Love makes you feel like every day is summer! And these Strawberry Love Bars are perfect for bringing the summer experience even during the wintry cold of Valentine’s Day! Each bar is filled with a vibrant, sunny strawberry sauce sandwiched between layers of a buttery, crisp crumble! Strawberry Love Bars are simple to make, and will be a welcome morning treat for your someone special!
Ingredients
For the crust and crumble topping:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
For the strawberry layer:
- 2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and coarsely chopped
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
Directions
Step 1 –Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Step 2 –Coat an 8-inch square pan generously with cooking spray.
Step 3 –In a large, microwave-safe bowl, add the butter and melt it in the microwave, about 1 minute on high power.
Step 4 –Add the flour, the oats, 1/2 cup of the granulated sugar, the light brown sugar, and the salt to the melted butter and stir to combine, until dry and sandy with some large, well-formed crumble pieces remaining.
Step 5 –Reserve 1 cup of the crumble mixture for the topping.
Step 6 –Transfer the remaining crumble mixture to the prepared pan and hard-pack it into the bottom, pressing until it is even and smooth across the bottom of the pan.
Step 7 –In a large mixing bowl, add the strawberries, the remaining granulated sugar, the lemon juice, and the cornstarch and toss to combine.
Step 8 –Spread the strawberry mixture evenly over the crust in the baking pan.
Step 9 –Sprinkle the reserved crumble mixture over top.
Step 10 –Bake until the edges are set, the center has just set, the filling is bubbly, and the top is very pale golden, about 50-55 minutes.
Step 11 –Place the pan on a wire rack and allow the bars to cool for at least 1 hour.
Step 12 –Slice and serve.
