Strawberry Oatmeal Bars Crunchy and Sweet Treat

Ingredients

• 2 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 0.5 cup brown sugar, packed
• 0.5 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 0.5 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 0.25 cup honey or maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1.5 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• powdered sugar for dusting (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a 9x9-inch baking pan or line it with parchment paper for easy removal.
2. In a large bowl, combine the rolled oats, flour, brown sugar, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon. Mix until well combined.
3. Pour in the melted butter, honey (or maple syrup), and vanilla extract. Stir until the mixture resembles wet crumbs. Reserve about 1 cup of this mixture for the topping.
4. In a separate bowl, combine the sliced strawberries with cornstarch and lemon juice. Gently toss to coat the strawberries, ensuring they are well coated.
5. Press the oat mixture firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan to form a crust.
6. Evenly spread the strawberry mixture over the crust.
7. Crumble the reserved oat mixture over the top of the strawberries for added texture.
8. Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the strawberries are bubbly.
9. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before cutting into bars.
10. If desired, dust with powdered sugar before serving for a sweet finish.