Ingredients
Crust & Crumble
- 3 cups (375g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (16 Tbsp; 226g) unsalted butter, very cold and cubed
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 cup (200g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Strawberry Filling
- 4 cups (650g) chopped strawberries (fresh or frozen, unthawed)
- 1/3 cup (67g) granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
Lemon Glaze
- 1 cup (120g) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
- 2 tablespoons (30ml) fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Prep the Pan – Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving extra hanging over the sides for easy removal later. Set aside.
- Make the Crumble Mixture – In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the cold, cubed butter and use a pastry cutter, two forks, or a food processor to cut it into the flour mixture until it resembles pea-sized crumbs. This will take about 5 minutes.
- Add Wet Ingredients – In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, egg yolk, brown sugar, and vanilla extract. Pour this over the flour and butter mixture, mixing gently until the dough forms moist, crumbly clumps. Use your hands to combine, if needed.
- Form the Crust – Set aside 2 cups of the crumble mixture for the topping. Press the remaining crumble evenly into the lined baking pan to form the crust. It will be a bit crumbly, but that’s okay. Set aside.
- Prepare the Strawberry Filling – In a medium bowl, toss the chopped strawberries with the granulated sugar, cornstarch, and lemon zest until evenly combined.
- Assemble the Bars – Spread the strawberry filling evenly over the crust. Crumble the reserved crumble mixture evenly over the strawberry layer, gently pressing down so the topping is snug.
- Bake – Bake for 45–50 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned and the strawberry filling is bubbly around the edges. Cool the bars completely in the pan on a wire rack; chilling in the refrigerator speeds up the process.
- Make the Glaze – Once the bars are cool, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar and lemon juice until smooth.
- Finish & Serve – Drizzle the lemon glaze over the cooled bars. Use the parchment overhang to lift the bars out of the pan and cut into squares. Enjoy!
Notes
- Make Ahead: Bars freeze well for up to 3 months. Layer between sheets of parchment in a freezer-safe container. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bring to room temp before serving.
- Eggs: You can use 2 whole eggs instead of 1 egg + 1 yolk for a slightly different texture. No other recipe changes needed.
- Strawberries: Use about 1.5–2 lbs of whole strawberries for 4 cups chopped, or use frozen (do not thaw).
- No Lemon? Skip the lemon zest in the filling and/or swap the lemon glaze for vanilla icing, or omit the glaze entirely.
- Small Batch: Easily halve the recipe and bake in a 9-inch square pan. Use 1 whole egg, and bake for 35–37 minutes.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar (based on yield of 24 bars)
- Calories: 225
- Sugar: 17g
- Sodium: 82mg
- Fat: 8g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 36g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 33mg