Description
These Strawberry Crumb Bars feature a buttery, crumbly crust layered with fresh, sweet strawberries, baked to golden perfection. Easy to make and perfect for dessert or a snack, these bars combine a tangy fruit filling with a tender, crunchy topping, ideal for any occasion.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Crust & Topping
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup very cold butter (8 tablespoons or 1 stick)
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Filling
- 2 cups fresh strawberries, chopped
- 1/3 cup white sugar
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare pan: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment paper, allowing the paper to hang over the sides for easy removal later.
- Mix dry ingredients for crust: In a medium bowl, combine 1/2 cup white sugar, all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt, stirring until evenly blended.
- Cut in butter: Add the very cold butter to the dry ingredients. Using a fork, pastry cutter, or food processor, cut the butter into the mixture until it resembles small pea-sized crumbs. Ensure the butter stays cold to achieve the perfect crumbly texture.
- Add egg and vanilla: In a separate bowl or cup, beat the egg with a fork, then add the egg and vanilla extract to the crumb mixture. Stir gently until the dough forms a crumbly, cohesive mixture.
- Form base crust: Press half of the crumb dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking pan to form the crust layer.
- Prepare strawberry filling: In a small bowl, mix 1/3 cup white sugar and cornstarch. Fold in the chopped strawberries until well coated with the sugar-cornstarch mixture.
- Assemble bars: Spread the strawberry filling evenly over the crust in the pan. Then crumble the remaining dough evenly over the strawberry layer to create the topping.
- Bake: Bake the assembled bars in the preheated oven for about 45 minutes, or until the top is slightly golden brown. Oven temperatures vary; start checking around 38 minutes if your oven runs hot.
- Cool and serve: Remove from the oven and allow the bars to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. For best results, refrigerate before cutting into squares to serve.
Notes
- Use very cold butter to maintain the crumbly texture; avoid warming the dough by working it too much with your hands.
- Adjust the sugar in the filling based on the sweetness of your strawberries. If they are not very sweet, increase sugar to about 1/2 cup.
- You can easily double all ingredients and bake in a 9×13-inch pan to yield more bars.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar (approx. 2x2 inch square)
- Calories: 220
- Sugar: 18g
- Sodium: 110mg
- Fat: 11g
- Saturated Fat: 6.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Fiber: 1.5g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 40mg
