Ridiculously Delicious Strawberry Crumble Bars
These melt-in-your-mouth Strawberry Crumble Bars are so delicious and so easy to make. And if you love strawberries then you need to make these. Made with a combo of naturally sweet fresh strawberries, an easy buttery press-in crust, and an almond crumble they are one my favorite desserts to make.
Servings: 16
Calories: 350kcal
Ingredients
Crust
- 2 3/4 cups (340 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
- 16 tablespoons (227 grams) unsalted butter melted, plus 2 teaspoons melted butter for the baking pan
- 1/4 cup toasted almonds roughly chopped
Strawberry Filling
- 1 pound (454 grams) fresh strawberries cut into small pieces
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
- 7 tablespoons (88 grams) granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons tapioca flour Bob's Red Mill recommended
Instructions
Prep the Strawberries
- Cut up the strawberries and set them aside in a medium-sized bowl. You need a larger bowl to stir in the other ingredients later in the recipe.
Make the Crust and Topping
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Lightly brush the sides and bottom of a 9x9-inch square pan with melted butter. This step will help the parchment paper stick to the pan. Take two large pieces of parchment paper and cut them into 18 inches long x 8-5/8 inches wide strips. Line the pan with the pieces of parchment paper so there is overhang on all four sides. Lightly brush the bottom and sides of the parchment paper with butter. Make sure to brush the corners where the pan is exposed so the strawberry filling doesn’t stick to the corners.
- Melt the butter. Start the butter on high and as soon as it starts to melt, reduce theheat to low. Melting the butter over low heat will take a few extra minutes but melting it over low heat will reduce the amount of evaporation.
- While the butter is melting, place the flour, sugar, kosher salt, and baking powder in a large bowl and whisk together for 30 seconds.
- Pour the hot melted butter into the flour mixture. The butter must be hot to form a soft dough. If for some reason, the butter becomes too cool, gently reheat it until it is hot again. Use a spatula to combine the butter with the dry ingredients until no white bits of flour left. You should have about 655 grams of crust. Measure 250 grams (or about 1 cup) into a separate bowl. Add the chopped almonds to this part of the crumble and mix together.
- Press the remaining crust into the prepared pan until it appears even thickness across the bottom of the pan.
- Bake the crust for 22-24 minutes or until the edges of the crust are brown and the center is light golden brown
Strawberry Filling
- About 10 minutes before the crust is done, put the chopped strawberries into a large bowl. Add the lemon juice and vanilla bean paste and gently toss the strawberries to combine the ingredients. Whisk together the sugar and the tapioca flour. Sprinkle the mixture over the berries and use a large spoon or spatula to gently fold the sugar mixture into the strawberries.
Assemble the Strawberry Crumble Bars
- Remove the crust from the oven (leave the oven on at 350°F) and spoon the strawberry filling over the baked crust. Use a spoon or offset spatula to spread it into an even layer. Sprinkle the reserved crumble mixture over the strawberry filling.
- Bake the strawberry bars for 30-35 minutes until the filling is bubbly along the edges of the pan and about 1 inch from the edge of the pan. Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool. Run an offset spatula or butter knife along the edges of the pan to loosen the crust from the parchment paper.
- Let the bars cool to room temperature, then store them in a refrigerator. It will be easier to lift the bars from the pan and cut them when they are cold.
- Use the parchment paper sling to lift the bars from the pan. Cut the bars into 16 2-1/8 x 2-1/8 -inch squares or nine (9) 3x3-inch squares.
Storage
- Room Temperature: The bars can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 days. If the inside temperature is above 75°F, the bars can be stored for up 1 day at room temperature.
- Refrigerator: Store the bars in airtight container for up to 5 days. The longer they sit, the softer the base and crumb topping become, but they're still delicious.
Notes
Strawberries: I used in-season strawberries for this recipe which are naturally sweet. Before starting the recipe, taste the strawberries and adjust the amount of sugar.
Pan Size: These bars can be made in an 8x8-inch pan but the bottom crust will be thicker.
Tapioca Flour: Tapioca flour produces a glossy, translucent appearance. Cornstarch creates a matte, opaque appearance. Remember to use finely ground tapioca flour.
Nutrition
Calories: 350kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 32mg | Sodium: 76mg | Potassium: 108mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 374IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 2mg