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Strawberry Bars are the perfect summer dessert with Strawberry pie filling between a buttery crust and a crumble topping with oats and brown sugar. These tasty bars are sweet, juicy, and buttery!
Don’t let strawberry season pass without also making my Chocolate Strawberry Cream Pie and my Easy Strawberry Cake.
Strawberry Oatmeal Bars
If you love fruit crisps, like Easy Cherry Crisp and Peach Blueberry Crisp, then you are going to love these sweet and crumbly strawberry bars with a vanilla glaze. Warm fruit with a sweet crumbly topping is one of my favorite desserts – ever!
The crust and buttery crumb topping is the same short-bread like crust that sandwiches a layer of sweet and juicy strawberry filling in the center. Simple ingredients is all it takes to make this easy summer dessert that’s perfect for cookouts, barbecues, gatherings, and summer parties.
Simple Ingredients & Substitutions
- Old-Fashioned Oats : We use whole oats for the crumble mixture because of the hearty texture of them, which provides lots of texture for the strawberry crumble bars. Quick oats can be used if needed but you will lose the texture if using the smaller quick oats.
- All-Purpose Flour
- Light Brown Sugar : Make sure that you pack the brown sugar into the measuring cup before dumping it into the mixing bowl. You will know when it’s properly packed when it retains it’s shape even when dumped out of the measuring cup.
- Ground Ginger : Just a little bit offers a warm flavor to complement the sweet strawberries.
- Kosher Salt : I prefer kosher salt because it elevates flavors without making it taste ‘salty’, however, any salt can be used such as sea salt, pink salt, or regular iodized table salt.
- Butter
- Strawberry Pie Filling : We make it really simple and use canned pie filling for the strawberry layer. If you want to switch up the recipe try using a different flavor of pie filling; blueberry, mixed berry, or blackberry.
- Cornstarch : This helps thicken the strawberry pie layer while baking.
- Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice
- Granulated Sugar
- Powdered Sugar
- Vanilla Extract
- Milk : Any milk can be used for the glaze but take note that the higher the fat content of the milk (heavy cream, half and half) then you will need more of it. If the fat content is lower (like whole milk or less) then you will need less of it, start with the lower amount of milk called for in the recipe and add more as needed.
How To Make Strawberry Crumb Bars With Strawberry Filling (Printable Recipe Card Below)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 8×8 square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang for easy removal.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the oats, flour, light brown sugar, ground ginger, and kosher salt. Once mixed, add the melted butter and mix until well combined and crumbly. Making sure to break up extra-large crumbles into smaller crumbles.
Reserve 1 cup of the oat mixture for the topping and set it aside. Firmly press the remaining oat mixture into an even layer into the bottom of the prepared pan.
In a separate large bowl, mix together the strawberry pie filling, cornstarch, lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon granulated sugar until thoroughly combined. Spread the strawberry mixture evenly over the crust in the baking pan.
Sprinkle the reserved oat mixture evenly over the strawberry layer, then sprinkle the remaining 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar over top.
Bake for 40-50 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbly. Allow the bars to cool completely inside the pan on a wire rack.
Make The Vanilla Glaze : Whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until your desired consistency is reached – for a thicker glaze use less milk, and for a thinner glaze add more milk. Drizzle the glaze over top of the cooled bars.
Once the glaze has set, lift the bars from the pan using the parchment paper overhang and cut into 9 squares.
Pro Tip : Use a piece of wax paper or parchment paper when pressing the crust into the baking dish. This will prevent the crust from sticking to your hands.
How To Store Strawberry Bars
Transfer the cooled (room temperature) bars to an airtight container, or you can cover the baking dish with a lid or plastic wrap for storage. If stacking the bars in the container, place parchment paper pieces or wax paper pieces between each layer to prevent them from sticking together. Depending on how quickly you plan to consume the bars, you can store them in the refirgetor or freezer. I don’t recommend storing the bars at room temperature.
- Refrigeration : If you intend to consume the bars within a few days, store them in the fridge. They will last up to 5-7 days when refrigerated.
- Freezing : You can freeze the bar for longer-term storage. Wrap individual bars in plastic wrap and then store the wrapped bars inside a freezer-safe bag or container. Properly stored, they can last for 3 months in the freezer.
- Thaw Properly : If you freeze the bars, thaw them in the refrigerator overnight before serving. This gradual thawing helps maintain their texture and prevents them from becoming too mushy.
Serving Suggestions
These strawberry bars are delicious eaten as is or try serving them with a scoop of ice cream on top! The warm fruit, crumbly topping, pairs perfectly with the cool vanilla ice cream. You can also add some sliced strawberries on top of the bars along with whipped cream for a really delicious dessert idea.
More Delicious Strawberry Recipes
- Strawberry Jello Fluff
- Strawberry Lemonade Cake
- Strawberry Cheesecake Lush
- No Bake Strawberry Cheesecake
- Strawberry Icebox Cake
- Strawberry Jello Poke Cake
- Strawberry Cake Mix Cookies
- Strawberry Shortcake Cookies
- Angel Food Cake Strawberry Trifle
Strawberry Crumble Bars
Ingredients
Crumble Mixture
- 1 cup old-fashioned oats
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter melted
Strawberry Filling
- 1 can (21 oz) strawberry pie filling
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar divided
Vanilla Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. Line a 8×8 square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang for easy removal.
- Crumble Topping : In a large mixing bowl, combine the oats, flour, light brown sugar, ground ginger, and kosher salt. Once mixed, add the melted butter and mix until well combined and crumbly. Making sure to break up extra-large crumbles into smaller crumbles.1 cup old-fashioned oats, 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar, ¼ teaspoon ground ginger, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
- Reserve 1 cup of the oat mixture for the topping and set it aside. Firmly press the remaining oat mixture into an even layer into the bottom of the prepared pan.
- In a separate large bowl, mix together the strawberry pie filling, cornstarch, lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon granulated sugar until thoroughly combined. Spread the strawberry mixture evenly over the crust in the baking pan.1 can (21 oz) strawberry pie filling, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- Sprinkle the reserved oat mixture evenly over the strawberry layer, then sprinkle the remaining 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar over top.
- Bake for 40-50 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbly. Allow the bars to cool completely inside the pan on a wire rack.
- Make The Vanilla Glaze : Whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until your desired consistency is reached – for a thicker glaze use less milk, and for a thinner glaze add more milk. Drizzle the glaze over top of the cooled bars. Once the glaze has set, lift the bars from the pan using the parchment paper overhang and cut into 9 squares.1 cup powdered sugar, 1-2 tablespoons milk, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Notes
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