Description
These Strawberry Crumb Bars feature a buttery, crumbly crust layered with fresh, sweet strawberries, baked to golden perfection. Perfect for a summery dessert or a delightful snack, these bars combine a tender shortbread base with a juicy strawberry filling topped with a crisp crumb topping.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Crust and Crumb 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
Strawberry Filling
- 2 cups fresh strawberries, chopped
- 1/3 cup white sugar
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit to ensure it’s at the right temperature when the bars are ready to bake.
- Prepare Pan: Line an 8×8 inch baking pan with parchment paper, letting it hang over the edges to make removal easier after baking.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, combine 1/2 cup sugar, all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir well to evenly distribute all ingredients.
- Incorporate Butter: Using a fork or pastry cutter, cut the very cold butter into the flour mixture until the mixture resembles small pea-sized crumbs. Be careful not to overwork the dough to keep it cold and crumbly. Alternatively, pulse in a food processor for even crumbs.
- Add Wet Ingredients: In a separate bowl, beat the egg lightly with a fork, then add it along with vanilla extract to the flour and butter mixture. Combine gently until a crumbly dough forms.
- Form Bottom Crust: Pat half of the crumbly dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan to create the base layer.
- Prepare Strawberry Filling: In another bowl, mix together 1/3 cup sugar and cornstarch. Gently stir in the chopped fresh strawberries until coated.
- Assemble Filling: Spoon the strawberry mixture evenly over the bottom crust layer in the pan.
- Add Crumb Topping: Crumble the remaining dough evenly over the strawberry filling to cover it completely.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 45 minutes or until the top turns slightly golden brown. Note that ovens vary; some may bake in around 38 minutes.
- Cool and Serve: Let the bars cool completely in the pan. For best results, refrigerate until ready to cut and serve, allowing the bars to firm up for clean slices.
Notes
- Ensure the butter is very cold to achieve the perfect crumbly texture; avoid warming the dough with your hands during mixing and shaping.
- The sweetness of strawberries affects the final taste; if using less sweet berries, increase the sugar in the filling to 1/2 cup.
- You can double the recipe for a larger 9×13 inch pan; adjust ingredient quantities and servings accordingly.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar (approximate 1/9th of total)
- Calories: 230 kcal
- Sugar: 17 g
- Sodium: 120 mg
- Fat: 11 g
- Saturated Fat: 6.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3.5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 45 mg
