These Strawberry Crumb Bars are made with a buttery shortbread-esque crust and crumble topping and filled with a fresh, homemade strawberry jam center. Recipe includes a how-to video!
Today’s Strawberry Crumb Bars are a direct result of strawberry picking with absolutely no self control.
Every year that we go strawberry picking, Zach and I pick way more berries than we can possibly eat, and this year was no exception (so you can expect a few more strawberry recipes in the future!). In the past, I’ve used our surplus of berries to make Strawberry Pop Tarts, Strawberry Muffins, Strawberry Shortcake, and Strawberry Cream Cheese Pie. We’re adding to our strawberry collection today with these Strawberry Crumb Bars.
With a buttery crust, tender, shortbread-like crust, a fresh strawberry jam filling, and that golden brown crumbly topping, these strawberry crumb bars are absolutely irresistible. While I used fresh-picked strawberries for today’s recipe, they’ll be every bit as good with the kind you buy at the store.
How to Make Strawberry Crumb Bars
First, Make your Filling
- Make your filling first (see photos above) so that it has some time to cool before you pour it into your crust. Combine strawberries, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and salt in a saucepan and cook until your berries release their juices.
- Bring everything to a boil, then add more strawberries and continue to cook another minute or so until the filling is thickened.
- Let the filling cool while you prepare your crumble.
Make your Crust & Crumble Topping
My food processor has been getting quite the workout lately. Between my pie crust, my peach cobbler, and today’s strawberry crumb bars it’s become one of the most-used tools in my kitchen (this is the food processor I use). Today it’s going to make quick work of our crust and crumble.
- Combine flour, sugar & brown sugar, baking powder, cornstarch, and salt in food processor. Pulse until ingredients are combined.
- Cut 1 cup of cold butter into 16 pieces and scatter the pieces over your flour mixture. Pulse again until the butter is cut into your flour mixture and the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Add egg yolk and vanilla extract. Process until mixture is crumbly but beginning to stick together (see image below, if you pinch the dough it should stick together but it should still be crumbly).
Assemble!
- Pour half of your crumble mixture into a lightly buttered 13×9 baking dish. Use your hands or the back of a spoon to press the dough into an even layer to form your crust.
- Pour your strawberry mixture evenly over the crust layer.
- Use your hands to distribute/crumble the remaining dough over the top of the berries.
- Bake until the top layer is a light golden brown!
Tips for Making Strawberry Crumb Bars
You’re going to want to use a food processor
For a few of my pastry recipes (like my pie crust and scones) I recommend using a food processor, but a pastry cutter will work if you don’t have one. However, the crumble layer for this recipe is very dry, and if you try to cut everything together by hand, you’re going to have a tough time. It’s not impossible, but be prepared for a serious arm workout.
Let it Cool
While these strawberry crumb bars are still warm, they’re going to be almost impossible to slice. Let the bars cool completely before slicing, at least if you want to be able to pick them up and eat them. If you’re impatient, you can just scoop your crumb bars by the spoonful onto a plate and enjoy warm topped with ice cream. They’re pretty good that way, too.
Enjoy!
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Let’s bake together! Be sure to check out my video at the bottom of the recipe where I’ll show you exactly how I make these strawberry crumb bars in my own kitchen! If you enjoy watching, make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel where I’ve already uploaded over 150 recipe videos that you can watch for free!
Strawberry Crumb Bars
Ingredients
- 5 cups strawberries tops removed, quartered, divided (700g)
- ½ cup granulated sugar (100g)
- 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 Tablespoon butter
Crumb layers
- 3 ¼ cups all-purpose flour (405g)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar (150g)
- ¼ cup light brown sugar tightly packed (50g)
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter cold, cut into small cubes (227g)
- 1 large egg yolk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F (175C) and lightly butter the sides and bottom of a 9x13 glass baking dish¹. Set aside.
- In a medium-sized, heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine 3 ½ cups strawberries (490g), sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and salt over medium-low heat.
- Stir frequently until strawberries release their juices (about 5 or so minutes), then increase heat to medium/medium-high and bring mixture to a boil, stirring constantly.
- Boil for one minute (still stirring) then stir in remaining strawberries.
- Cook for another minute, then remove from heat. Add butter and stir until butter is melted. Allow mixture to cool while you prepare your crumble mixture.
For Crumble
- I strongly recommend using a food processor and not a pastry cutter for this step, as it’s a very dry mixture that will take a long time to work to the proper consistency manually.
- To prepare crumble layer, combine flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, cornstarch, and salt in the basin of a food processor. Pulse until combined.
- Scatter butter pieces evenly over flour mixture and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Add egg and vanilla extract and continue to blend until mixture is just beginning to cling together and holds together if you press the dough together with your fingers.
- Pour approximately one half of the crumble mixture into your prepared pan and use your hands or the back of a spoon to evenly press the crumble mixture into your pan (see image in post for visual).
- Pour strawberry mixture over crumb crust and spread so that it is evenly distributed. Use your hands to scatter remaining crumble mixture evenly over the top of the strawberry layer.
- Transfer to 350F (175C) oven and bake for 50-60 minutes or until the top layer is just beginning to turn golden brown.
- Allow to cool for 1-2 hours before slicing and serving (strawberry crumb bars will fall apart if sliced while they’re still warm, but they do taste good warm and messy topped with vanilla ice cream!).
X
I don’t have a food processor! What can I use instead?
Sam
This could potentially be cut together by hand it but it’s going to be very very difficult. The crumble is just really dry and isn’t easy to do without a food processor. 🙁
Kristen
You can pop your butter in the freezer for a bit and use a large hole cheese grater to cut it up. Then mix the ingredients together by hand. It worked great for me.
