Description
These Strawberry Oatmeal Bars combine a buttery oat crust with a sweet and tangy fresh strawberry filling, topped with a crumbly oat mixture. Perfect as a delightful, fruity dessert or a summer treat, they bake to a golden brown, ensuring a delicious balance of textures and flavors in every bite.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Crust and Topping
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1/2 cup brown sugar (packed)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (melted)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Strawberry Filling
- 1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries (chopped)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Set your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment paper, ensuring to leave an overhang for easy removal of the bars later.
- Prepare the oat mixture: In a medium bowl, combine the flour, rolled oats, brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Pour in the melted butter and vanilla extract, stirring until the mixture forms coarse crumbs.
- Reserve topping mixture: Set aside about 3/4 cup of the crumb mixture for the topping, then firmly press the remaining mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan to form the base crust.
- Prepare the strawberry filling: In another bowl, toss the chopped strawberries with cornstarch, lemon juice, and granulated sugar, mixing well to coat all the pieces evenly.
- Assemble the bars: Spread the strawberry filling evenly over the crust layer, then sprinkle the reserved oat mixture on top.
- Bake: Place the baking pan in the oven and bake for 35–40 minutes until the top turns golden brown and the strawberry filling bubbles around the edges.
- Cool and slice: Allow the bars to cool completely in the pan before lifting them out using the parchment paper overhang. Slice into 9 bars and serve.
Notes
- Frozen strawberries can be used; just thaw and drain any excess moisture well before preparing the filling.
- For additional sweetness and a pretty finish, drizzle the cooled bars with a simple glaze made from powdered sugar and milk.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
