Description
Strawberry Crumble Bars bring pure summer joy right to your kitchen with sweet, tangy fruit nestled between buttery, crumbly layers. Grab some fresh strawberries and get ready to bake a treat that’ll make your taste buds dance with delight.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 2 cups strawberries
- 1 ½ cups flour
- ½ cup unsalted butter
Supporting Sweet Ingredients:
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Flavor Enhancers and Stabilizers:
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Prepare your workspace by preheating the oven to 350°F and lining an 8×8 inch baking pan with parchment paper, ensuring the paper slightly overlaps the edges for easy removal.
- Combine 1 ½ cups flour, ½ cup sugar, ½ teaspoon baking powder, and ¼ teaspoon salt in a large mixing bowl, whisking until thoroughly blended.
- Dice ½ cup cold unsalted butter into small cubes and work it into the dry ingredients using a pastry cutter or your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
- Crack 1 large egg into the bowl and add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, gently mixing until a soft, slightly crumbly dough forms.
- Transfer about two-thirds of the dough into the prepared pan, pressing firmly and evenly to create a compact base layer.
- Chop 2 cups fresh strawberries into small, uniform pieces and place them in a separate mixing bowl.
- Drizzle 1 tablespoon lemon juice over the strawberries, then add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ¼ cup sugar, and 1 tablespoon cornstarch, gently tossing to coat the fruit evenly.
- Spread the strawberry mixture carefully across the dough base, ensuring an even distribution.
- Sprinkle the remaining dough over the strawberries, creating a rustic, uneven crumble topping.
- Slide the pan into the preheated oven and bake for 35-40 minutes, watching for a golden-brown top and bubbling edges.
- Remove from the oven and allow the bars to cool completely in the pan for at least 1 hour before slicing into squares.
Notes
- Chilling the butter beforehand helps create a flakier, more tender crust that crumbles perfectly when you bite into the bars.
- Fresh strawberries work best, but frozen can be substituted by thawing and draining them thoroughly to prevent excess liquid.
- For a gluten-free version, swap the all-purpose flour with a cup-for-cup gluten-free flour blend to keep the same delightful texture.
- Sprinkle a bit of raw sugar on top of the crumble before baking to add a delicate crunch and subtle sparkle to your finished bars.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Dessert Bars
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8 to 10
- Calories: 170 kcal
- Sugar: 13 g
- Sodium: 60 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 1.5 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg