Strawberry Oatmeal Bars

I have vivid memories from when I was young of being at my grandma's house and picking strawberries in a small strawberry patch next to her garage. I remember how tiny the strawberries were - they were nothing like the strawberries sold in grocery store. We would pick the strawberries (& I would eat half of them), take them inside, wash them, and mix them with lemon juice & sugar. Later, they would be used to top shortcake for strawberry short cake. I love that young summer memory.  

Strawberries are all over the grocery store right now - they are in season - they are delicious - they are inexpensive. When strawberries are on sale, I usually stock up and then attempt to create a new recipe using them. This recipe is brand new & it totally delicious. Try it out and see what you think!

Ingredients

  • 1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
  • 3/4 cup 1:1 gluten free flour 
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, divided
  • 1 1/2 cups, small-diced strawberries (add more strawberries if desired)

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven 375 degrees F.
  2. Line an 8-by-8-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
  3. In a medium bowl, combine the oats, flour, brown sugar, ginger, and salt. Pour in the melted butter and stir until it forms clumps. Set aside 1/2 cup of the crumble mixture, then press the rest into an even layer in the bottom of the parchment paper pan.
  4. Scatter half of the strawberries over the crust. Sprinkle the cornstarch evenly over the top and 1/2 tablespoon of the sugar. Scatter on the remaining berries, then the remaining 1/2 tablespoon sugar. Sprinkle the reserved crumbs evenly over the top
  5. Bake the bars for 30 to 35 minutes, until the fruit is bubbly and the crust looks golden. Place the pan on a wire rack to cool completely.
  6. Enjoy! (You can even top the bars with vanilla ice cream when you serve it!)
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