September 26, 2023
Review RecipeStrawberry Pie Bars
Table of Contents
These delightful strawberry pie bars are just the sweet treat you need to make during strawberry season. A buttery crust surrounds a sweet strawberry pie filling to create this scrumptious treat that you won’t be able to resist.
Strawberry Pie Bars Ingredients
Indulge in the vibrant flavors of the season with these bars. The crust, subtly zested with lemon, balances the sweetness of the ripe strawberries.
Each bite of these bars is a delightful reminder of the joys of summer.
You’ll need:
For The Crust:
- 3 cups of all-purpose flour
- 1½ cups of granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon of salt
- Zest of 1 large lemon
- ½ cup of unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
- 3 eggs slightly beaten
For The Strawberry Filling:
- 4 cups of fresh strawberries cut in half
- 1 tablespoon of fresh-squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon of cornstarch
- ¾ cup of sugar
PRO TIP:
When strawberries are in season, they may be sweet enough to reduce the amount of sugar in the strawberry filling portion of the recipe. You can reduce it to ½ cup but keep in mind that this will create a bit less “glaze” across the tops of the strawberries.
Substitutions And Additions
BERRIES: For this dessert bar recipe, you can use any kind of berries you’d like in place of the fresh strawberries.
Try fresh blueberries, raspberries, or even a mix of berries.
LEMON ZEST: To introduce a different citrusy note, consider swapping lemon zest with orange zest.
The orange zest will infuse a slightly sweeter and warmer aroma to the bars, adding a subtle layer of complexity.
COCONUT FLAKES: For a tropical twist, blend in unsweetened coconut flakes to the crust mixture.
This will infuse a delicate coconut aroma and flavor that pairs wonderfully with the fruit.
How To Make This Strawberry Pie Bars Recipe
Once you make the soft crust for these bars, you can mix up the strawberry filling before finally adding the crumbly topping.
STEP ONE: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9×13 baking dish with parchment paper allowing for overhang so you can lift the cooled bars out of the pan to cut.
OUR RECIPE DEVELOPER SAYS
Keep in mind that you will get a different shape and depth of corner bars depending on the baking pan you are using.
If you use a baking pan with rounded corners (usually glass), your corner pieces will not come out quite so defined, while metal pans tend to have clean-cut corners that will give you better-formed corner bars.
STEP TWO: In the large bowl of a stand mixer, add the flour, sugar, salt, and lemon zest. On low speed, mix until combined.
STEP THREE: Add in the butter and mix until you get pea-sized pieces of butter.
PRO TIP:
Make sure your butter is really cold. Take it out of the fridge right before you begin this process.
STEP FOUR: Add the beaten eggs and mix until a crumbly dough comes together.
STEP FIVE: Press ⅔ of the crust mixture evenly into the bottom of the pan and set aside.
STEP SIX: In a large mixing bowl, combine the strawberries, lemon juice, cornstarch, and sugar. Mix until combined.
STEP SEVEN: Pour the strawberry mixture over the crust and even it out with a rubber spatula.
STEP EIGHT: Crumble the remaining dough over the strawberry layer.
PRO TIP:
Oven temperatures vary and may need to be recalibrated periodically to ensure they are accurate. Make sure to check your bars at the lower end of the recommended baking time.
STEP NINE: Bake pie bars in the preheated oven for 45 to 50 minutes or until the crumble appears slightly golden brown.
PRO TIP:
The crumble will puff a bit while baking. I like to use larger drops of the crumble over the bars so that you get some large chunks of strawberry poking out across the top.
STEP TEN: Pull the baking dish out of the oven and set it aside to cool completely before cutting the bars.
How To Serve
Enjoy these yummy treats on their own as a snack, or turn them into an extra indulgent and delicious dessert.
Top them with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a spoonful of homemade whipped cream, and you will have a happy family.
For more strawberry desserts, our strawberry pie and rhubarb strawberry crisp are two of our favorites.
