The best easy to make vegan strawberry cookie bars made gluten free, dairy free, egg free and vegan. Just in time for spring, these sugar cookie jam bars are a perfect way to use up those strawberries.
Preheat the oven to 350 ℉ and prepare a 7x11 inch pan with parchment paper and non-stick spray and set it aside.
Place the straweberries, maple and lemon juice into a bottom heavy pot over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and let cook for 10-15 minutes and juices are released. Use a potato masher to smash the berries. Stir in the cornstarch and continue to simmer for 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.
While the strawberries simmer, place the flour, sugar, butter and sea salt into a food processor and pulse until a dough forms. If your dough is too dry, add 1-2 tablespoons of water and pulse again.Remove ½ cup of dough and use your hands to break it into small crumbles. Place the crumbles into a bowl and chill until ready to use.
Press the remaining dough into the bottom of the pan and press it down evenly. Bake the crust for 10-15 minutes and golden brown. Remove and let cool.
Pour the strawberry compote over the crust and spread it out in an even layer.
Top the compote with the reserved crumbles and bake for 20-25 minutes and the crumbles are golden. Let cool completely before stirring together the glaze ingredients and drizzling over the bars. Cut the bars into 12 squares and serve.
Notes
These bars are best if stored at room temperature in an airtight container for 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to a week.