Lynette Cory
These recipe rocks. OMG not sweet and delicious. Thank you Sam for sharing your recipes and your magnificent talent. Your Strawberry bar recipe is flawless and delightful ❤
Sam
Thank you so much, Lynette! 🙂
Dori
Loved these! Can’t wait to make them again.
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed them so much, Dori! 🙂
Michi
I made these for our 12th wedding anniversary because my husband loved shortbread, he loves thumb print cookies and this is like eating a large thumb print cookie!! Outstanding and very easy to make. Will be making these with apricots next…
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that your husband enjoyed them, Michi! Happy (belated) Anniversary! Thanks for trying my recipe. 🙂
Jane
Sam, hi from Russia!! Bar are really amazing!! tasty hot too 😋
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed them so much, Jane! 🙂
Heather
Do these need to be refrigerated? In the oven now
Sam
They do not, but if you prefer to keep them refrigerated that’s fine too! 🙂
Kristin
If fresh fruit is not available could you use can fruit? If so how much.
Sam
Hi Kristin! I would probably recommend frozen strawberries if you can’t get fresh ones! 🙂
Alexa-Raylene
Hi if I wanted to use some homage strawberry jam I recently canned how much would I use?
Sugar Spun Run
The homemade strawberry jam sounds delicious, Alexa! I haven’t actually measured but my best guess would be about 1 cup. You will want to eyeball it and determine if you need more. Keep me posted on how they turn out! 🙂
Liz
Hi Sam,
I have a small food processor that won’t be able to process so much quantity at one time. I was going to do it in portions but realized that won’t work because there’s an egg involved. Do you have any recommendations? Can I use a blender?
Thanks!
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Liz! Hmmm. I have never tried a blender. You can do it in batched then transfer to a bowl and mix in eggs and vanilla. That should work. I hope that helps. 🙂
Liz
Awesome! Thanks so much. I ordered a larger food processor yesterday anyhow. Figured if I was going to continuing making so many of your pie crusts, too, it would be worth it 🙂 Got a good deal!
Sugar Spun Run
That is awesome! You will use it for sure! Glad to hear that you got a steal on it! 🙂
Iris
Hi!
I was wondering if these are freezeable?
I live alone and i usually can’t eat it all in time!
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Iris! The bars will stay fresh in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5 days or you can freeze the bars for up to 3 months. Enjoy! 🙂
Judy
Recipes are intriguing.
May I ask, which one would be good for a.zoom tea party? I’m delivering the goodies to each home the day before, & they may be Sitting awhile.
Thank you!
Sam
Hi Judy! I would recommend my madeleines, coffee cake, the strawberry crumb bars would work well, brownie bark would work as well. There are many many options. Enjoy! 🙂
Abi
Hello! Are there any substitutes we can use for the cornstarch?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Abi! Unfortunately, there is not a good substitute. You can leave it out but the cookie just won’t be as soft and chewy.
Abi
Ok, thank you!
Patricia Gibson
Hi Samantha. I made these today. They are cooling as I type. They look devine and I hope they taste sensational. Luv all your recipes and the videos help tremendously. Keep up the excellent work. Keep dem recipes coming.
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much for a fan of my recipes, Patricia. I hope that the bars are a big hit! Enjoy! 🙂
Kathleen Whipple
Just came out of the oven and looks AMAZING!! I’m bringing this to my mom’s 4th of July party tomorrow. I have a feeling this will be better than my brother’s burgers, lol!! (Nah, we’re not…really…ahem..in competition) Thank you so much!!
Sam
Yay! So glad they came out so nicely! Fingers crossed they beat your brother’s burgers 😉
Shaquille Smith
I made two today ❤👅💦🔥. I’ve been wanting to make these since you posted them lol and finally have an event tomorrow. So I made a tester this morning and it was great. I’m making the one for tomorrow right now and my boyfriend said his family are going to love them thank you so much. And congratulations on your pregnancy.
Sam
Thank you so much, Shaquille! I am so glad you enjoyed the strawberry crumb bars so much! 🙂
Donna
Do you think we could we use gluten free flour in this?
Sam
Hi Donna! I haven’t ever baked with gluten free flour so it’s hard for me to say for sure, but I imagine it would work in this recipe. If you try it I would love to hear how it turns out for you!
Jeff
Great as always Sam!!
Sam
Thank you so much, Jeff! 🙂
KAY PICKERING
STRAWBERRY CRUMB BARS..OMG, AFTER CANDIED PRETZELS AND PEACH COBBLER GOT ON SCALE TODAY. IT WAS A PLUS 2 POUNDS!! MY LITTLE GRANDAUGHTER AND I ARE ENJOYING YOUR RECIPES AND ALSO THE VIDEOS SO MUCH…GREAT JOB WITH EVERYTHING. THANK YOU, KAY
Sam
Thank you so much, Kay! I’m glad you are enjoying everything. Also, I think your scale is lying to you, better throw it out! 😉
KAY PICKERING
SAM, YOU ARE DOING A GREAT JOB! THE VIDEOS ARE A GREAT TEACHING TOOL ALSO. KEEP IT UP, I LOOK FORWARD EVERY DAY TO NEW IDEAS AND RECIPES. I WAS A PERSONAL CHEF FOR 15 YEARS AND NOW RETIRED AND ENJOY TEACHING AND BAKING WITH MY FUN GRANDAUGHTERS.
Sam
Thank you so much, Kay! 🙂
Brenda
OMG Absolutely delicious.Easy to follow instructions and the video really helped every step of the way. Plus my house smells like a strawberry patch. Thank you for sharing.
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed them so much, Brenda! 🙂