Indulge in Homemade Chocolate Covered Strawberry Bars: A Chewy, Sweet & Easy Dessert Recipe
The timeless allure of chocolate-covered strawberries has captivated dessert lovers for generations, symbolizing romance, indulgence, and pure bliss. While the fresh, dipped fruit is undeniably exquisite, sometimes you crave that same irresistible flavor combination in a more convenient, bakeable form. Enter these magnificent **Chocolate Covered Strawberry Bars**! Inspired by the popularity of these delightful treats and a classic cherry bar recipe, this version transforms the beloved duo into a wonderfully chewy, sweet, and utterly satisfying bar cookie that’s perfect for any occasion – from a romantic Valentine’s Day treat to a simple afternoon pick-me-up.
Crafted with high-quality strawberry preserves and rich dark chocolate chips, these bars offer a delightful burst of fruity sweetness perfectly complemented by the deep, slightly bitter notes of chocolate. The foundation is a buttery, crumbly oat crust that also forms a generous, textured topping, ensuring every bite delivers a harmonious blend of textures and flavors. If you’re searching for an impressive yet straightforward dessert that tastes like a labor of love, look no further. This recipe is designed for home bakers of all skill levels, promising a truly delectable outcome.
Why You’ll Love These Chocolate Covered Strawberry Bars
Much like their cherry bar predecessors, these **strawberry jam bars** are characterized by their wonderfully chewy texture and undeniably sweet profile. The use of vibrant strawberry preserves provides a refreshing change from more common fillings like raspberry or cherry, offering a bright, summery essence that truly shines. And, of course, the addition of dark chocolate chips elevates these bars to a whole new level of deliciousness – because, let’s be honest, doesn’t chocolate always make everything better?
This recipe is not just about taste; it’s also about ease. With simple ingredients and straightforward steps, you can whip up a batch of these homemade **chocolate strawberry dessert bars** in no time. They are fantastic for meal prepping desserts, sharing with friends and family, or simply indulging your own sweet tooth. The combination of a soft, dense base, a fruity, sticky layer, and a crunchy, chocolate-studded topping creates an irresistible bite every time.
Essential Ingredients for Perfect Strawberry Chocolate Bars
To ensure the best possible flavor and texture for your **chewy strawberry bars**, selecting quality ingredients is key. Here’s a detailed look at what you’ll need and why each component is important:
- Unsalted Butter (4 ounces / 114 grams), softened: Using unsalted butter gives you precise control over the saltiness of your bars. Softened butter creams beautifully with sugar, creating a light and airy base for your crumb mixture. If you only have salted butter, simply omit the additional ¼ teaspoon of salt from the recipe.
- Salt (¼ teaspoon): A small amount of salt enhances the sweetness and balances the flavors in baked goods. Remember to skip this if you’re using salted butter to avoid an overly salty taste.
- Firmly Packed Brown Sugar (1 cup / 200 grams): Brown sugar is essential for achieving that characteristic chewy texture and adds a delightful caramel-like depth of flavor to the bars. Packing it firmly ensures you get the correct amount for the recipe.
- Vanilla Extract (½ teaspoon): Good quality vanilla extract adds a warm, aromatic note that complements both the strawberry and chocolate flavors, tying everything together harmoniously.
- All-Purpose Flour (1 cup / 128 grams): The structural backbone of your crumb crust and topping. Measure your flour correctly by spooning it into a measuring cup and leveling it off, rather than scooping directly from the bag.
- Baking Powder (1 teaspoon): This leavening agent helps to give the crumb a slightly tender crumb, ensuring it’s not too dense.
- Old-Fashioned Oats (Scant 1 cup): Old-fashioned oats provide a fantastic chewiness and rustic texture to both the crust and the topping. While old-fashioned are preferred for their hearty bite, quick oats can also be used if that’s what you have on hand, though the texture might be slightly softer.
- Best Quality Strawberry Preserves (½ cup): This is where the vibrant strawberry flavor truly comes from. Opt for preserves with a high fruit content and less added sugar or artificial ingredients for the most authentic and intense strawberry taste. The preserves should be thick enough to spread easily but not too runny.
- Extra Dark Chocolate Chips (⅓ cup): The dark chocolate perfectly contrasts the sweetness of the strawberry preserves and brown sugar. Feel free to use semi-sweet chocolate chips if you prefer a slightly less intense chocolate flavor, or even milk chocolate for a sweeter profile. Chopped chocolate bars can also work beautifully.
Step-by-Step Guide to Baking Chocolate Covered Strawberry Bars
Follow these detailed instructions to create your own batch of delicious **homemade strawberry chocolate bars**:
Preparation & Mixing the Crumb Base
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Preheat your oven and prepare your pan: Begin by preheating your oven to 350°F (175°C). This ensures the oven is at the correct temperature when your bars are ready to bake, leading to even cooking. Next, line an 8-inch square baking pan with non-stick foil, ensuring an overhang on all sides. This makes it incredibly easy to lift the cooled bars out of the pan for clean, effortless cutting. Alternatively, you can grease and flour the pan, but foil is highly recommended for convenience.
