Strawberry Crumble Bars

These strawberry crumble bars are the perfect sweet treat. They are egg-free and gluten-free and are perfect to serve for breakfast or a snack!

There are so premade many strawberry bars on the market, but many of them contain several grams of added sugar and unnecessary additives. These strawberry crumble bars are made with clean, everyday ingredients and are a filling treat! The homemade strawberry jam is also perfect to serve in a sandwich, with crackers, or on a slice of toast!

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

Here is what you’ll need to make these strawberry crumble bars:

• Rolled Oats: I love baking with rolled oats as they are packed with nutrition! Gluten-free rolled oats make these strawberry oat bars gluten-free.
• Oat Flour: I usually make my own oat flour by blending rolled oats in a flour-like texture.
• Baking Powder: Leavening agent for the bars.
• Maple Syrup: The main source of sweetness for the bars.
• Melted Butter: Helps to hold the base ingredients together.
• Greek Yogurt: For added moisture and flavor to the base of the bars.
• Strawberries: Base ingredient for the homemade jam filling to these bars.
• Lemon/Lime Juice: Used to balance out the flavors in the filling.
• Chia Seeds: To thicken up the strawberry jam.

PROCESS

1. Wash the strawberries and chop them into small pieces. Add the strawberries to a small saucepan along with the lemon juice and maple syrup. Let it come to a boil and reduce the heat to medium-low and allow the strawberries to cook down.
2. After about 5 minutes, once the strawberries soften, use a fork or masher to mash them down. I like to leave a few large chunks in, but feel free to mash it as much as you’d like. Add in the chia seeds and stir them in well. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the jam to sit for 10-15 minutes as the chia seeds work to thicken the sauce.
3. In a bowl, combine the oats, oat flour, and baking powder.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the melted butter, maple syrup, and Greek yogurt until smooth.
5. Add the dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet ingredients and mix until well combined.
6. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper and add about 3/4 of the oat mixture to the pan. Press this mixture into the bottom of a loaf pan in an even layer.
7. Pour the strawberry jam mixture on top of the base and crumble the remaining oat mixture on top. Sprinkle a few rolled oats on top of the crumble.
8. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes. Allow it to cool completely before slicing it into bars.

STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS

Once cooled, slice into bars and store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. To freeze, store in a freezer-safe Ziploc bag for up to 3 months.

SUBSTITUTIONS

• Berries: Any berry may be used in this recipe. You can also try this similar recipe for raspberry oat bars!
• Butter: The oil may be replaced with equal parts of a mild-tasting yogurt (ex: Avocado oil, extra light-tasting olive oil, etc).
• Greek yogurt: Greek yogurt may be replaced with a dairy-free yogurt.

RECIPE NOTES

• I used a 9 by 5 loaf pan for this recipe, but you may use an 8 by 8 brownie pan for a thinner bar.
• You can make your own oat flour by just blending up old-fashioned rolled oats! You may purchase oat flour separately, but making your own is so simple and much more economical!
• For gluten-free bars, be sure to use certified gluten-free oats.

Here are some other homemade bar recipes that you may like!

• Banana Peanut Butter Bars
• Healthy Apple Oatmeal Bars
• Raspberry Oat Bars