Strawberry Oatmeal Crumble Bars
Strawberry Oatmeal Crumble Bars — These delicious bars are filled with juicy strawberries! They’re super easy to make with only 10 minutes of preparation. The crust and crumble are made from the same mixture, making it even simpler. Everyone loves these bars whenever you make them for a group!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Additional Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 2 hours
INGREDIENTS
CRUST AND CRUMBLE TOPPING
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup of old-fashioned whole-rolled oats
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 tsp salt, or for a taste
STRAWBERRY LAYER
- 2 cups coarsely chopped strawberries
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp cornstarch
INSTRUCTIONS
CRUST AND CRUMBLE TOPPING:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cover an 8-inch square pan with aluminum foil and spray it with cooking spray. This helps with cleaning up later.
- In a big bowl that can go in the microwave, melt the butter for about 1 minute on high power.
- Add the flour, oats, sugars, and optional salt. Stir everything together. The mixture will be dry and sandy with some bigger crumble pieces.
- Take 1 heaping cup of this mixture and set it aside. This will be sprinkled on top later as the crumble topping.
- Put the rest of the mixture into the prepared pan. Use a spatula or your fingers to press it down firmly, making an even, smooth, flat crust. Set it aside.
STRAWBERRY LAYER:
- In a big mixing bowl (you can use the one you used for the crust and crumble), put in all the ingredients and mix them together. If the sugar doesn’t fully dissolve, it’s okay because it will melt while baking.
- Spread the strawberry mixture evenly over the crust.
- Evenly sprinkle the reserved heaping 1-cup crumble topping mixture on top. Before sprinkling, squeeze the mixture in your palm to make bigger crumble pieces.
- Bake for about 50 minutes, or until the edges are set and the center has just set. The crumble topping should look set and very pale golden, and the strawberry filling will be bubbling along the edges. If the strawberries are very juicy, the bars might take longer than 50 to 55 minutes. Keep an eye on them, and judge doneness by how they look rather than the time.
- Put the pan on a wire rack and let the bars cool for at least 1 hour before cutting and serving. If you try to cut the bars before they’re completely cool, they might be very messy and fall apart.
NOTES
- For the oats, avoid using quick cook or instant types because they are finer and act like flour, making the mixture too dry.
- As for storage, the bars can be kept airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week, in the fridge for up to 10 days, or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
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