With a sweet fresh strawberry pie filling and a buttery, brown sugar-sweetened, vanilla-laced crust and crumble topping, these strawberry oatmeal bars are truly something special! They’re the perfect way to use some of your berries during strawberry season, or make them year-round with frozen strawberries.
When strawberry season rolls around, what are some of your favorite ways to enjoy strawberries?
I love to eat them as they are, sliced into salads, on top of yogurt, made into muffins, or transformed into refreshing iced tea.
Strawberry pie is another delicious option, but unless it’s a special occasion, I don’t usually gear up for an afternoon of pie-making. However, if you’re a fan of strawberry pie, you’re going to love these crumb bars!
The crust and crumble topping are rich, buttery, and have a slightly nutty flavor thanks to the oats. They’re sweetened with brown sugar and aromatic with a hint of vanilla. And the strawberry filling for these oat bars is basically a strawberry pie filling! It cooks up in a matter of minutes and is juicy, sweet, and bursting with strawberry flavor.
These strawberry oatmeal bars are a delicious afternoon snack or anytime treat. Plus they’re portable, so they make a great lunchbox or picnic dessert!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- The buttery brown sugar-sweetened, vanilla-scented oat crust.
- And the sweet strawberry pie filling.
- But the best part is, with strawberries and oats, you might just get away with eating these for breakfast!
The Best Strawberry Oatmeal Bars Recipe
Ingredients
Strawberry Filling:
- Fresh strawberries
- Granulated sugar
- Salt
- Cornstarch
- Fresh lemon juice
Top and Bottom Crust:
- Unsalted butter
- Light brown sugar
- Vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour
- Old-fashioned rolled oats
- Cornstarch
- Salt
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Make the Strawberry Filling:
Add the strawberries, sugar, and salt to a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cover the pan and cook for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the cornstarch slurry and cook until thickened, about 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
Turn off the heat, stir in the lemon juice, and cool to room temperature.
Step 2: Make the Top and Bottom Crust:
Use a hand-held electric mixer to cream together the butter, brown sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl. Add the flour, oats, cornstarch, and salt, and beat just until combined.
Step 3: Assemble:
Preheat the oven to 350F. Line an 8 by 8-inch pan with 2 pieces of parchment paper so it hangs over all 4 sides.
Press about half of the dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Spread the room temperature strawberry filling evenly onto the dough. Crumble the remaining dough on top of the strawberry filling. Sprinkle the 1 tablespoon oats on top.
Step 4: Bake:
Bake until the top is golden brown, about 40 minutes. Cool completely before slicing.
How to Store Strawberry Crumb Bars
Store these bars in an airtight container for up to 3 days. After that, move them to the fridge for up to 4 days more.
Tips
- Make it easy. Instead of making what is essentially homemade strawberry pie filling for these strawberry crumb bars, you can use 3 cups of store-bought strawberry pie filling.
- Switch it up. Or instead of using store-bought strawberry pie filling, use any kind of store-bought pie filling you like, such as blueberry, cherry, apple, etc.
- Spice it up. Add up to 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon to the crust/crumble mixture.
- Go nuts. If you like, add up to 1 cup of your favorite type of chopped nuts to the crust. Walnuts or pecans are both delicious!
Strawberry Oatmeal Bars FAQs
Can I Use Frozen Strawberries Instead of Fresh Strawberries?
Yes! And the best part is, there’s no need to thaw the strawberries first.
If using frozen strawberries, the only change is to cook the filling for a couple minutes longer. This is because frozen strawberries can hold more water than fresh strawberries.
Can I Glaze These Strawberry Oatmeal Bars?
Yes! If you want to add a touch more sweetness, a glaze on top is perfect here. To make glaze, add 1 cup powdered sugar, ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1 ½ tablespoons milk to a bowl and whisk until smooth. You can add more milk if needed to achieve the right consistency.
Can You Freeze Strawberry Oatmeal Bars?
Yes, these bars freeze very well. To freeze these bars, let them cool to room temperature and then slice them. Stack the bars layered between parchment paper in an airtight container, and freeze them for up to 3 months.
More Strawberry Recipes to Make
- Strawberry Macarons
- Low and Slow Strawberry Balsamic Pulled Chicken
- Strawberry Black Bean Salad
- Low Carb Strawberry Ice Cream (No Ice Cream Maker)
Let's Connect
Did you make this recipe? Please rate it and leave a comment below. You can also tag @anediblemosaic on social media.
To stay up-to-date, follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter!
Strawberry Oatmeal Bars Recipe
Ingredients
Strawberry Filling:
- 3 cups fresh strawberries hulled and sliced
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in 3 tablespoons cold water to make a slurry
- ½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Top and Bottom Crust:
- 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- ⅔ cup light brown sugar lightly packed
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats plus 1 tablespoon more for sprinkling on top if desired
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
For the Strawberry Filling:
- Add the strawberries, sugar, and salt to a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cover the pan and cook for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once it comes up to a boil, you may need to turn the heat down slightly so it doesn’t boil over.
- After 7 minutes, add the cornstarch slurry and cook until thickened, about 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the lemon juice.
- Cool to room temperature.
For the Top and Bottom Crust:
- Use a hand-held electric mixer to cream together the butter, brown sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl. Add the flour, oats, cornstarch, and salt, and beat just until combined.
To Assemble and Bake:
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Line an 8 by 8-inch pan with 2 pieces of parchment paper so it hangs over all 4 sides.
- Press about half of the dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan.
- Spread the room temperature strawberry filling evenly onto the dough.
- Crumble the remaining dough on top of the strawberry filling. Sprinkle the 1 tablespoon oats on top.
- Bake until the top is golden brown, about 40 minutes.
- Cool completely before slicing.
Faith's Tips
- Store-Bought Strawberry Pie Filling Substitute: Instead of making what is essentially homemade strawberry pie filling for these strawberry crumb bars, you can use 3 cups of store-bought strawberry pie filling.
- To Use Frozen Strawberries: If you want to use frozen strawberries instead of fresh, there’s no need to thaw the strawberries first. If using frozen strawberries, the only change is to cook the filling for a couple minutes longer. This is because frozen strawberries can hold more water than fresh strawberries.
- Add a Touch of Cinnamon: Add up to 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon to the crust/crumble mixture.
- Add Nuts: If you like, add up to 1 cup of your favorite type of chopped nuts to the crust. Walnuts or pecans are both delicious!
- Storage: Store these bars in an airtight container for up to 3 days. After that, move them to the fridge for up to 4 days more.
- Freezer-Friendly: To freeze these bars, let them cool to room temperature and then slice them. Stack the bars layered between parchment paper in an airtight container, and freeze them for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Carmen says
Can strawberry jam be used for this recipe?
Faith says
Carmen, I haven't tried this recipe with strawberry jam, but I think it would work well! I've experimented with it using strawberry pie filling, and that worked great. I used 3 cups of strawberry pie filling, so if you want to try it with jam I would use a little less because jam is a bit sweeter (I would try it with about 1 cup to 1 1/2 cups of jam). Please let me know how it goes if you give it a try!