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Say hello to your new favorite summer dessert! Freshly milled strawberry crumble bars are bright, sweet, and perfectly balanced between crunchy and chewy.
Bursting with fresh berry flavor, the homemade strawberry filling is sandwiched between two layers of fresh-milled, buttery crumble. They’re such a simple and delicious treat!
One of my very favorite seasons is upon us: strawberry season! We love going strawberry picking and feasting on fresh berries.
We also love making all of the strawberry treats, like fresh milled strawberry sweet rolls, strawberry kiwi dessert pizza, and these tasty strawberry crumble bars!
Now, the beauty of these crumble bars is that they are made with frozen strawberries, so you don’t even have to wait for any particular season. You can make them year-round (and trust me, we do!).
But they always feel extra special when served as a spring or summer dessert. They’re even a great treat for the 4th of July, along with my Independence Day cake.
Whatever season or occasion, you are going to love these strawberry crumble bars! They are sweet, crunchy yet chewy, and bursting with berry flavor. Plus, they are made with freshly milled, 100% whole wheat flour!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy recipe: These strawberry crumble bars are easy to whip up for a last-minute dessert or fun brunch addition.
- On-the-go crumble: Crumble bars have a similar overall flavor to classic crumbles, like my apple strawberry crumble, but they are much easier to serve. No bowls or spoons necessary; just serve these on a plate like you would cookies or brownies!
- Summer flavors: Everyone loves strawberries in the summer! These crumble bars highlight a favorite seasonal fruit, making them perfect for BBQs, picnics, and any other summer gatherings.
Ingredients
- Strawberries: I use frozen strawberries because they are affordable and available year-round! No need to thaw them first; they’ll thaw on the stove in step 1.
- Cornstarch: This is essential for thickening the strawberry filling. Without a thickener, the bars will be a soggy, gooey mess.
- Soft white wheat flour: Freshly milled soft white wheat is my flour of choice for this recipe! It yields a tender crumble mixture that is most like what you would make with all purpose flour.
- Lemon: Fresh lemon juice and zest balance the sweetness of the strawberry filling and enhance the overall flavor.
Check out the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients with measurements.
How to Make Fresh Milled Strawberry Crumble Bars
Step 1. In a small saucepan, combine the frozen strawberries, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and cornstarch. Heat over medium heat, stirring frequently. As the strawberries soften, use a fork to gently mash them. Continue cooking for 5–10 minutes, until the mixture thickens slightly and reaches a thin, syrup-like consistency.
Step 2. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a 9×13 baking dish with parchment paper*.
Step 3. In a large bowl, combine the brown sugar, granulated sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt.
Step 4. Add the cold butter and work it into the dry ingredients using a fork until the mixture is crumbly.
Step 5. Add the egg and mix until the dough starts to come together. It should still be crumbly but hold when pressed. If it’s still too dry, add 1-2 tablespoons of milk.
Step 6. Press about half of the mixture firmly into the bottom of the prepared baking dish to form the crust. Set the remaining crumble aside.
Step 7. Pour the strawberry mixture over the crust and spread it out evenly.
Step 8. Sprinkle the remaining crumble mixture evenly over the top.
Step 9. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the top is lightly golden and the filling is bubbling.
Step 10. Allow the bars to cool completely before slicing.
Tips + Notes
- The dough should feel slightly crumbly but hold together when pressed. If it feels too dry, add 1–2 teaspoons of cold water or milk.
- Conversely, avoid adding too much milk to the crumble mixture. You want it to be pretty dry, but still hold together if you squeeze it between your hands.
- Rather than lining the pan with parchment paper, you can grease the baking dish with coconut oil.
- Soft white wheat works best here and gives you that tender, crumbly texture.
- Allow the bars to cool completely before slicing! They firm up as they sit — if you try to cut them while still warm, they will be too crumbly and will fall apart.
- Serve these bars by themselves or top them with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!
Recipe FAQs
These bars are best stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 5-7 days. They can also be frozen! Just thaw them at room temperature before enjoying.
Yes! These crumble bars would be delicious with blueberries, blackberries, or raspberries. You may want to tinker with the amount of sugar, as some berries are naturally sweeter than others.
That is likely because they’re too warm. Make sure you let the bars cool completely before cutting. Chilling them in the fridge for a few hours will make them even easier to cut if you’re having trouble.
Related Recipes
- Banana Pudding
- Chocolate Chip Cookies With Freshly Milled Flour
- Super Fudgy Brownies with Fresh Milled Flour
- Cast Iron Peach Cobbler
- Dutch Oven Apple Crisp
If you tried these Freshly Milled Strawberry Crumble Bars or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Freshly Milled Strawberry Crumble Bars
Equipment
- 9×13 baking dish
Ingredients
Strawberry Filling
- 2 cups frozen strawberries
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar (100 g)
- 1 lemon juiced and zested
- 4 teaspoons cornstarch (10 g)
Crumble Mixture
- 1/2 cup brown sugar (100 g), lightly packed
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar (100 g)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 3 3/4 cups freshly milled soft white flour (490 g)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup butter (226 g), chilled and cubed
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons milk* see notes below
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, combine the frozen strawberries, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and cornstarch. Heat over medium heat, stirring frequently. As the strawberries soften, use a fork to gently mash them. Continue cooking for 5–10 minutes, until the mixture thickens slightly and reaches a thin, syrup-like consistency.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a 9×13 baking dish with parchment paper**.
- In a large bowl, combine the brown sugar, granulated sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Add the cold butter and work it into the dry ingredients using a fork until the mixture is crumbly.
- Add the egg and mix until the dough starts to come together. It should still be crumbly but hold when pressed. If it’s still too dry, add 1-2 tablespoons of milk.
- Press about half of the mixture firmly into the bottom of the prepared baking dish to form the crust. Set the remaining crumble aside.
- Pour the strawberry mixture over the crust and spread it out evenly.
- Sprinkle the remaining crumble mixture evenly over the top.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the top is lightly golden and the filling is bubbling.
- Allow the bars to cool completely before slicing.
Video
Notes
- *The dough should feel slightly crumbly but hold together when pressed. If it feels too dry, add 1–2 teaspoons of cold water or milk.
- Conversely, avoid adding too much milk to the crumble mixture. You want it to be pretty dry, but still hold together if you squeeze it between your hands.
- **Rather than lining the pan with parchment paper, you can grease the baking dish with coconut oil.
- Soft white wheat works best here and gives you that tender, crumbly texture.
- Allow the bars to cool completely before slicing! They firm up as they sit — if you try to cut them while still warm, they will be too crumbly and will fall apart.
- Serve these bars by themselves or top them with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!
