Lemon Strawberry Crumb Bars
Total Time
3 hours, 10 minutes (includes cooling)
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
50 minutes
Rating
4.2 out of 5 stars
(21)
Ingredients
18-24 bars
- 3 cups (375g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (16 Tbsp; 226g) unsalted butter, very cold and cubed
- 1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk*
- 1 cup (200g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 4 cups (650g) chopped strawberries*
- 1/3 cup (67g) granulated sugar
- 1 and 1/2 Tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- Lemon Glaze
- 1 cup (120g) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
- 2 Tablespoons (30ml) fresh lemon juice
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Preparation
Step 1
Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line the bottom and sides of a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides to lift the finished bars out (makes cutting easier!). Set aside.
Step 2
Make the crumble mixture for the crust and topping: Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. Add the cubed butter and using a pastry cutter, two forks, or a food processor, cut in the butter until all the flour is coated and resembles pea-sized crumbles. (This takes at least 5 minutes of cutting in with a pastry cutter.)
Step 3
Whisk the egg, egg yolk, brown sugar, and vanilla together in a small bowl. Pour over the flour/butter mixture and gently mix together until the mixture resembles moist crumbly sand. Use your hands if needed—the mixture comes together easier with your hands than with a spoon.
Step 4
You will have about 6 cups of the crust/crumble mixture. Set 2 cups aside. Pour the remaining into the prepared pan and flatten down with your hands or a flat spatula to form an even crust. It will be a little crumbly– that’s ok. Set aside.
Step 5
For the filling: Mix the strawberries, granulated sugar, cornstarch, and lemon zest together. Spoon evenly over crust. Crumble the remaining butter/flour mixture on top and gently press down so it’s snug on the strawberry layer.
Step 6
Bake for 45-50 minutes or until the top is lightly browned and the strawberry filling is bubbling on the sides. Remove from the oven and place the pan on a wire rack. Allow to cool completely. I stick mine in the refrigerator to speed up the cooling process.
Step 7
Whisk the glaze ingredients together and drizzle on top (or you can drizzle on individual squares). Lift the cooled bars out using the overhang on the sides. Cut into squares.
Step 8
Cover and store leftover strawberry bars (with or without icing) at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Step 9
Save recipe for the next time?
Chef's notes
Make Ahead Instructions:
Bars freeze well up to 3 months. Arrange in even layers in a large freezer container between sheets of parchment. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature before serving.
Special Tools (affiliate links):
9×13-inch Baking Pan| Pastry Cutter | Citrus Zester | Citrus Juicer | Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk
Eggs:
You need 1 whole egg + 1 extra egg yolk. Honestly, using 2 full eggs works too—with no other changes to the recipe. (It’s what I do for my strawberry rhubarb bars.) Use 2 full eggs if desired.
Strawberries:
This is about 1 and 1/2 – 2 lbs whole strawberries. Use frozen (do not thaw) if needed.
No Lemon? Feel free to skip the lemon zest in the bars and swap the lemon glaze for vanilla icing. (Or leave off the icing/glaze completely.)
Smaller Batch:
If a 9×13-inch pan is too much, you can easily halve the recipe in a 9-inch square pan. And, if you do that, just use 1 egg instead of 1 egg + egg yolk. Bake at 350°F (177°C) for 35-37 minutes or until the top is lightly browned and the filling is bubbling on the sides.
