Description

A practical and delicious meal-prep dessert featuring a buttery shortbread crust, a bright strawberry filling, and a crumble topping. These bars are perfect for Sunday prep, providing five days of portable, lunch-friendly treats.

Ingredients

Scale

1 ½ cups All-Purpose Flour
½ cup Unsalted Butter, softened
½ cup Granulated Sugar (for crust)
1 large Egg Yolk
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
¼ teaspoon Salt
2 cups Fresh Strawberries, hulled and diced
¼ cup Granulated Sugar (for filling)
1 tablespoon Cornstarch
1 teaspoon Lemon Juice
½ teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a 9×13 inch baking dish.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, and salt. Add softened butter and egg yolk, mixing until the dough resembles coarse crumbs.
Press two-thirds of the dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking dish to form the crust.
In a medium saucepan, combine diced strawberries, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and vanilla. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture bubbles and thickens (about 5-7 minutes). Let cool slightly.
Pour the warm strawberry mixture over the pressed crust and spread evenly. Crumble the remaining one-third of the dough over the top.
Bake for 35-40 minutes until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbling. Cover edges with foil if they brown too quickly.
Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack for at least 1 hour before slicing to allow the filling to set.

Notes

Ensure strawberries are firm to avoid excess water. Cook filling until thickened to prevent soggy bars. Chill dough if kitchen is warm. Use a serrated knife for clean slicing. Bars improve in flavor over the first two days.

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Category: Dessert
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 bar
Calories: 180
Sugar: 18
Sodium: 120
Fat: 8
Saturated Fat: 5
Carbohydrates: 28
Fiber: 1
Protein: 2

Keywords: strawberry shortcake bars, meal prep dessert, summer baking, easy bars, strawberry dessert, lunch prep