Healthy and perfectly sweet strawberry crumble bars made with fresh strawberries and topped with an oat crumble. These easy gluten free and nut free strawberry bars are an easy to make treat with the sweet taste of strawberry in every bite!
Why you'll love these strawberry crumb bars
- Perfectly sweet - fresh summer strawberries have the perfect amount of sweetness for this delicious strawberry crumble recipe. You can also use frozen strawberries if you're in a pinch.
- Healthy - these strawberries oatmeal bars are gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan. Heart healthy oats are loaded with fiber and protein, and the strawberries are full of vitamin C and antioxidants. This mixture of whole grain oats and fruit are the perfect combination for breakfast!
- Versatile - easy to make with simple baking ingredients and fresh juicy strawberries. Perfect for spring and summer baking or strawberry picking season. These pie bars a super versatile and can be made with different types of fruit, fresh or frozen.
If you like fruit snacks you should try my Fresh Ginger Apple Muffins with Crumble Topping, Best Paleo Banana Bread with Coconut Flour or my Mango Mint Salsa. These easy snacks are great for sharing or bringing to your next BBQ!
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Noteworthy ingredients and substitutions
- Oat flour, old-fashioned rolled oats and shredded coconut - this combination makes a sturdy base with the perfect crust and crumble topping. Look for gluten-free oats. You can also substitute with quick cooking oats for a tighter crumb. If you don't have shredded coconut on hand then swap for more rolled oats.
- Extra virgin coconut oil - the oil should be firm. You can refrigerate it but not for too long or it may be too hard to work with. I use room temperature coconut oil which works well if your kitchen's not too hot. Same goes if you substitute ghee or vegan butter. You want to be able to cut it in the dough to allow for pockets of fat to melt into a moist crumb while baking.
- Oat milk - this adds a little moisture. You can substitute any plant-based milk you have on hand.
- Fresh strawberries - berries have their own natural sweetness. If your strawberries are especially sweet then you don't need to add any maple syrup. Frozen strawberries work well too. They should be thawed and drained before starting.
- Tapioca flour - this thicken the filling like jammy strawberry pie. You can substitute with arrowroot starch as well.
- Pure maple syrup - an optional natural sweetener but works well if your strawberry lack sweetness. You could also swap for honey or coconut sugar.
See recipe card at the bottom for all ingredients and quantities.
How to make strawberry crumble bars
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8x8 aluminum pan with parchment paper and lightly grease with coconut oil to prevent sticking. I recommend a metal pan to help the bottom crust crisp up!
- Add quartered strawberries, tapioca flour and maple syrup. Mix and set aside.
- Mix oat flour, rolled oats, shredded coconut, coconut sugar, cinnamon, baking soda and sea salt. Add oat milk and vanilla and stir to combine. With a pastry cutter or fork, cut the coconut oil into crumble ingredients until dough is moist and crumbly.
- Use about ⅔ of crumble and press into prepared pan.
- Spread the rest of the crumble mixture evenly on top to make a crumble topping.
- Layer with strawberry filling.
- Bake for 30 minutes. Cool completely before slicing into bars.
Tips, tricks and variations
- Frozen strawberries - if using frozen berries, drain as they thaw to remove excess water.
- Bottom crumble - be sure to press bottom crumble firmly into pan to keep it's shape and prevent it from crumbling when cut into bars.
- Variations - use blueberries or mixed berries with this crumble bar recipe. Crush the berries a little before adding the tapioca starch so they distribute evenly over the bottom crumble.
- Cool completely - make sure to cool in the pan completely before cutting. You can cool on a rack at room temperature or in the freezer.
FAQs
Can I use frozen strawberries in these strawberry pie bars?
Yes, you can swap fresh strawberries for frozen strawberries. You will need to thaw and drain the berries first so the strawberry layer bakes evenly.
Can I make my own oat flour?
Making your own homemade oat flour is easy. Just toss them into your food processor or high speed blender and blend/pulse until a fine flour forms. It's cheaper than buying oat flour and can be used in other recipes like Healthy Cookie Dough Bites.
Storage
Fridge: These strawberry oatmeal bars will keep well in the fridge in an airtight container for up to a week. Separate them with parchment paper so they don't stick together.
Freezer: They can be kept frozen for up to 2 months in an airtight container separated with parchment paper. Thaw in the fridge or on the counter and enjoy!
Did you make this recipe? Leave a review and ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below!
Recipe
Oat and Strawberry Crumble Bars (gf, nut free, vegan friendly)
Healthy and perfectly sweet strawberry crumble bars made with fresh strawberries and topped with an oat crumble. These easy gluten free and nut free strawberry bars are an easy to make treat with the sweet taste of strawberry in every bite!
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Servings: 25 squares
Calories: 74kcal
Equipment
- 1 8-inch square pan aluminum
- 1 large bowl
- 1 medium bowl
Ingredients
Strawberry filling:
- 12- ounces (340 grams) fresh strawberries, quartered (or frozen and thawed strawberries)
- 1 tablespoon tapioca flour
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup (optional)
Crust and crumble:
- 138 grams (1 ½ cups) oat flour (gluten free)
- 68 grams (¾ cup) old-fashioned rolled oats (gluten free)
- 13 grams (¼ cup) unsweetened shredded coconut
- 51 grams (⅓ cup) coconut sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 75 grams (⅓ cup) extra virgin coconut oil, firm (or ghee or vegan butter, firm)
- 2 tablespoons oat milk (or favorite milk)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8-inch square aluminum pan with parchment paper and lightly grease with coconut oil to prevent sticking. I recommend a metal pan to help the bottom crust crisp up!
- Strawberry filling: In a medium bowl, add the quartered strawberries, tapioca flour and pure maple syrup. Mix well and set aside.
- Crust and crumble: In a large bowl, mix together the oat flour, rolled oats, shredded coconut, coconut sugar, cinnamon, baking soda and sea salt. Add the oat milk and vanilla extract and stir to combine. With a pastry cutter or fork, cut the coconut oil into the dough ingredients until well distributed and dough is moist and crumbly. Use about ⅔ of crumble and press into prepared pan.
- Layer with strawberry filling. Spread the rest of the crumble mixture evenly on top to make a crumble topping.
- Bake for 30 minutes as fruit bubbles and the the crust turns golden brown. Remove from oven and cool completely before slicing into bars. Refrigerate to speed the cooling process.
Notes
- Swap fresh strawberries for frozen strawberries (thaw and drain the berries).
- Store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to a week. Separate with parchment paper so they don't stick together. Freeze for up to 2 months.
- Press bottom crumble firmly into pan to keep its shape when cut into bars.
Nutrition
Serving: 1square | Calories: 74kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Sodium: 40mg | Potassium: 55mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Calcium: 9mg | Iron: 0.4mg
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