They’re easy to make in advance, are packed with strawberry flavor, and are great for breakfast, snack, or dessert.
– All-purpose flour – Rolled oats – Unsalted butter – Vanilla extract – Lemon juice and lemon zest – Strawberry preserves – Diced strawberries
To a medium bowl, add the oats, flour, sugar, melted butter, milk, vanilla, and salt. Stir well to combine into a uniform mixture.
This mixture will be thick and it should hold together easily when pressed between your fingers. Set aside 1 cup of the batter to use as the topping.
Add the remaining batter mixture to the bottom of the prepared pan, pressing evenly to cover completely.
Evenly spread the strawberry preserves over the batter. Then, sprinkle on the strawberries and press them down very slightly. Sprinkle with lemon zest, if using to add more bright flavor.
Crumble the remaining dough mixture over top to cover evenly and press it down slightly. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until lightly browned.
Remove pan from the oven and let cool on a wire rack until room temperature. Use the parchment paper to lift the cooled bars out of the pan. Slice into bars carefully using a serrated knife.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge or at room temperature for up to 3 days. Tip: To make without oats, substitute quinoa flakes.
Use a jam that you like the taste of since it’s a primary flavor in the recipe. You could even use homemade Strawberry Chia Jam.