Strawberry Lemonade Bars (Printable Version)

Tangy strawberry lemonade filling on buttery shortbread creates a refreshing, crowd-pleasing bar.

# List of Ingredients:

→ Shortbread Crust

01 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
02 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
03 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
04 - 1/4 teaspoon salt

→ Strawberry Lemonade Filling

05 - 1 cup fresh strawberries, hulled and diced
06 - 1 cup granulated sugar
07 - 3 large eggs
08 - 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
09 - 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
10 - 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
11 - 1/4 teaspoon salt

→ Topping

12 - Powdered sugar for dusting, optional

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8x8-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang on sides for easy removal.
02 - In a medium bowl, cream together softened butter and 1/2 cup sugar until light and fluffy using an electric mixer or whisk.
03 - Add 2 cups flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt to the creamed mixture, mixing until a soft dough forms.
04 - Press dough evenly into the bottom of prepared pan, smoothing the surface. Bake for 18-20 minutes until lightly golden.
05 - While crust bakes, puree diced strawberries in a blender or food processor until smooth. Strain through fine mesh sieve to remove seeds if desired.
06 - In a large bowl, whisk together 3 eggs, 1 cup sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and strawberry puree until fully combined. Add 1/3 cup flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt, whisking until smooth.
07 - Remove hot crust from oven and pour strawberry lemonade filling evenly over it. Return to oven and bake for 20-22 minutes until center is just set and no longer jiggles.
08 - Allow bars to cool completely in pan on a rack, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours for clean slicing.
09 - Lift bars from pan using parchment overhang. Cut into 16 equal squares and dust with powdered sugar before serving if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • They come together in about an hour total, which means you can have homemade dessert ready before dinner guests arrive.
  • The contrast between crispy-tender crust and silky filling creates that moment of delight your taste buds didn't know they needed.
  • They're sturdy enough to pack for picnics but fancy enough to bring to a potluck where people assume you spent all day.
02 -
  • Don't skip the refrigeration step thinking warm bars will be fine—they'll fall apart when you cut them, and you'll end up eating chunks instead of neat squares.
  • If your lemon juice isn't bright and punchy, the whole filling will taste flat; this is the one place where fresh really does matter and bottled juice won't cut it.
03 -
  • Room temperature ingredients blend together more smoothly and create a more cohesive texture throughout both crust and filling.
  • If you're in a hurry and skip the full two-hour chill, at least give yourself thirty minutes or the bars will be impossible to cut without crumbling.
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