Strawberries & Cream Oatmeal Bars
Crunchy oatmeal cookie bars topped with strawberry filling, sweetened cream cheese, and an oatmeal crumble.
- Prep time
- 30 min
- Cook time
- 1 hr
- Yield
- 10 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 2 C rolled oats
- 2 C all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 C light brown sugar (packed)
- 1 Tsp baking powder
- 1 Tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 Tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 C salted butter (melted)
- 4 C strawberries (sliced thin)
- 1/2 C granulated sugar
- 1/2 Tsp almond extract
- 2 Tsp lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp agar-agar powder
- 1 8-oz package cream cheese (room temperature)
- 1/4 C powdered sugar
- 2 Tsp milk
Instructions
- 1
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Prepare an 8×8" baking dish by either lining it with parchment paper (with some overhang for easy lifting later) or greasing it lightly with baking spray or oil.
- 2
In a large bowl, mix the rolled oats, flour, baking powder, and coriander. In another bowl, whisk together the brown sugar and melted butter. Once combined, add the butter mixture to the dry ingredients along with the vanilla extract. Stir well until you’ve got a crumbly mixture with chunks of various sizes and some loose oats.
- 3
Take just under 2/3 of the cookie mixture and press it into the bottom of your prepared pan. Use the bottom of a dry measuring cup to really press it down, ensuring a firm base. Bake on the middle rack for 10 minutes, then set aside to cool.
- 4
In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the sliced strawberries, lemon juice, almond extract, and sugar. Bring to a boil, cover, and let it cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in the agar agar powder. Stir quickly to avoid clumps. Set the filling aside to cool for at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- 5
In a small bowl, whisk the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and milk until smooth (a few lumps are fine). Set aside.
- 6
Once the cookie base is cool, spread half of the cream filling over it in an even layer. Next, pour the cooled strawberry filling on top and spread it evenly to the edges. Dollop the remaining cream filling over the strawberry layer and gently swirl it together with a butter knife, being careful not to dig into the cookie base.
- 7
Sprinkle the remaining cookie mixture over the top, covering it evenly. Arrange your reserved strawberry slices on top. If you have any leftover crumble, sprinkle that over too.
- 8
Bake for 40-50 minutes, until the strawberry filling is bubbling and the top is golden brown. Keep an eye on it—once you smell that wonderful baked strawberry aroma, you’re getting close. Let the bars cool completely before slicing.
- 9
Once cooled, lift the bars out of the pan using the parchment overhang and slice into squares. They can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Dassit!