These strawberry bars are incredibly simple to make, with just 6 ingredients. A crisp shortbread base holds strawberry jam and fresh strawberries, and the topping is a crumble made from the same shortbread dough! They’re so easy, not-too-sweet, and you’ll make them again and again.
Baking Doesn’t Have to Be Hard
Sometimes you come across a baking recipe that’s just easy. Some of the simplest recipes can be the most delicious (see also: our beloved peach squares). This is one such recipe.
With just 6 ingredients and about 15 minutes of preparation, you have this delicious sweet treat for endless occasions. Bake sale? Done. Afternoon tea with friends? Perfect. Tuck a few into a lunchbox or a picnic basket and watch them disappear. Serve them warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for dessert, and kids and adults alike will be equally obsessed.
This recipe uses both fresh strawberries and jarred strawberry jam, making this an easy way to get your strawberry fix anytime of year.
The inspiration came from Ina Garten’s raspberry crumble bars in Barefoot Contessa Foolproof. I decided to make a strawberry version along with a few other tweaks: pulling back on the sugar, using salted butter to cut out the need to mix salt in separately, and thinning out the crust so the ratio of jammy filling to buttery crumble feels just right. She also puts granola and nuts on top of her bars, which I opted out of, to keep these crumbly, rather than crunchy, in texture.
They’re the perfect level of sweet, and the perfect little anytime treat. Let’s make them!
Strawberry Bars Recipe Instructions
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F/175°C. Place butter, sugar, and vanilla in a bowl, and mix with a rubber spatula just until combined. It’s ok if there are still some small visible chunks of butter. Add the flour and mix with your hands until the dough comes together (some remaining crumbs are okay).
Take about two thirds of the dough, and press it evenly on the bottom of a 9-inch square baking pan. The dough layer will seem thin, but as long as it’s about ⅓-inch/8mm, that’s enough. Spread two thirds of the jam on top of the dough in the pan, leaving a ¼-inch/6mm border. Then spread the diced strawberries on top of the jam in a single layer. Spread the remaining jam on top of the strawberries. Break up the remaining dough into crumbles and sprinkle on top.
Bake for 40-45 minutes until lightly golden on top. Cool, slice into 12 bars, and enjoy! (We find these are great warm, but also delicious the next day after storing in the fridge in an airtight container).
Recipe Variation!
Give your strawberry bars a lemony twist by rubbing 2 teaspoons lemon zest into the sugar before stirring in the butter and vanilla at the beginning of the recipe.
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Recipe
Strawberry Bars
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 sticks salted butter (softened)
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 10 ounces strawberry jam (about 1 jar—we used St. Dalfour jam)
- 3/4 cup fresh strawberries (small-diced)
Instructions
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F/175°C. Place butter, sugar, and vanilla in a bowl, and mix with a rubber spatula just until combined. It’s ok if there are still some small visible chunks of butter. Add the flour and mix with your hands until the dough comes together (some remaining crumbs are okay).
- Take about two thirds of the dough, and press it evenly on the bottom of a 9-inch square baking pan. The dough layer will seem thin, but as long as it’s about ⅓-inch/8mm, that’s enough. Spread two thirds of the jam on top of the dough in the pan, leaving a ¼-inch/6mm border. Then spread the diced strawberries on top of the jam in a single layer. Spread the remaining jam on top of the strawberries. Break up the remaining dough into crumbles and sprinkle on top.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes until lightly golden on top. Cool, slice into 12 bars, and enjoy! (We find these are great warm, but also delicious the next day after storing in the fridge in an airtight container).
