Strawberry Crunch Blondies
These strawberry crunch blondies are thick, chewy white chocolate bars with a strawberry jam swirl and a pink strawberry shortcake crunch on top. They taste like the strawberry shortcake ice cream bar you grew up with, baked into a soft blondie. If you love a big-batch bar like my Coconut Cream Bars, one 9×13 pan of these makes 12 big squares and is ready for a party.
The topping is crushed Golden Oreos and freeze-dried strawberries mixed with butter, and it bakes into that sweet-tart pink crumble everyone loves. All that white chocolate in the batter gives me the same happy feeling as my Biscoff Stuffed White Chocolate Cookies. I bake these low and slow at 325 with a foil cover so the thick center sets without the edges drying out, then give them an hour or two in the fridge before cutting for clean, bakery-style squares.
Why you’ll love these Strawberry Crunch Blondies
The Best Strawberry Crunch Blondies for Summer Parties, Potlucks, and Bake Sales
These are the dessert I reach for when I need to feed a group. One 9×13 pan makes 12 big squares, they travel well, and they hold their shape once they are chilled and cut, a lot like my Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars. The strawberry crunch topping makes them look like a bakery treat, but they are really just a one-bowl blondie with a jam swirl. Bring them to a summer cookout, a birthday, or a bake sale and they go fast.
Ingredients for Strawberry Crunch Blondies
- Unsalted butter, melted: melted butter is what gives blondies that dense, chewy texture instead of a cakey one.
- Granulated sugar and brown sugar: the brown sugar adds moisture and a soft caramel note that makes these taste like proper blondies.
- Eggs and egg yolks: the extra yolks make the center rich and fudgy. Bring them to room temperature first.
- Vanilla extract: rounds out all the sweetness.
- Strawberry essence (optional): a little concentrated strawberry flavor for the batter. Skip it or add extra vanilla if you don’t have it.
- All-purpose flour and salt: the structure. The salt keeps them from tasting flat.
- White chocolate chips: they melt into pockets of sweetness and pair perfectly with the strawberry.
- Thick strawberry jam: use a thick jam, not a runny one, so the swirl stays put instead of sinking into the batter.
- Strawberry crunch topping
- Golden Oreos, crushed: the vanilla cookie base of the crunch. Nilla wafers or shortbread work too.
- Freeze-dried strawberries, crushed: these are the key to the topping. They give you the bright pink color and real strawberry flavor without adding any moisture. I use these freeze-dried strawberries.
- Melted butter: binds the crumbs so they clump into that crumble texture.
How to make Strawberry Crunch Blondies
**For more detailed instructions, please refer to the printable recipe card below.**
Whisk the melted butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar in a large bowl until smooth and glossy.
Whisk in the eggs and yolks one at a time, stir in the vanilla and strawberry essence, then add the flour and salt and fold until just combined.
Fold in the white chocolate chips until they are just mixed through.
Spread the batter into your lined pan and dollop the strawberry jam over the top.
Drag a knife through the jam to swirl it, but stop before it disappears into the batter.
Stir the crushed Golden Oreos, freeze-dried strawberries, and melted butter together into a crumbly topping.
Sprinkle the strawberry crunch topping evenly over the whole pan.
Bake covered with foil, then uncovered, cool completely, chill, then lift out and cut into squares.
Variations
- Extra shortcake flavor: crumble a couple of shortbread cookies into the topping for even more of that strawberry shortcake bar taste.
- More strawberry in the batter: fold a handful of chopped freeze-dried strawberries right into the blondie batter.
- White chocolate drizzle: melt a little extra white chocolate and drizzle it over the cut bars. If white chocolate is your thing, my Biscoff Stuffed White Chocolate Cookies are a good next bake.
- Swap the jam: raspberry or mixed berry jam works if that is what you have on hand.
Serving Suggestions
- Warm with ice cream: a few seconds in the microwave and a scoop of vanilla turns these into a full dessert.
- With coffee: the sweet-tart topping is really good next to a plain coffee or a cold brew. Try my Tres Lech Iced Latte.
- With a strawberry drink: pour a glass of my Strawberry Cream Soda for a fun strawberry-on-strawberry moment.
- On a party platter: cut them small and stack them with fresh strawberries for potlucks and bake sales.
- With fresh berries and cream: Try my Strawberries and Cream recipe or just add sliced fresh strawberries and a dollop of whipped cream on the plate for a strawberry shortcake feel.
Storage, Make-Ahead, and Freezing
- How should I store Strawberry Crunch Blondies?: Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. The topping is crunchiest in the first day or two. They also keep in the fridge for up to a week and taste great cold.
- Can I freeze Strawberry Crunch Blondies? Yes. Wrap the cut bars individually and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature. The topping softens a little after freezing, so a few minutes in a low oven brings the crunch back.
- Can I make them ahead of time? Yes, and they are better for it. Bake them a day ahead, cool and chill, then cut just before serving. The flavor deepens overnight and the cold pan gives you cleaner squares.
Don’t forget to pin this for later!
Tips & Tricks
- Use a light-colored metal pan: dark pans bake the edges too fast and dry them out before the thick center is done.
- Keep the foil on for the first 40 minutes: it lets the center catch up while the top stays pale. Uncover for the last 10 to 15 minutes to set the top.
- Don’t overmix the batter: stir just until the flour disappears, or the blondies turn tough instead of chewy.
- Swirl the jam, don’t stir it: a few passes with a knife gives you ribbons. Too much and it disappears into the batter.
- Chill before cutting: cold bars cut into clean, bakery-style squares. Warm ones tear and smear.
Recommended
More Strawberry Treats
Strawberry Crunch Blondies
Equipment
Ingredients
Blondie batter
- 1½ cups unsalted butter melted
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 2 egg yolks room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon strawberry essence optional
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1½ cups white chocolate chips
Strawberry swirl
- 1/2 cup thick strawberry jam
Strawberry crunch topping
- 1 cup Golden Oreos crushed
- 1/2 cup freeze-dried strawberries crushed
- 4 tablespoons butter melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a light-colored 9×13 metal baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the long sides.
- In a large bowl, whisk the melted butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until smooth and glossy.
- Add the eggs and yolks one at a time, whisking well after each.
- Stir in the vanilla extract and strawberry essence.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and salt.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and fold gently until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Fold in the white chocolate chips.
- Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan.
- Spoon the strawberry jam over the top and gently swirl it through the batter with a knife. Do not over-swirl.
- In a small bowl, combine the crushed Golden Oreos, crushed freeze-dried strawberries, and melted butter until crumbly.
- Sprinkle the topping evenly over the batter.
- Cover the pan with foil and bake for 40 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through.
- Remove the foil and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, until the edges are set, the center is just set with a slight softness, and the top is lightly golden.
- Cool completely in the pan.
- Refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours before cutting for clean, bakery-style slices.
- Lift out using the parchment paper and cut into 12 large squares, wiping the knife clean between cuts.
Notes
1⅓ cups granulated sugar
⅔ cup brown sugar
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
⅓ teaspoon strawberry essence (optional)
2⅔ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup white chocolate chips Swirl- ⅓ cup strawberry jam into the batter. For the topping- ⅔ cup crushed Golden Oreos
⅓ cup crushed freeze-dried strawberries
2½ tablespoons melted butter. Cover the pan loosely with foil and bake at 325°F for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking for 8 to 15 minutes, checking after 8 minutes. The blondies are done when the edges are set and the center is just set with a slight softness. Make ahead: bake a day ahead, cool and chill, then cut just before serving for the cleanest squares.
