Strawberry Oat Crumble Bars
These strawberry oat crumble bars are jammy and delicious. The strawberries have a hint of vanilla and cardamom which makes the filling extra special. The oat crumble serves as a base layer as well as a delicious topping. Great for lunch boxes, after school snacks, and everything sweet in between. Keep them in the fridge all week long!
Strawberry Oat Crumble Bars
ingredients
For the strawberry layer:
2 cups chopped strawberries
¼ cup coconut sugar
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp granulated sugar
2 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp cardamom
For the bottom layer & crumble:
½ cup unsalted butter, melted
¾ cup flour
¾ cup quick cook oats
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup oat flour
¼ cup coconut sugar
instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8 inch square pan with parchment paper letting the edges hang over the sides of the pan.
2. In a medium size bowl add the strawberries, coconut sugar, lemon juice, granulated sugar, cornstarch, vanilla extract, and cardamom. Mix well and set aside.
3. In a large bowl add melted butter, flour, oats, and sugars. Mix together, the mixture will resemble wet sand.
4. Set aside 1 cup of this mixture to be sprinkled over top.
5. Transfer remaining mixture to prepared pan. Using a rubber spatula or your fingers, press the mixture into the bottom of the pan creating an even, smooth flat crust.
6. Spoon the strawberry mixture evenly over top of the crust layer.
7. Then sprinkle reserved crumble evenly over top.
8. Place in the oven for about 50-55 minutes, until the center has set, and the topping appears pale yellow/golden. If the edges look watery and not bubbly, leave
9. Let the bars cool for at least an hour before slicing.
RECIPE NOTES:
- If you do not have coconut sugar on hand, brown sugar can be used as a substitute
- The bars keep well in the fridge in an airtight container for up to a week
- After the strawberries have had a couple minute sit while you prepare the rest of the recipe they will become a bit watery. I used a slotted spoon to transfer the strawberries to the the pan helping get rid of excess liquid. This helps the filling become jammy not watery!
-Make sure to give the bars ample cooling time. It will further help the filling firm up and make cutting them into bars easier!