Baked Strawberry Oat Bars
These healthier Baked Strawberry Oat Bars are super quick to mix up and made with simple, pantry staple ingredients. If you love strawberry season, this one’s for you!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1½ cups old fashioned rolled oats
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup dark brown sugar
- ½ cup butter sub dairy free
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
Instructions
- In a medium-sized bowl, toss together sliced strawberries, lemon juice and zest, maple syrup and vanilla and set aside.
- Preheat oven to 350ºF (177ºC) and prepare parchment-lined 8x8-inch baking dish.
- 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.
- Spread 2/3 of the oat mixture into the bottom of the baking dish, pressing it down to form a base. Bake for 15 minutes.
- Remove pan from oven. Spoon strawberry mixture over the base, spreading it out to the edges of the pan. Then 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: Substitute an equal amount of your favourite 1:1 gluten free flour blend in place of the all-purpose flour.
Butter: Baking with dairy butter will result in a richer caramelization of the crust and topping.
Storage: Leftover bars will keep well in the refrigerator in an air-tight container for up to 1 week or frozen for up to 6 months.