Ingredients:

  • 1 ½ cups All-Purpose Flour (180 g)
  • 1 ½ cups Rolled Oats (Old Fashioned) (135 g)
  • ¾ cup Light Brown Sugar, packed (150 g)
  • ¼ cup Granulated Sugar (50 g) (for base/topping)
  • 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
  • ½ teaspoon Salt
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) Unsalted Butter, cold, cubed (225 g)
  • 3 cups Fresh or Frozen Strawberries (Approx. 450 g)
  • ¼ cup Granulated Sugar (50 g) (for filling)
  • 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice, freshly squeezed
  • 1 tablespoon Cornstarch

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease and line an 8x8 inch (20x20 cm) square baking pan with parchment paper, ensuring an overhang for easy removal later.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, rolled oats, both sugars (for the base/topping), baking powder, and salt.
  3. Add the cold, cubed butter to the dry ingredients. Use a pastry blender or your fingertips to cut the butter into the mix until it resembles coarse, pea-sized crumbs. Be quick to keep the butter cold.
  4. Measure out approximately two-thirds (2/3) of this crumb mixture and press it firmly and evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan to form the base layer.
  5. In a separate bowl, gently toss the sliced strawberries with the ¼ cup sugar (for the filling), lemon juice, and cornstarch until everything is lightly coated.
  6. Spread the strawberry filling evenly over the oat base layer.
  7. Sprinkle the remaining one-third (1/3) of the oat mixture evenly over the strawberry layer to create the crumble topping. Do not press this layer down.
  8. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and the strawberry filling is visibly bubbling around the edges.
  9. Allow the bars to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack (minimum 2 hours) before attempting to slice. Cooling fully is crucial for clean cuts.
  10. Use the parchment overhang to lift the entire cooled slab out of the pan, and then slice cleanly into 12 bars.