Strawberry Hibiscus Crumble Bars

By Anita Chu of Dessert First

These strawberry hibiscus crumble bars are a delicious way to enjoy the ripe fruit of summer. Strawberries are tossed in sugar and ground hibiscus flowers, then spread over the top of a crisp vanilla shortbread crust and topped with a brown sugar streusel. It’s a classic dessert and it’s easy to make vegan.

Although strawberries in baked goods are common, the hibiscus flowers add an extra layer to this dessert. Hibiscus flowers are incredibly fragrant, and when brewed on their own, make a gorgeous, vibrant magenta-hued tea that’s delicious all on its own. If you can’t find hibiscus flowers, you don’t have to use them, and just use the plain sugar for the filling, but the ground hibiscus flowers do enhance the flavors of strawberries beautifully, adding some tart, slightly floral complexity to their sweetness. Hibiscus flowers can be found in many grocery stores in the tea aisle, or you can order them online too from many grocery retailers.

You can also make these bars gluten-free if you use a gluten-free flour blend in place of the all-purpose flour. It’s also very easy to adapt this recipe for different fruits; you can use raspberries or blackberries or use apples in the fall (cut up the apples and sauté them a bit on the stove first with a bit of butter and sugar before spreading them over the crust and baking.)

These bars are best fresh out of the oven when you can appreciate the contrast of the crisp crust and the warm, gooey fruit filling. They will keep for a day or two; you can reheat them in the oven for a few minutes, but it’s still best to eat them as soon as possible to prevent them from turning soggy. They are a simple and wonderful way to celebrate summer.

Strawberry Hibiscus Crumble Bars

Crust:

• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

• ½ cup light brown sugar

• ½ cup vegan butter, softened

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• ¾ teaspoon baking powder

• ¼ teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8x8 baking pan with foil or parchment paper so that it overhangs two sides of the pan, and grease it well. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix until combined. Press into bottom of prepared pan. Bake for 20  minutes and let cool.

Filling:

• ½ cup sugar

• 2 tablespoons dried hibiscus flowers

• 3 cups (about 1 lb) strawberries, hulled and chopped into small pieces

• 2 tablespoons cornstarch

Combine sugar and dried hibiscus flowers in a food processor. Process until flowers are fine ground with the sugar. You can sift out any large bits. Put the strawberries in a large bowl and stir in the sugar and cornstarch until mixed. Let sit while you make the streusel. 

Streusel:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• 1 cup oats

• ½ cup light brown sugar

• ½ cup vegan butter, cold, cut into cubes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine ingredients in food processor until it resembles loose crumbs. Spread strawberry filling evenly over the crust. Sprinkle the streusel over the top. Bake for 30-40 minutes in the oven until strawberries are bubbling and streusel turns light golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool completely before cutting into bars.

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