Brown Butter Strawberry Crumb Bars

Fresh strawberries are even more delicious in brown butter strawberry crumb bars! These simple crumb bars bake up buttery and golden with a sweet strawberry center. Flavored with rich brown butter and drizzled with vanilla butter glaze, you’ll love this easy crumb bar recipe. Recipe makes 16 bars.

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It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of homemade dessert bars. From blackberry pie bars to classic cherry pie bars and easy jam crumb bars, I bake crumble bars whenever I’m craving a sweet, buttery dessert baked in an 8×8 pan.

Melted brown butter takes these strawberry crumb bars to the next level. The rich and nutty flavor of the crust and crumble topping perfectly complement the sweet strawberry filling.

Learn how to make brown butter in this easy step-by-step recipe tutorial!

Key Ingredients

Here’s what you need to make strawberry crumble bars:

• Butter – Use melted brown butter in the crumb bars and 1 tablespoon melted butter in the vanilla glaze.
• Sugar – The crumb bars are made with both light brown sugar and granulated sugar. You’ll also use granulated sugar in the strawberry filling.
• Vanilla – Pure vanilla extract flavors the crumb bars and the glaze.
• Flour – Use all-purpose flour in this recipe. If you’d like to make these bars gluten-free, I recommend using a gluten free 1-1 baking flour for best results.
• Baking soda – Gives the crumb bars a lift.
• Salt – Brings out the flavors.
• Arrowroot starch – Thickens the strawberry filling. You can also use cornstarch.
• Strawberries – I use and recommend fresh sliced strawberries for the filling. Fresh berries will make the sweetest strawberry bars. Out of season, you can use frozen sliced strawberries straight from the freezer (do not thaw). You can also use strawberry jam – see recipe note below.
• Lemon juice – Fresh lemon juice adds brightness to the filling.
• Powdered sugar – For a sweet and smooth vanilla glaze.
• Milk – A splash of milk makes the glaze easy to drizzle.

How to Make Strawberry Crumb Bars

• The crust and crumbs are one simple dough that comes together in under 10 minutes.
• Cook butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly until it foams, turns clear, and then turns a medium brown, about 5 minutes.
• Pour brown butter into a large bowl and whisk in sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla until combined. Whisk together dry ingredients in a medium bowl and add flour mixture to butter mixture; fold in until incorporated.
• Reserve 3/4 cup of the dough for the crumb topping (keep chilled), and press the remaining dough evenly and firmly into the prepared baking pan.
• Bake the crust until golden, then let cool for 15 minutes before adding the strawberry filling and reserved crumb topping.
• Continue baking until the topping is golden brown and the berry filling is slightly bubbly, another 45 to 50 minutes. Let bars cool completely.
• Once the bars are completely cool, chill them in the freezer for 15 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and cut into squares with a sharp knife.
• Whisk up the quick vanilla butter glaze until smooth. Drizzle the glaze over the bars and enjoy! These bars are also delicious dusted with powdered sugar or topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

More strawberry recipes you’ll love:

• Easy Fresh Strawberry Crisp
• Fresh Strawberry Sheet Cake
• Strawberry Rhubarb Cheesecake Bars
• Strawberry Cream Scones
• Strawberry Cookie Tart

Did you try these Strawberry Crumb Bars? Let me know by leaving a comment and rating below!

Brown Butter Strawberry Crumb Bars

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• Author: Laura Kasavan
• Prep Time: 25 minutes
• Cook Time: 65 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
• Yield: 16 bars
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Bake
• Cuisine: American

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Description

The BEST brown butter strawberry crumb bars! Flavored with brown butter and drizzled with vanilla butter glaze, you’ll love this easy crumb bar recipe.

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Ingredients

Crust & Crumbs

• 14 Tbsp (196 g) unsalted butter, cubed
• 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup (50 g) light brown sugar
• 2 tsp (8 g) vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cups (315 g) all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt

Filling

• 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 2 Tbsp (16 g) arrowroot starch (or cornstarch)
• 2 cups (340 g) sliced strawberries
• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice

Glaze

• 1 Tbsp (14 g) unsalted butter, melted
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 tsp (4 g) vanilla extract
• 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar
• 2 Tbsp (30 g) milk

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F and line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper.
2. Brown butter: Cook butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly until it foams, turns clear, and then turns a medium brown, about 5 minutes.
3. Make crust and crumble: Add brown butter to a large bowl and whisk in sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla until combined. Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl; add to butter mixture and fold in until incorporated.
4. Set aside 3/4 cup (220 g) of dough for topping. Chill until ready to use. Press remaining dough evenly into bottom of prepared baking pan.
5. Bake crust for 14 to 16 minutes, until lightly golden and set. Transfer to a wire rack and cool for 15 minutes.
6. Make filling: Combine sugar, salt, and arrowroot starch in a medium bowl. Add strawberries and lemon juice, tossing gently to combine. Spoon strawberry mixture over cooled crust and crumble reserved dough over filling.
7. Bake bars for another 45 to 50 minutes, or until topping is golden and filling slightly bubbly. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Just before cutting, chill in the freezer for 15 minutes. Carefully lift parchment and place bars on a cutting board; cut into squares with a sharp knife.
8. Make glaze: Whisk together melted butter, salt, vanilla, powdered sugar, and milk in a small bowl. Drizzle glaze over cooled bars and let set. 
9. Store leftover bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 2 days.

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Equipment

Mixing Bowls

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Square Baking Pan

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Notes

Brown Butter: Check out my full step-by-step recipe tutorial.

Strawberry Jam: If you prefer to use strawberry jam for the filling, layer 3/4 cup (240 g) jam over the crust. Top with chilled crumble, and bake for another 30 to 35 minutes, or until topping is golden and filling slightly bubbly.

Larger Batch: For a larger batch of crumb bars, double the recipe and bake in a 9 x 13-inch rectangular baking pan.

Gluten Free Bars: Use your favorite 1-1 gluten-free flour.