Hello, strawberry season! If you’re like me and you run around grabbing alllll of the fresh cartons of strawberries this time of year, today’s recipe has your name on it.
One of my fav desserts to make with spring and summer fruit is crumble bars or pie bars (like my famous blueberry pie bars!) because they’re super low maintenance and you can truly use any fruit you like. Not to mention, they’re absolutely delicious and a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. These strawberry crumble bars have the perfect amount of sweetness in the fresh strawberry filling and the crust, plus a wonderful crumble topping that is melt-in-your-mouth good.
Bake them up, share them with your neighbor, or bring them to your next BBQ and enjoy!
Everything you’ll need to make the best strawberry crumble bars
These healthier strawberry oatmeal bars are made with simple ingredients that keep them gluten-free and easily vegan (no egg necessary!). Plus, they pack whole grains and fresh fruit, AKA nourishing enough for breakfast! Here’s what you’ll need to make them:
- Flour: you’ll use a mix of almond flour and oat flour to make these strawberry crumble bars.
- Oats: the delicious base and crumble topping also uses rolled oats.
- Butter: keep the bars perfectly moist with some melted butter.
- Strawberries: the star of these gorgeous strawberry pie bars!
- Sweetener: you’ll also need some pure maple syrup to sweeten the crust, filling, and crumble topping.
- Cornstarch: a little cornstarch helps to thicken the strawberry filling and hold it together.
- Lemon juice: a tiny squeeze of lemon juice to the filling for a fresh, bright flavor.
- Baking staples: you’ll also need some salt, vanilla, and almond extract to pull the flavors together. These bars don’t require any baking soda or baking powder!
Simple ingredient swaps
Out of a few ingredients? Here’s what I can suggest for substitutions for these healthy strawberry crumble bars:
- Go nut-free. Out of almond flour or allergic to nuts? Use the base & topping in these blueberry pie bars.
- Keep them vegan. Feel free to use vegan butter or coconut oil instead of regular butter. This will make the bars dairy-free as well.
- Swap the cornstarch. Instead of cornstarch, you can also use arrowroot starch.
- Choose your sweetener. If you don’t have any maple syrup, you can also use 1/2 cup brown sugar or coconut sugar.
Mix it up with new fruits
Feel free to use your favorite berries in these bars (like blackberries), or try one of my other incredible fruit bar recipes below!
Can I use frozen strawberries?
Yes, frozen strawberries will also work well in this recipe! Feel free to add them directly to your pot when you make the filling.
Add a little indulgence
Looking for more of an indulgent treat? These strawberry bars would also be delicious with a dark chocolate or white chocolate drizzle, or even this yummy lemon glaze on top after baking! Get extra fancy by serving them with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. SO GOOD.
Make your own oat flour
Easily make your own gluten-free oat flour by simply placing rolled oats into a blender and blending/pulsing until they’re smooth and resemble flour. This is probably the cheapest option. Get all of our tips & tricks for making your own oat flour here (plus recipes!)
Wonderful strawberry crumble bars in 5 easy steps
- Prep your pan. Line a 9×9 inch pan with parchment paper and spray it with nonstick cooking spray to ensure that the bars don’t stick.
- Make the crumble. The crust and crumble come from the same “dough.” Mix together the dry ingredients in a medium bowl, then stir in the wet ingredients until a dough starts to clump together. Reserve 1 cup for the crumble topping.
- Bake the crust. Press the rest of the dough into your baking dish and bake it up.
- Make the filling. Next, you’ll simmer the fresh strawberries, maple syrup, cornstarch, lemon juice & almond extract in a medium pot. Stir frequently until the filling thickens and the strawberries start to release their juices.
- Top & bake again. Pour the strawberry mixture over the baked crust, top with the rest of the crumble, and bake it again. Let them cool completely at room temp or in the fridge and serve!
Storing & freezing tips
- In the fridge: I recommend storing these strawberry oatmeal bars in an airtight container or bag in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- In the freezer: these strawberry crumble bars are freezer-friendly! Once they’re completely cooled, place them in an airtight container and pop them in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to enjoy one, just let it thaw a bit in the fridge before eating.
Tools you’ll need
Get all of our fav kitchen essentials here.
More bars you’ll love
Check out all of our delicious bars & brownies!
I hope you love these delicious strawberry crumble bars! If you make them, be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked them. Enjoy, xo!
The
Ambitious Kitchen
Cookbook
125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
Strawberry Crumble Bars
by
Delicious strawberry crumble bars made with almond flour and oat flour to keep them gluten-free. These strawberry oatmeal bars are easily made vegan and are naturally sweetened with fresh strawberries and a bit of pure maple syrup. The perfect spring & summer treat with the sweet taste of strawberry pie in every bite!
Ingredients
- For the crust:
- 1 ½ cups (168g) packed fine almond flour (do not use almond meal)
- 1 ½ cups (138g) oat flour
- ¾ cup (71g) oats
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (113g) melted and cooled salted butter (or sub vegan butter or melted coconut oil)
- ⅓ cup (104g) pure maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- For the filling:
- 1 pound (454g) fresh strawberries, diced
- 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch (or arrowroot starch)
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract (or sub vanilla)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9×9 inch pan with parchment paper and spray the pan with nonstick cooking spray to prevent sticking.
To make the base + topping: In a large bowl, use a fork to mix together the almond flour, oat flour, oats and salt. Add in melted butter, pure maple syrup and vanilla extract and stir until a nice crumble forms and dough begins to clump together. Reserve 1 cup of the mixture for the topping and set aside. Use your hands to evenly press the remaining dough into the bottom of the pan.
Bake the crust for 10 minutes, then remove from heat.
While your crust is baking, make your strawberry filling: place a medium pot over medium heat. Add in strawberries, maple syrup, cornstarch (or arrowroot), lemon juice and almond extract. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low and cook for 3-5 more minutes, stirring frequently until the mixture is slightly thickened and strawberries release some of their juices.
Pour strawberry filling over the crust and use a spoon to spread over the top. Top with the reserved topping. Bake for 35-45 minutes or until filling bubbles along the edges and top is golden brown. Allow bars to cool completely before cutting into, otherwise they will fall apart. To speed up this process you can transfer to the fridge. Serve with vanilla ice cream for dessert, or enjoy a slice as a snack!
Recipe Notes
See the full post for tips, tricks & ways to customize these bars!
Nutrition
Serving: 1barCalories: 192calCarbohydrates: 20gProtein: 3.6gFat: 11.9gSaturated Fat: 4gFiber: 2.5gSugar: 8.8g
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats
This post was originally published on June 2nd, 2021, and republished on April 28th, 2026.
