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Strawberry Crumb Bars

Strawberry crumb bars with a buttery oat crust and ruby-red strawberry filling layered between crumbly tops. Bake until golden, then cool just long enough to slice clean bars with visible fruit swirls.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
rest 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 16 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 320
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Dry crumb base
  • 2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup old-fashioned oats
  • 0.75 cup granulated sugar
  • 0.5 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup butter softened
  • 0.25 tsp salt
Strawberry filling
  • 2 cup fresh strawberries chopped
  • 0.25 cup cornstarch
  • 2 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Make the crumb crust
  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F and grease a 9x13 inch baking pan, visible as a light sheen on the bottom and sides.
  2. Mix together all-purpose flour, old-fashioned oats, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and salt until the dry ingredients look evenly combined.
  3. Cut in softened butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs, with pea-size clumps that hold together when pressed.
  4. Press half of the crumb mixture into the greased 9x13 inch baking pan in an even layer, visible as a flat crust with no gaps.
Fill and top
  1. Toss fresh strawberries with cornstarch, granulated sugar, and lemon juice until the fruit looks glossy and slightly thickened.
  2. Spread the strawberry mixture evenly over the crust, visible as a ruby layer reaching close to the pan edges.
  3. Sprinkle the remaining crumb mixture over the strawberries and press down gently, visible as a crumbly top that covers most of the fruit while still allowing red filling to peek through.
Bake and cool
  1. Bake at 350°F for 33-35 minutes until golden brown, with edges set and the top looking dry and crisp.
  2. Cool for 15 minutes before cutting into bars, visible as the filling firming up so slices hold their shape.

Notes

For clean slices, let the bars cool fully for at least 15 minutes before cutting; if your room is warm, extend cooling to 30 minutes. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 4 days. Freeze baked bars in a sealed container up to 2 months. For a lighter crumb, use half butter and half plant-based baking sticks (softened) for similar texture.