These strawberry crumb bars feature a buttery shortbread base topped with a bright, slightly tart strawberry filling and a golden crumble. They’re a simple, irresistible treat that’s perfect for sharing!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
These strawberry crumb bars are one of those simple desserts that somehow taste way better than the effort you put in. Buttery, fruity, and perfectly balanced, they’re the kind of treat you’ll find yourself making on repeat.
Melt-in-your-mouth texture
The base is soft, buttery, and tender with that classic shortbread feel, while the top bakes into a light golden crumble. You get a little bit of softness, a little bit of crispness, and it all just works so well together. These bars literally have the best shortbread cookie texture (just like my lemon bars)!
Fresh, bright strawberry flavour
The tart, yet sweet strawberry filling is made with fresh strawberries and just a handful of ingredients, so it tastes really fresh and natural. It’s slightly tart, not overly sweet, and the berries balance out the buttery layers perfectly.
Easy to make
Everything comes from one dough that doubles as both the buttery crust and the golden brown crumb topping, which means less effort and fewer dishes. No complicated steps—just mix, press, layer, and bake!
Perfect for make-ahead
These strawberry crumb bars actually get even better once they’ve had time to chill. They firm up nicely, slice cleanly, and are great to have sitting in the fridge when you want something sweet.
For more strawberry packed recipes, check out my strawberry cake recipe, strawberry muffins and strawberry cobbler!
How to Make Strawberry Crumb Bars
You can find the full list of ingredients for these strawberry crumb bars in the recipe card at the end of the blog post (for easy navigation, hit the ‘jump to recipe’ button at the top of the blog post). Here is a quick visual breakdown of the recipe (video tutorial is also provided in the recipe card below).
Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) conventional. Lightly grease an 8×8-inch baking tin and line it with a long sheet of parchment paper so it comes up the sides with a bit of overhang—this just makes it easier to lift the bars out later. Set aside for now.
To a food processor, add all-purpose flour, cornstarch, powdered sugar, and salt. Mix for about 5 seconds to allow all the dry ingredients to combine well. Next, add in the cold unsalted butter that has been cut into small cubes and mix until the mixture resembles a sand-like consistency. You can do this step by hand by using your fingers to rub the butter into the flour (or using a pastry cutter for ease).
Transfer two-thirds of the flour mixture to the lined baking pan and spread it out evenly. Using your hands (or something with a flat bottom), press the crumbs into the base of the tin in an even layer. Once done, the base should look well combined and not loose.
Bake for 15 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned.
While the crust is baking, in a medium bowl add the chopped strawberries along with the cornstarch, lemon juice, and sugar. Mix with a spoon until everything is nicely combined, then spread the strawberry mixture evenly over the warm crust.
Lightly mix the remaining dough with your hands while gently pressing to form crumbs (the butter will be slightly softer by now, so the dough will hold together when pressed). Sprinkle the crumb dough evenly over the strawberries.
Bake for another 35 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned and the strawberries are bubbling around the edges.
Let the bars cool completely in the tin (about an hour), then place the cooled bars in the fridge for another hour to firm up.
Remove from the fridge and run a thin knife along the edges of the pan where there is no parchment to help release the bars, then use the parchment overhang to carefully lift them out. It may bend slightly as you lift, but it shouldn’t break apart. Slice and enjoy!
How to Store
Once cooled and set, store the strawberry bars in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4–5 days. The chilled texture helps them hold together better and makes slicing easier.
If you prefer a slightly softer texture, let them sit at room temperature for about 10–15 minutes before serving.
Can these be left at room temperature?
They can sit out for a few hours if serving, but because of the fresh fruit filling, it’s best to store them in the fridge for longer periods to keep them fresh and firm.
You can also freeze these bars. Place them in a single layer (or with parchment between layers) in an airtight container and store in the freezer for up to 2 months. When ready to eat, thaw overnight in the fridge or let them sit at room temperature until softened.
Easy Strawberry Crumb Bars (Buttery & Tart!)
Print Pin VideoIMPORTANT: For accuracy, I would recommend using the gram measurements provided, as those are the exact quantities I use. Cup measurements are given as estimates (based on US cup measurements) to make it easier for those who do not have a scale.
Ingredients
Shortbread Crust
- 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup (30 g) cornstarch
- ½ tsp salt - omit if using salted butter
- 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar - also known as icing/confectioners' sugar
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter - cold and cut into small cubes
Strawberries
- 2 cups (332 g) chopped fresh strawberries
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tsps lemon juice - fresh
- 2 tbsps white granulated sugar
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) conventional (see note 1 if using a fan-forced convection oven). Lightly grease an 8x8-inch baking tin and line it with a long sheet of parchment paper so it comes up the sides with a bit of overhang—this just makes it easier to lift the bars out later. Set aside for now.
- To a food processor, add all-purpose flour, cornstarch, powdered sugar, and salt. Mix for about 5 seconds to allow all the dry ingredients to combine well. Next, add in the cold unsalted butter that has been cut into small cubes and mix until the mixture resembles a sand-like consistency (see note 2 if doing this step by hand).
- Transfer two-thirds of the mixture to the lined baking pan and spread it out evenly. Using your hands (or something with a flat bottom), press the crumbs into the base of the tin in an even layer. Once done, the base should look well combined and not loose.
- Bake for 15 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned.
- While the crust is baking, in a large bowl add the chopped strawberries along with the cornstarch, lemon juice, and sugar. Give it a good mix until everything is nicely combined, then spread evenly over the warm crust.
- Lightly mix the remaining dough with your hands while gently pressing to form crumbs (the butter will be slightly softer by now, so the dough will hold together when pressed). Sprinkle the crumbs evenly over the strawberries.
- Bake for another 35 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned and the strawberries are bubbling around the edges.
- Let the bars cool completely in the tin (about an hour), then place in the fridge for another hour to firm up. Remove from the fridge and run a thin knife along the edges of the pan where there is no parchment to help release the bars, then use the parchment overhang to carefully lift them out. It may bend slightly as you lift, but it shouldn’t break apart. Slice and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information are estimates only as they are automatically calculated by a third party application. Actual values may differ based on brands and types of products used.
4 Comments
I give this recipe my thumbs up .10 out of 10
Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe Lungelwa 😀
Affordable ingredients and easy to make. The recipe looks and sounds delicious.
These strawberry bars look so delicious. I will make them as soon as I can. Thank you for sharing your wonderful recipes.