MORE PIE BARS RECIPES
Storing These Strawberry Bars
Here are a few quick tips for storing your strawberry bars to enjoy later.
MAKE AHEAD: After baking and cooling, store them in an airtight container at room temperature.
This allows the flavors to meld and the bars to set, resulting in a perfectly delectable treat when you’re ready to serve.
IN THE FRIDGE: Store leftovers of these fresh strawberry pie bars covered at room temperature for two to three days.
IN THE FREEZER: Store these strawberry crumble bars in the freezer for up to one month.
With a delicious crust and juicy strawberries, these strawberry pie bars make the perfect summertime treat. It will not take you long to whip up these treats that no one will be able to resist.
Frequently Asked Questions
These delicious bars can be stored in the freezer for up to a month in an airtight container.
These easy bars are best made with fresh berries. Frozen strawberries may add too much liquid to the bars, which may make the crust soggy.
Fresh blueberries, blackberries, or raspberries would be a delicious substitute for strawberries in this recipe.
More Recipes You’ll Love
- Blackberry Pie Bars
- Apple Cheesecake Bars
- No Bake Peanut Butter Rocky Road Bars
- Oreo Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Cookie Bars
- Strawberry Cream Cheese Pie
- Coconut Cream Pie
- Pie Crust
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie
- Coconut Cream Bars
- Strawberry Cinnamon Rolls
Strawberry Pie Bars
Ingredients
Crust/Topping
- 3 cups flour
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 large lemon zest
- ½ cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
- 3 eggs, slightly beaten
Strawberry Filling
- 4 cups fresh strawberries, cut in half
- 1 tablespoon fresh-squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ¾ cup sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9×13 baking dish with parchment paper allowing for overhang so you can lift the cooled bars out of the pan to cut.
- In a stand mixer, add the flour, sugar, salt, and lemon zest. On low speed, mix until combined.
- Add in the butter and mix until you get pea-sized pieces of butter.
- Add in the beaten eggs and mix until a crumbly dough comes together.
- Press ⅔ of the dough evenly into the bottom of the parchment-lined baking dish and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the strawberries, lemon juice, cornstarch, and sugar. Mix until combined.
- Pour the strawberry mixture over the crust and even it out with a rubber spatula.
- Crumble the remaining dough over the strawberry filling.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 45 to 50 minutes or until the crumble appears slightly golden brown.
- Pull the baking dish out of the oven and set it aside to cool completely before cutting the bars.
Video
Notes
- When strawberries are in season, they may be sweet enough to reduce the amount of sugar in the strawberry filling portion of the recipe. You can reduce it to ½ cup but keep in mind that this will create a bit less “glaze” across the tops of the strawberries.
- Keep in mind that you will get a different shape and depth of corner bars depending on the baking pan you are using. If you use a baking pan with rounded corners (usually glass), your corner pieces will not come out quite so defined, while metal pans tend to have clean-cut corners that will give you better-formed corner bars.
- Make sure your butter is really cold. Take it out of the fridge right before you begin this process.
- Oven temperatures vary and may need to be recalibrated periodically to ensure they are accurate. Make sure to check your bars at the lower end of the recommended baking time.
- The crumble will puff a bit while baking. I like to use larger drops of the crumble over the bars so that you get some large chunks of strawberry poking out across the top.
Comments
Amy H says
Delicious! Very easy to make and tasted amazing!
Jennifer Mann says
This was so easy to make and so delicious to eat! My husband kept saying โthatโll do, yup, thatโll doโ which means โI love it!โ Great recipe! This is marked as a favorite recipe for us!
Joan says
Easy to make and delicious!
Annette says
Can you use canned strawberry pie filling for this recipe?
Layne Kangas says
Hi, Annette – we haven’t tried with canned filling but I would assume they would work ok. Please let me know if you try them. Enjoy!
Linda Todesco says
I tripled this for the seniors I cook for at work used frozen strawberries cut in half while half thawed and let them drain for a bit so it wouldn’t make it soggy used the juice to make a glaze with icing sugar to drizzle over top there was none left,