice. This will intensify the flavour and make the berries more jammy.
- Keep the remaining crumble in the freezer, until you need to use it for the topping.
- Allow the bars to cool before slicing them. You may want to transfer them to the fridge for about an hour after they cooled, as this will help them to set quicker.
Nutrition
This post was originally published in May 2021. It has been updated with new photos, revised recipe and tips in January 2024.
Jessica Formicola says
I love all things strawberry in the summer, and these crumble bars are perfection! Definitely making a batch for Memorial Day!
Anna says
Thanks Jessica, I hope you will enjoy them as much as I do!
Mojoblogs says
I love strawberry desserts. Cannot wait to try this. Thank you for this!
Heidy says
These strawberry crumble bars were out of this world good. The entire family loved them and a few of my friends asked for the recipe link! I will be making this again.
Anna says
Hey Heidy! Reading your comment just made my day! Thank you so much, I'm so happy that family and friends approved of them too! Yay!
LaKita says
These crumble bars look amazing! The perfect way to use seasonal berries and I just so happen to have all the ingredients on hand including a container of strawberries, perfect timing. Will be making soon.
Anna says
Thank you LaKita, any fruit or seasonal berries will be fab in this recipe for sure. I hope you will enjoy these as much as I do! Happy baking!
Natalie says
These bars look fantastic. I absolutely love how they turned out for you. I must give your recipe a try. Can't wait. Strawberries are now in season and delicious!
Anna says
Aww thanks so much Natalie, strawberries are definitely at their best now, so there's never been a better time to bake these 😉
Sam says
Yum, these crumble bars look amazing! I have all the ingredients so printing this one out to try tomorrow. Can't wait!
Anna says
Thank you Sam, hope you enjoyed the recipe? Let me know!
Jenny says
These look so lovely and inviting.We just got 2 baskets of great strawberries so I will be making them asap!
Anna says
How lucky to have 2 baskets of sweet and juicy berries! I hope you will be putting them into a good use and enjoy this recipe!
Paula Montenegro says
Oh, the magic of summer fruit with a crumble topping! These are gorgeous and so delicious. We love them here and will try them with blueberries next time. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Anna says
That is so true, fruit crumbles are like the essence of summer! Glad you like these little bars, and the blueberry version has been on my mind lately too!
Jacqueline Debono says
What a fabulous way to use fresh strawberries! I made these crumble bars yesterday and they've already disappeared! Next time, a double batch!
Anna says
Oh Jacqueline, that makes me so happy! Thank you! And yeah, we often have the same problem, they disappear so fast I often think I should start making double batch 😀
Ben says
Those look awesome. I love strawberry, and that crumble top is awesome.
annabanana says
Thanks Ben, I would happily eat a crumble on its own to be honest 😉 but jammy middle makes it 100 times better!
Amy Liu Dong says
Such a delicious and a healthy bars to make for the whole family.
I am so excited to make this for them and hope it will turn good as yours.
annabanana says
Thanks so much Amy, let me know if you and family enjoyed these bars, I would love to know!
Kushigalu says
Crumble bars are my all time favorite and this looks fantastic. I will soon try your version.
Anna says
Thanks so much, let me know if you try them!
Sheila says
These were so delicious!! I had to give them away or we would have eaten the whole pan! Thank you for the recipe.