Strawberries! They are perfect off the bush, in a bowl of cold cereal, or in any kind of cake imaginable. They are such a versatile, gorgeous fruit and I absolutely love to bake with them.
Even though it’s the end of strawberry season here in Central Florida (ours grow best December – March), it’s starting to be strawberry season in other parts of the country. So that means everyone gets to make these scrumptious little morsels of deliciousness!
And, they’re super-duper easy to make! It’s just a simple crust, some stewed strawberries and bake. The baking and the cooling take the longest time and honestly, that’s the hardest part – just waiting to eat them!!
My one tip – if your strawberries are fresh picked, go easy on the sugar. It’s not as necessary since they are sweetened so much this time of year by the sun! Enjoy these!! I know we did. 🙂
Strawberry Crumble Bars
Ingredients
Filling
- 1 ½ pounds strawberries, hulled and quartered
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Crumble
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup white whole-wheat flour
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 2 tablespoons ice water
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
Directions
- Preheat oven to 375. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Line with parchment paper, leaving about 1 inch overhanging the long sides (if your parchment paper rolls up on you and doesn’t stay flat, sprinkle a little water on the bottom of the baking pan – tada!). Coat the parchment and short sides with cooking spray.
- To prepare filling: Combine strawberries, 1/3 cup sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, 1 teaspoon vanilla and a pinch of salt in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the berries begin to break down and the mixture is thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
- To prepare crust: Combine all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a food processor; pulse until combined. Add butter; pulse until well incorporated. Lightly beat egg, oil, ice water, vanilla and almond extract in a small bowl. With the motor running, add the mixture to the food processor. Pulse, scraping down the sides if necessary, until it begins to clump together, 30 to 45 seconds (it will look crumbly). Measure out 1 cup for the topping. Press the remaining mixture into the prepared baking pan to form a bottom crust.
- Pour the strawberry mixture over the crust, spreading evenly. Sprinkle the reserved crust mixture on top.
- Bake until the top is lightly browned, about 40 minutes.
- Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 15 minutes. Use the parchment to lift out the bars and transfer to a cutting board. Cut into 15 pieces. Let cool completely before serving, about 25 minutes more. Enjoy!
Season Generously 