Description
Strawberry Bliss Bars are a delightful combination of a buttery oat and coconut crust layered with sweet strawberry jam and topped with a mix of milk and white chocolate chips. These bars offer a perfect balance of fruity sweetness and rich chocolate, baked to a golden finish for a delicious treat that’s perfect for any occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Crust and Topping
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup cold salted butter, cut into small pieces
- 2/3 cup light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3/4 cup sweetened shredded coconut
- 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
For the Filling
- 1 ¼ cups strawberry jam
For the Topping
- 3/4 cup milk chocolate chips
- 3/4 cup white chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper and lightly spray it with nonstick spray to ensure easy removal of the bars later.
- Blend Crust Ingredients: In a food processor, pulse together the flour, cold butter, light brown sugar, granulated sugar, salt, and ground cinnamon until the mixture resembles a coarse meal, which generally takes about 4 to 6 short pulses. If you don’t have a food processor, use a pastry blender or two forks to cut the butter into the dry ingredients.
- Mix in Coconut and Oats: Transfer the flour mixture to a bowl and stir in the shredded coconut and old-fashioned oats. Set aside ¾ cup of this mixture for the topping. Press the remaining mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking pan to form the crust layer.
- Bake the Crust: Bake the crust in the preheated oven until it is lightly golden, about 15 to 18 minutes. Once baked, remove the pan from the oven and let the crust cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.
- Add Jam and Chocolate: Carefully spread the strawberry jam evenly over the warm crust. Sprinkle the milk and white chocolate chips evenly over the jam layer.
- Top and Bake Again: Evenly sprinkle the reserved ¾ cup of the flour-coconut-oat mixture over the chocolate chips to create a crumbly topping. Return the pan to the oven and bake until the top is golden brown, about 18 to 22 minutes.
- Cool and Serve: Allow the bars to cool completely in the pan, approximately 1 hour. Use the parchment paper to lift the bars out of the pan and transfer to a cutting board. Cut into 24 bars and serve.
Notes
- Cold butter is essential for the crust to achieve a crumbly, crisp texture.
- Using parchment paper makes removing the bars from the pan effortless.
- Old-fashioned oats add texture; quick oats can be used but will yield a softer bar.
- The strawberry jam layer should be spread on warm crust to help it adhere better.
- Store bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate for longer freshness.
