Coconut sugar and oil makes these healthy gluten-free strawberry crumble bars sweet with natural sugars and healthy fats. The center oozes with a strawberry preserve filling and almonds that's nourishing and delicious!
Watch the video on how to make these strawberry jam crumble bars:
What you will love about these strawberry crumble bars
Healthy ingredients - Traditional dessert bars are loaded with butter and processed sugar, but not these healthy strawberry crumble bars filled! We use coconut sugar and coconut oil and offer recipe variations and other swaps you can use. Organic jam or preserve keeps it healthy or try our homemade strawberry jam recipe using xylitol or monk fruit!
Healthy tasty dessert choice - Like strawberry crisps, strawberry jam crumble bars are similar in ingredients and their freeform look. The difference is the base is baked first, then filled with the sweet gooey strawberry preserve and almonds then the top is added and baked. This keeps the shape more like a bar recipe or squares so you can hold them and enjoy as a snack as well.
They are like a cookie and crisp combined! The top of the bars have a cookie consistency that is free-forming with specs of jam bubbling through. It truly is the tastiest treat and goes perfectly cut into squares, bars, or enjoyed scooped with vanilla ice cream!
Be sure to also check out our chocolate chunk cranberry bars and strawberry oatmeal breakfast bars.
Ingredients in this strawberry crumble recipe
- gluten-free flour mix
- old fashioned rolled oats (gluten-free)
- baking soda
- pink salt
- coconut oil (or can use butter or vegan butter)
- coconut sugar
- unsweetened vanilla or plain almond milk (or any plant-based milk)
- chopped almonds (or slivered almonds)
- vanilla extract
- 8 ounces of organic Strawberry Jam, Preserve, or Conserve (or your favorite flavor) - I suggest organic so it is free of pesticides and chemicals in the fruit.
- optional to add fresh strawberry slices
Fun fact about oats! Oats are high in fiber, increase appetite control hormones, helps reduce type 2 diabetes, lowers bad cholesterol, and controls blood pressure. And to top it off, according to this study, found in children that are those introduced earlier to oats are in fact less likely to develop persistent asthma.
How to make jam crumble bars from scratch
Full recipe is in the printable recipe box below.
- Combine flour, oats, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl combine coconut oil, coconut sugar, milk, and vanilla extract. Add your wet mixture to the dry mixture and combine well.
- Reserve a third of the mixture aside for the crumble topping. Press remaining mixture onto the bottom of a prepared 9-inch square baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes at 350 until the crust is raised and set. This sets the base of the strawberry crumble bars.
- Remove from oven and spread fruit jam, preserve, (or conserve) evenly to coat. Sprinkle almond slivers on top of jam evenly to coat. Optional to add a few fresh strawberry slices layered and spread out sparingly.
- Sprinkle the layer of strawberry jam and almonds with the reserved oat mixture and press lightly to coat with fingers or the back of a spoon. Bake 15 minutes until slightly brown. Let the bars cool before cutting them into squares, or serve warm with vanilla ice cream, like a strawberry crumble crisp.
Variations and substitutions
You can swap out the ingredients for these other variations and achieve the same or similar texture or taste:
- Try this basic recipe with any other flavors of fruit jam such as blueberry jam, raspberry jam, orange marmalade, or apricot jam. Adding fresh fruit is only optional and makes the consistency slightly more moist, so use it sparingly. Try adding your favorite fruit to match the jam like caramelized oranges, or fresh berries such as blueberries and raspberries.
- You can use vegan butter or regular (I suggest organic) butter in place of the coconut oil.
- If you do not have old fashioned rolled oats on hand, quick cook oats work as well. I do not suggest using steel cut oats as they will stay grainy and hard and not work for this recipe.
Tips for the best strawberry oat crumble bar recipe
- Use fresh fruit sparingly in the center so it keeps the strawberry crumble bar keeps the form of a bar or feel free to just use strawberry jam.
- Bake the bottom layer first. This sets the bars and makes every bite bursting with a variety of flavors and textures!
- Use parchment paper to line a baking pan before adding the ingredients. I ran out of parchment paper when making this batch, so it is not used in the video or pics. It works without, but it helps to remove the bars easily from the pan when they have cooled. You can spray the bottom of the pan and cut the paper to fit the base and up two sides. Then add the crumble batter and layers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! They can be when made without processed white sugar and loads of butter. Oats are healthy and rich in fiber, protein, and iron. For this strawberry crumble recipe we use healthy ingredients of coconut sugar, coconut oil, old fashioned rolled oats, and organic strawberry jam.
How to make a strawberry crumble into bars? First you make the dough and partially bake the base, reserving some for the crumble topping. Then you spread a layer of strawberry jam on top then almonds. This is the filling. Then crumble the remaining dough over that and bake until golden. Once it has cooled completely, then slice it into squares.
This crumble recipe can also be made more like a crisp by skipping baking the base. To do so, create the layers and bake a total of 35-40 minutes until golden.
How to store strawberry oat bars
Store the squares in a sealed airtight container on the counter or in the refrigerator. They are best consumed within 3 days. If using fresh fruit in the center with the jam, store them in the refrigerator in a sealed air tight container.
Storing in the freezer: To store these crumble strawberry bars in the freezer, add them to a zip-lock bag on parchment paper or wax paper and close removing all the air. First open the bag on the counter and add parchment paper inside. Lay the bars on the paper. Seal the bag closed tight removing as much air as possible to prevent freezer burn. Store in the freezer for 1-3 months.
More healthy homemade bars and squares to make
I hope you enjoy these gluten-free strawberry crumble bars! Follow along with me on INSTAGRAM, PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, YOUTUBE and TWITTER for a feature and for more recipe inspiration! And don't forget to give the recipe a star rating in the recipe area and leave a comment below.
📖 Recipe
Strawberry Crumble Bars Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup gluten-free flour mix
- 1 ½ cup quick cook oats gluten-free
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup coconut oil melted
- ¾ cup coconut sugar
- ⅓ cup unsweetened plain almond milk or favorite plant-based milk
- ½ cup slivered almonds or chopped almonds
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 8 ounces strawberry jam (conserve or preserve) or your favorite flavor such as blueberry, raspberry, or apricot
Instructions
- Preheat oven 350 degrees F. Optional to line a 9 x 9 inch baking pan with parchment paper and clip the sides to hold.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, oats, baking soda, and salt. In a smaller bowl combine coconut oil, coconut sugar, milk, and vanilla extract. Add your wet mixture to the dry mixture and combine well.
- Set a third of the mixture aside for topping. Press remaining mixture onto the bottom of a prepared 9-inch square baking dish. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes at 350 until the crust is raised and set.
- Remove from oven and spread fruit jam (or conserve) evenly to coat. Sprinkle almond slivers on top of jam evenly to coat. (Optional to add a few fresh strawberry slices layered and spread out sparingly).
- Sprinkle with reserved oat mixture; press lightly to coat with fingers or the back of a spoon. Bake 15 minutes until slightly brown. Cool before cutting.
Notes
Nutrition
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