The Ultimate Strawberry Shortcake Crumble Slice
Sweet strawberry filling sandwiched between a crisp shortbread base and crumble topping — these Sourdough Strawberry Shortcake Crumble Bars are sure to be a hit with your family. A great recipe for using up sourdough discard, this slice transforms simple ingredients into a nostalgic, buttery treat everyone will love.
Whether you call it a crumble bar, a slice, or a twist on classic strawberry shortcake, this recipe captures everything you adore about homemade baking — comforting, crumbly, and delightfully jammy.
Why You Need to Make this Recipe
It’s nostalgic: This buttery, crumbly goodness filled with juicy strawberries is the comforting kind of dessert that Grandma used to make. It might not be overly rich or fancy, but one bite will take you straight back to your childhood kitchen — like a homemade strawberry shortcake, but even easier.
It’s budget-friendly: This sourdough strawberry shortcake slice uses no specialty ingredients. You’ll likely have everything already on hand — jam, flour, sugar, sourdough discard, butter, salt, and strawberries. It’s the perfect pantry dessert when you want something sweet without an extra grocery run.
Kids love it: Sweet strawberry jam filling between a buttery shortbread base and crumble topping — what’s not to love? My boys will happily clear their dinner plates knowing this slice is waiting for them after.
Ingredients You’ll Need
This Sourdough Strawberry Shortcake Crumble Slice is made with humble, inexpensive ingredients. You probably have all of them in your pantry already! This recipe contains no eggs, baking powder, or baking soda.
Sourdough Shortbread Base + Crumble Topping
A sweet, buttery shortbread base that’s lightly crisp yet chewy — the perfect shortcake-style layer. You’ll crumble up half of this to make the streusel-style topping.
- Butter – Cubed and softened for easy creaming.
- Sugar – I use a mix of golden raw sugar and white caster sugar for subtle caramel flavor and a golden hue. For a crisper base, use 100% white sugar.
- Salt – Enhances the sweetness and prevents blandness.
- Sourdough Discard – Adds subtle tang and helps bind the dough. You can let it ferment in the fridge for up to 24 hours for a deeper flavor.
- Flour – All-purpose flour works best, though bread flour also produces great results.
Strawberry Conserve Filling
This layer gives all the flavor of a classic strawberry shortcake — juicy, sweet, and slightly tart. Or, to make it sugar free, you could use this sugar free strawberry jam instead.
- Strawberries – 2 cups sliced. Use fresh strawberries for the best flavor and texture (frozen ones add too much moisture).
- Sugar – Adds sweetness and helps set the filling.
- Lemon juice – balances the sweetness and adds vibrancy to this layer.
Equipment You’ll Need
- 1 large mixing bowls – For the base and crumble mixture.
- 1 medium sized pot – for the strawberry filling.
- Wooden spoon – For creaming and mixing.
- Baking paper – Essential to prevent sticking; let it hang over the sides for easy lifting.
- Flan or baking dish – A 27 cm flan dish or 17×27 cm baking dish works perfectly.
- Oven – This slice bakes twice: once for the base and once after assembling the layers.
Making the Strawberry Crumble Slice
Yield: 20 slices | Prep time: 30 minutes | Cook time: 55 minutes | Total: 1 hour 25 minutes
This Sourdough Strawberry Shortcake Crumble Bars recipe has three easy parts:
- Pre-bake the shortbread base
- Add the strawberry filling and crumble topping
- Bake again until golden perfection
Ingredients:
For the Short crust base and topping:
- 200g Butter
- 200g Sugar
- 5g Salt
- 100g Sourdough Discard
- 300g Flour
- 2 tsp Cinnamon
For the strawberry filling:
- 2 cups strawberries, sliced
- 3/4 cup sugar
- juice from 1 lemon
Making the Sourdough Base & Pre-Bake
- Preheat the oven to 150°C. Line your flan dish with baking paper.
- Cube and soften the butter.
- Add sugar and salt to the butter and cream until smooth.
- Mix in the sourdough discard until combined.
- Add the flour and stir until the dough holds together with no dry bits.
- Press 2/3 of this mixture into the dish and bake for 25 minutes. The base will still be soft but will finish baking later.
- Remove from the oven and increase the temperature to 170°C.
Crafting the Strawberry Filling & Putting It All Together
- In a pot, combine sliced strawberries, lemon juice and sugar. Taste and adjust sweetness as desired.
- cook over a
- Spread the strawberry filling evenly over the cooled base.
- Crumble the remainder of the short crust over the strawberries, keeping some larger chunks for texture.
- Bake for 35 minutes at 170°C, until the crumble is golden and the strawberry filling bubbles.
Serving Suggestions
These Sourdough Strawberry Shortcake Crumble Bars are divine on their own, but even better served warm with:
- Custard
- Vanilla ice cream
- Whipped cream
- Or a dollop of Greek yoghurt for a lighter option
It’s the cozy comfort of strawberry shortcake meets the ease of a crumble slice!
Variations and Tips
- Sugar choice matters: Raw sugar gives a caramel note and softer texture; white sugar yields a crisper bite. I think the crispier bit goes better with the jammy filling, but caramel notes are also nice!
- Make ahead: Prepare the base and crumble the day before and refrigerate for easier assembly and mild fermentation benefits.
- Add oats to the remainder of the short crust before crumbling over the top, for added texture.
- Fruit swaps: Use any fresh berry or jam if strawberries are out of season — think raspberry, apricot, or plum. Or, use this sugar-free strawberry jam for a healthy swap.
- Serving trick: Cut into wedges for a pie-like dessert presentation.
Have you tried this recipe yet? Let me know in the comments!
