Strawberry Crumble Bars (Gluten Free)

If you are looking for a simple homemade dessert these Strawberry Crumble Bars are it! They have a crunchy sugar cookie crust, a filling of fresh strawberries and pineapple, then topped with a cookie crust crumble topping. Strawberry Crumble Bars are basically all the flavors of summer in one bite.

These strawberry crumble bars are easily made dairy free and vegan. They are sweetened with fresh strawberries and pineapple!

These strawberry crumble bars may look familiar because they super similar to my gluten free rhubarb bars, just with different fruit! If you love desserts with fruit, make sure to try my raspberry lemon bread and my gluten free pineapple bread too!

Why you’ll love this recipe

• These crumble bars are super low maintenance, easy to make and you can honestly use any fruit you like! I’ve used strawberry and rhubarb before too!
• These strawberry crumble bars are absolutely delicious! They are a guaranteed crowd-pleaser for a summer get together, summer bbq or even for a holiday.
• These strawberry crumble bars are truly melt-in-your-mouth good.
• This recipe is allergy friendly. I used gluten free cookie dough for the base to ensure it was gluten free. I also used a dairy free cookie base to ensure these strawberry crumble bars were also dairy free.

Ingredients & Substitutions

Pineapple: I ued a pink pineapple here but you can use any color you want. Fresh is great but frozen or canned is fine too!

Strawberries: Fresh strawberries are always best, but froze will work too. You can also use raspberries, blackberries or rhubarb.

Brown sugar: This is used to add extra sweetness to the strawberry mixture. White sugar will work fine in a pinch.

Cornstarch: Cornstarch is used to thicken the strawberry mxture in a gluten free way!

Sugar Cookie Crust: These easy strawberry crumble bars are made with a gluten free cookie dough base to keep them gluten free. You can use ready made gluten free cookie dough, make a gluten free cookie dough mix or even use a fully homemade recipe!

How do I make this recipe?

First, in a pot, I combine strawberries, brown sugar, and cornstarch. I cook on medium heat, stirring every 5 minutes, until it gets thick and syrupy (about 10-15 minutes).

Next, I preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).

After, I line a baking dish with parchment paper. I take most of the cookie dough (¾ of it) and press it with my fingers into the bottom of the pan.

I pour the hot strawberry mixture over the pressed cookie dough crust and top with chopped pineapple.

Then, I grab the rest of the cookie dough and crumble it on top of the filling.

After, I bake the Strawberry Crumble Bars at 350°F (175°C) for 40 minutes. I make sure to let the bars cool completely before cutting into squares.

Expert Tips & Tricks

The longer you cook the strawberry mixture the thicker it will get. Sometimes I like to make mine extra thick to ensure the crust doesn’t get soggy.

Do I need to prebake the crust?

You can! I did not but if you are using frozen strawberries you might want to to ensure the Strawberry Crumble Bars crust doesn’t get too soggy. To prebake the crust, I would bake only for 5-7 minues to ensure it doesn’t get too crispy. This step is optional and totally dependent on how much liquid is in your strawberry mixture.

What other fruit can I use?

You can use any fruit in these Strawberry Crumble Bars from strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, pineapple, rhubarb or even blackberries.

Do I use fresh or frozen strawberries?

Fresh is always best in my opinion but froze will work too. My biggest suggestion is if you use frozen strawberries, cook them down for longer to get more moitsure out! Frozen strawberries tend to have more liquid which can make the crust soggy if it isn’t cooked out.

How Do I Serve this?

These Strawberry Crumble Bars can be served with a scoop of ice cream, whipped cream or even a dairy free cream.

You can serve them at room temperature, straight out of the refrigerator or even pop them in the air fryer for 2-3 minutes for a just-out-of-the-oven texture.

How do I Store these?

To store, I let it cool completely before refrigerating in an airtight container for up to four days.

For longer storage, I love to portion the Strawberry Crumble Bars into freezer-safe containers and freeze for up to 2 months. Let them defrost in the refrigerator overnight. After being frozen and defrosted they could be a little soggy. I like to air fry for 2-3 minutes to reinvigorate the crispy crust!

Looking for more gluten free recipes?

If you make this recipe and enjoyed it, I would really appreciate a review! You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, Tik Tok and Pinterest. Purchase my cookbook Easy Allergy Free Cooking. Join my exclusive weeknight meal plan group for 5 weekly 30-minute dinner recipes. The weeknight meal plan also has an accompanying podcast as well! I would love for you to follow along! 

Love this recipe? You can sign up here to receive easy meal plans, exclusive new recipes and updates!