Bring a taste of sunshine to your table with these Strawberry Streusel Bars. The ultimate summer dessert recipe that combines a buttery cookie base with a sweet, juicy strawberry filling and a crumbly streusel topping. These fruit dessert bars are sure to be a hit at picnics, potlucks, or a simple sweet treat at home. Made with Betty Crocker cookie mix, they're quick and easy to prepare and are bursting with fresh strawberry flavor.
Let's break down the delicious components of these Strawberry Streusel Bars!
Butter: Cold butter helps create those delightful pockets of air, resulting in a perfectly crumbly texture for both the base and the streusel.
Cream Cheese: Adding cream cheese to the crust makes it incredibly tender, adds a subtle tang, and contributes to a wonderfully rich flavor.
Sugar Cookie Mix: Your convenient shortcut to baking success! This mix forms the flavorful foundation for both the sturdy cookie base and the delightful streusel topping, ensuring consistent taste and texture every time.
Old-Fashioned Oats: Oats are stirred into the streusel topping, adding a lovely chewiness, a hint of nutty flavor, and extra texture.
Fresh Strawberries: Vibrant, juicy fresh strawberries provide natural sweetness, a burst of fruity flavor, and beautiful color.
Strawberry Jam: This intensifies the strawberry flavor, adds extra sweetness, and helps create a gooey filling that binds all those fresh berries together.
Lemon Juice: It brightens and enhances the natural sweetness of the strawberries, adding a zesty counterpoint that prevents the filling from being overly sweet.
Optional (but highly recommended!) for Serving: Sweetened whipped cream
Here's how to make these delicious Strawberry Streusel Bars with some helpful tips for perfect results every time! See the full recipe below for all the details.
Keep butter and cream cheese COLD. This is crucial for the cookie base and streusel. Cold fats create a tender, flaky, and crumbly texture. If they get too warm, your crust might be tough or greasy.
Combine the chopped fresh strawberries, strawberry jam, and lemon juice in a medium bowl. Give it a good stir until everything is well mixed. The lemon juice is key here to brighten the strawberry flavor!
Once the cookie base has cooled for 10 minutes, spread your strawberry mixture evenly over it and top with the streusel. Pop the pan back into the oven and bake for 26 to 30 minutes.
This step is crucial for perfectly set bars! Once baked, place the pan on a cooling rack and let it cool for 30 minutes. Then, refrigerate the bars for at least 2 hours before cutting them.
To keep your delicious Strawberry Streusel Bars fresh, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Heat oven to 375°F. Spray a 9-inch square baking pan with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, cut butter and cream cheese into cookie mix, using a pastry blender or fork, until mixture is crumbly (do not overmix). Press 3 cups of the mixture into the bottom of the pan.
Stir oats into remaining cookie mixture; set aside. Bake cookie base 20 minutes. Remove from oven and cool 10 minutes.
In a medium bowl, mix strawberries, jam, and lemon juice.
Spread strawberry mixture evenly over partially baked crust. Sprinkle reserved cookie and oat mixture over strawberry mixture.
Bake 26 to 30 minutes or until light golden brown and bubbling around the edges. Cool on a cooling rack 30 minutes. Refrigerate 2 hours before cutting.
For 16 bars, cut into 4 rows by 4 rows. Serve with whipped cream.
Jam differs from preserves—the texture is a thick puree rather than chunks of medium to large fruit pieces.
To make fresh sweetened whipped cream, try this Homemade Whipped Cream recipe from Betty.
| Food Component / Nutrient | Amount | % , Daily Value* |
|---|---|---|
| Total Fat | 10g | 16% |
| Saturated Fat | 6g | 28% |
| Trans Fat | 0g | % Value Not Available |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 2g | % Value Not Available |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 0g | % Value Not Available |
| Omega-3 | 0g | % Value Not Available |
| Cholesterol | 25mg | 8% |
| Sodium | 170mg | 7% |
| Total Carbohydrate | 36g | 12% |
| Dietary Fiber | 0g | 0% |
| Soluble Fiber | 0g | % Value Not Available |
| Insoluble Fiber | 0g | % Value Not Available |
| Sugars | 21g | % Value Not Available |
| Protein | 2g | % Value Not Available |
| Vitamin D | Value Not Available | 0% |
| Calcium | Value Not Available | 0% |
| Iron | Value Not Available | 4% |
| Potassium | 75mg | 2% |
| Vitamin A | Value Not Available | 6% |
| Vitamin C | Value Not Available | 10% |
| Vitamin E | Value Not Available | 0% |
| Thiamin | Value Not Available | 6% |
| Riboflavin | Value Not Available | 4% |
| Niacin | Value Not Available | 2% |
| Vitamin B6 | Value Not Available | 0% |
| Folic Acid | Value Not Available | 6% |
| Vitamin B12 | Value Not Available | 0% |
| Pantothenic Acid | Value Not Available | 0% |
| Phosphorus | Value Not Available | 2% |
| Magnesium | Value Not Available | 0% |
| Zinc | Value Not Available | 0% |
| Manganese | Value Not Available | 8% |
| Selenium | Value Not Available | 0% |
| Copper | Value Not Available | 0% |
| Beta-Carotene | Value Not Available | % Value Not Available |
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. | ||
