Strawberry Oat Bars
Published: August 3, 2021 | Last modified: February 7, 2023.
These healthier Strawberry Oat Bars are super quick to mix up and made with simple, wholesome ingredients. If you love strawberry season this one’s for you!
Made with garden fresh, juicy berries, freshly squeezed lemon juice and zest, these strawberry oat bars are then lightly sweetened with maple syrup.
The secret? Whole strawberries are baked right in with no additional cooking required!
The result is a quick, lightly sweetened bake with just the right amount of crumb that can be enjoyed any time of day whether for a light breakfast, snack or dessert.
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Strawberry Oat Bars
Makes 16 servings; prep time 20 minutes, bake time 20-25 minutes.
Ingredients
1½ cups old fashioned rolled oats
1 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup dark brown sugar
½ cup vegan butter (or your butter of choice)
Strawberry filling:
3 cups strawberries (washed, stems removed and sliced)
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Zest of 1 large lemon, freshly grated
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Start by preparing your filling. In a medium-sized bowl toss together sliced strawberries, lemon juice and zest, maple syrup and vanilla and set aside.
Preheat oven to 350º and prepare parchment-lined 8x8-inch baking pan.
In a large mixing bowl combine oats, flour and brown sugar. Add butter and work it in well with a fork until the mixture is crumbly with the butter evenly distributed.
Using a wooden spoon, spread 2/3 of the oat mixture into the bottom of baking pan pressing it down to form a base. Bake for 15 minutes.
Remove pan from oven. Spoon strawberry mixture into baking pan carefully spreading it out to the edges of the pan. Next, sprinkle remaining oat mixture across the top.
Bake for 20-25 minutes until lightly browned. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire cooling rack for at least 30 minutes. Slice into squares with a sharp knife and serve.
Notes
To make gluten free: Make this recipe gluten free by substituting equal amounts of your favourite almond, oat or gluten-free all-purpose flour!
Butter: Substituting unsalted butter will result in a richer caramelization of the crust and topping.
Fresh or frozen? Don’t have fresh strawberries? Frozen strawberries work too so long as you take care to drain any excess liquid to prevent the base from becoming mushy. Other berries may be substituted as well!
Cooling: Cooling your squares before consuming will help to ensure they retain their shape.
Storage: Leftover squares may be stored in the refrigerator in an air-tight container for up to a week or frozen for up to 6 months.
