Strawberry Oatmeal Crumble Bars (Printable)
Golden oat crumble with sweet strawberry filling, baked into portable bars—great warm or cooled for snacks and gatherings.
# What You'll Need:
→ Crust and Crumble
01 - 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
02 - 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
03 - 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
04 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
05 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
06 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
07 - 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
→ Strawberry Filling
08 - 2 cups diced fresh strawberries
09 - 1 tablespoon lemon juice
10 - 2 teaspoons cornstarch
11 - 1/3 cup granulated sugar
# Directions:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8x8-inch baking pan with parchment paper and lightly grease the surface.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, combine the rolled oats, all-purpose flour, packed light brown sugar, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt. Mix thoroughly.
03 - Pour melted unsalted butter into the oat mixture and stir until a crumbly texture forms.
04 - Reserve 1 cup of the oat crumble for topping. Press the remaining mixture evenly and firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan.
05 - In a separate bowl, gently mix diced fresh strawberries with lemon juice, cornstarch, and granulated sugar until fruit is evenly coated.
06 - Spread the strawberry mixture evenly over the pressed crust.
07 - Crumble the reserved oat mixture evenly over the strawberry layer for the topping.
08 - Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 38 minutes, or until the crumble is golden brown and the fruit filling is bubbling.
09 - Allow the bars to cool completely in the pan, then lift out using parchment paper. Cut into 12 bars for serving.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- No fancy skills required—just easy layers and honest flavors, even if you dabble with imperfect berry shapes.
- The bars hold up for picnic baskets and after-dinner slices alike, which is exactly how they started winning over my friends.
02 -
- If you try to cut them before they're cool, they will fall apart in sticky, delicious piles.
- Mixing berries gently makes a difference—I learned the hard way that mashing breaks down the filling and makes it runny.
03 -
- Letting the bars cool entirely is the secret to clean, even slices.
- Use the best quality butter you have for a richer crumble—it's what really makes the crust sing.