Easy Vegan Strawberry Crumble Bars (Gluten-Free)
This easy vegan and gluten-free strawberry crumble bars recipe features a juicy strawberry filling between layers of oat crust and crumble topping.
About the Recipe
These healthy strawberry crumble bars are perfect for a sweet treat for warm weather.
The strawberry layer is made from fresh strawberries and the buttery crust is made from the same mixture of oats, gluten-free flour, coconut oil and brown sugar.
They’re delicious year-round but especially during the summer months for strawberry season when seasonal berries are perfectly ripe and juicy. For more strawberry recipes, this Vegan Strawberry Shortcake and Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp are both delicious as well.
For a similar recipe, these Vegan Cranberry Oatmeal Crumble Bars are really good though not gluten-free. These Vegan Blueberry Crumb Bars are gluten-free and made with almond flour.
Ingredient Notes
- Oats: Use rolled oats (old-fashioned oats). I would not recommend using quick oats or minute oats. Do not use steel cut oats.
- Gluten-Free Flour Mix: You can use an easy DIY blend of 3/4 cup white rice flour and 1/4 cup tapioca flour, any gluten-free baking 1:1 flour or you can substitute regular all-purpose flour.
- Brown Sugar: If you don’t have brown sugar you can use white sugar, coconut sugar or any other granulated sugar. Light brown sugar and dark brown sugar both work.
- Coconut Oil: You can substitute melted or soft plant-based butter or regular butter.
- Vanilla: Any vanilla extract works.
- Strawberries: This recipe is best with fresh strawberries.
- Tapioca Starch: This thickens the strawberry filling. You can substitute corn starch (corn flour) or arrowroot powder (arrowroot starch).
- Lemon: You’ll need a fresh lemon to make the lemon juice for the strawberry filling.
- Sugar: You’ll need another tablespoon of sugar for the strawberries. You can use any kind of sugar or maple syrup.
This list is not complete. Please see the recipe card at the end of the post for the complete ingredient list with measurements and detailed instructions.
Variations & Additions
- Drizzle with this lemon glaze for an extra treat.
- Swap the strawberries for blueberries, raspberries or blackberries. You can also do a mixture of berries.
- Add 1 tsp cinnamon to the crust and crumb mixture.
- Serve warmed and topped with a scoop of ice cream or whipped cream for dessert.
- For peanut butter and jam bars, drizzle or dollop about 1/3 cup peanut butter over the strawberry layer before adding the topping.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Mix Crust and Crumble
Add the crust ingredients (oats, brown sugar and flour) to a large mixing bowl and mix them up. Add the vanilla extract and coconut oil and mix until you have a clumpy consistency.
Step 2: Create Crust Layer
Scoop most of the crumble mixture into the pan, reserving 3/4-1 cup in the bowl to make the topping.
Firmly press the mixture into a square baking pan until you have a flat, even layer.
Step 3: Make Strawberry Filling
Dice the strawberries and add them to a medium bowl with the tapioca flour, lemon and sugar. Gently mix until the strawberries are all coated.
Dump the strawberries onto the bottom crust layer in the pan and spread them into an even layer.
Step 4: Add Crumble Topping
Sprinkle the remaining crumble topping over the strawberry mixture in the pan.
Step 5: Bake the Bars
Bake the bars in the preheated oven for about 45 minutes until the strawberries are bubbly and the crumble is a golden brown colour.
Step 6: Cool & Slice
Once the bars come out of the oven, let them cool for at least one hour before removing them from the pan and slicing.
This step is important for avoiding crumbly bars. They’ll be fragile when they come out of the oven but firm once they cool.
Recipe FAQs
No. You can substitute all-purpose flour for the gluten-free flour blend. You could also use the almond flour and oat flour crust and crumble from these blueberry crumble bars.
You can use soft or melted butter or plant-based butter instead of coconut oil.
I haven’t made this recipe with frozen strawberries but you should be able to if you thaw them in the fridge and drain the excess liquid off before using them in the recipe.
Yes. To use jam or preserves in this recipe, omit the strawberry filling ingredients and use 1-2 cups of jam. You could also make this easy homemade chia jam to use for the filling.
Be sure the bars are completely cooled before storing then store in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature or in the fridge for 1 week. You could also just wrap them tightly with plastic wrap or foil directly in the pan to store.
Yes, Let them cool completely then store them in a freezer bag or airtight container for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to enjoy, thaw briefly in the fridge, at room temperature or warm for 10-15 seconds in the microwave.
Did you try this recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Scroll down to the comment section to leave a star rating and review.
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Gluten-Free Strawberry Oat Bars
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 45 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 16
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Strawberry bars made with a sweet strawberry filling between layers of oat crust and crumble topping, perfect for an easy dessert.
Ingredients
Crust and Crumb Layers
- 1 1/2 cups rolled oats (150 g)
- 1 cup gluten-free flour (120 g)
- 1/3 cup packed brown sugar (65 g)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup melted or very soft coconut oil (100 g)
Strawberry Filling
- 1 lb. fresh strawberries, leaves removed and diced (454 g)
- 2 teaspoons tapioca starch
- 3 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tsp lemon zest, optional
- 1 tablespoon cane sugar (15 g)
Instructions
- Prepare: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line an 8-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
- Make Crust & Crumble: In a large mixing bowl, combine the rolled oats, brown sugar, and flour. Add vanilla extract and coconut oil. Mix until all ingredients are well combined and clumps begin to form.
- Press Crust into Pan: Press the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan evenly, reserving about 3/4 cup for the crumble topping.
- Mix Strawberry Filling: Add the diced strawberries, tapioca starch (tapioca flour), lemon juice and sugar to a bowl and gently mix to coat the strawberries.
- Add Strawberries to Pan: Pour strawberry mixture over bottom crust in pan and spread into an even layer.
- Sprinkle with Topping: Take the remaining oat mixture and sprinkle it over the strawberry filling.
- Bake: Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until the strawberries have cooked and are bubbly. The crumble should be a light golden color.
- Cool: Let the bars cool for a minimum of one hour before removing them from the pan.
- Slice: Once cooled, slice into 16 squares and enjoy.
Notes
You can substitute melted butter for the coconut oil.
Gluten-free flour can be substituted with all-purpose flour or white whole wheat flour.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 152
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 1.4 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Carbohydrates: 21 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 2 g