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Create the buttery crumb mixture: In a medium-sized mixing bowl, use a hand-held mixer (or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment) to beat together the softened butter, salt (if using unsalted butter), and firmly packed brown sugar. Beat on medium speed until the mixture is light, creamy, and fluffy, which usually takes about 2-3 minutes. This step incorporates air, contributing to the bar’s tender texture. Beat in the vanilla extract until just combined. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour and baking powder. Gradually add this dry mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined and no streaks of flour remain. Be careful not to overmix, as this can lead to tough bars. Finally, stir in the old-fashioned oats by hand until they are evenly distributed throughout the batter.
Assembling & Baking the Bars
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Form the crust and add the filling: Reserve a generous ½-cup of the crumb mixture for the topping. Press the remaining crumb mixture evenly into the bottom of your prepared 8-inch square pan. Use your fingers or the back of a spoon to create a firm, compact crust. Next, spread the high-quality strawberry preserves evenly over the crumb crust. An offset spatula works wonderfully for this, ensuring a smooth, consistent layer of fruity goodness. In a small bowl, combine the reserved crumb topping with the extra dark chocolate chips, tossing gently to coat the chips in the crumbs. This helps distribute the chocolate evenly and prevents it from sinking too much during baking. Sprinkle this chocolate-crumb mixture evenly over the strawberry preserves.
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Bake, cool, and cut: Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the topping is lightly browned and the edges are set. The preserves should be bubbly, and a toothpick inserted into the crumb portion (avoiding the jam) should come out with moist crumbs, not wet batter. Once baked, remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool completely. This cooling step is crucial; attempting to cut warm bars will result in a sticky, messy outcome. Allow at least 1-2 hours for them to cool fully, or even longer. Once completely cool, use the foil overhangs to lift the entire slab of bars from the pan. Transfer to a cutting board and cut into 9 large bars, 16 medium-sized squares, or 18 smaller rectangles, depending on your serving preference.
Variations & Customization Ideas for Your Strawberry Bars
While these **chocolate covered strawberry bars** are divine as is, don’t hesitate to get creative with variations:
- Different Jam Flavors: Experiment with other fruit preserves like raspberry, cherry, or mixed berry for a new twist.
- Chocolate Choices: Swap dark chocolate chips for milk chocolate, white chocolate, or even a mix. You could also use chopped chocolate bars for larger chunks.
- Nutty Addition: For an extra layer of flavor and crunch, add ¼ cup of finely chopped nuts (like pecans or walnuts) to the reserved crumb topping before sprinkling.
- A Glaze Finish: Once cooled, drizzle the bars with a simple powdered sugar glaze (powdered sugar mixed with a little milk or lemon juice) for an elegant touch. A white chocolate drizzle would also emphasize the “chocolate covered” theme even further!
- Citrus Zest: Grate a teaspoon of orange or lemon zest into the crumb mixture for a bright, aromatic lift that pairs beautifully with strawberry.
Storing Your Delicious Strawberry Chocolate Bars
To keep your **homemade strawberry bars** fresh and delightful, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-4 days. For longer storage, you can refrigerate them for up to a week. If you’re planning ahead, these bars also freeze well for up to 2-3 months. Simply wrap individual bars tightly in plastic wrap and then place them in a freezer-safe bag or container. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
Serving Suggestions
These versatile **dessert bars** are perfect for a wide array of occasions. Serve them as a sweet treat with your morning coffee, pack them in lunchboxes for a delightful surprise, or arrange them on a platter for a party dessert. They also make thoughtful homemade gifts for friends, neighbors, or teachers. Their rich flavor and appealing texture ensure they’ll be a hit with everyone who tries them.
Embrace the joy of baking and treat yourself and your loved ones to these irresistible Chocolate Covered Strawberry Bars. They’re not just a dessert; they’re a celebration of classic flavors in a convenient and utterly delicious package!
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Recipe
Chocolate Covered Strawberry Bars
Anna
Ingredients
- 4 ounces unsalted butter, softened (approx. 114 grams; use unsalted for best results, or adjust salt if using salted butter)
- ¼ teaspoon salt (omit if using salted butter)
- 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar (approx. 200 grams, crucial for chewiness)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract (for enhanced flavor)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (approx. 128 grams)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder (ensures a tender crumb)
- Scant 1 cup old fashioned oats (quick oats can be used as an alternative for a slightly softer texture)
- ½ cup best quality strawberry preserves (choose preserves with high fruit content for best flavor)
- ⅓ cup extra dark chocolate chips (or semi-sweet/milk chocolate chips, based on preference)
Instructions
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Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line an 8-inch square pan with non-stick foil, ensuring the foil extends over the sides to create “handles” for easy removal.
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In a medium mixing bowl, using a hand-held mixer (or stand mixer), beat the softened butter, salt (if using unsalted butter), and brown sugar until the mixture is smooth, light, and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes). Beat in the vanilla extract until just combined. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour and baking powder. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing on low speed until just combined. Stir in the old-fashioned oats by hand.
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Reserve a generous ½-cup of the oat-crumb mixture for the topping. Press the remaining crumb mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan to form the crust. Spread the strawberry preserves evenly over the crumb crust. In a small bowl, toss the dark chocolate chips with the reserved crumb topping, then sprinkle this mixture evenly over the strawberry preserves layer.
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Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the topping is lightly golden brown and the edges are set. Remove from the oven and allow the bars to cool completely on a wire rack in the pan. Cooling completely is essential for clean cutting (at least 1-2 hours). Once cooled, lift the bars from the pan using the foil overhangs, transfer to a cutting board, and cut into 9 large squares, 16 medium squares, or 18 smaller bars as desired.