Easy Fresh Strawberry Bars Recipe

Made with fresh strawberries and the natural flavor of lemon, these are the perfect bars for summer picnics and family gatherings. With just a few minutes of prep, these strawberry bars can be ready to go in no time!

pan of strawberry bars with pieces on plates

Today’s recipe is an easy summer dessert that’s the perfect way to celebrate strawberry season. It uses basic ingredients that are always found in your pantry. The end result is a melt-in-your-mouth treat with a buttery shortbread crust.

strawberry bars ingredients

Ingredients

  • Room temperature butter
  • White sugar
  • Egg
  • Lemons
  • All purpose flour
  • Baking powder
  • Salt
  • Chopped strawberries
  • Powdered sugar for dusting

Details and amounts can be found in the recipe card at the end of the post. 

lemons and lemon zest on round board

Variations

  • Fresh blueberries or fresh chopped rhubarb can be easily substituted for the fresh strawberries.
  • Add a touch of cinnamon or vanilla extract for extra taste.
  • By substituting gluten-free flour for the all purpose flour, these strawberry bars would be a delicious gluten-free dessert. Reminder: double check that your baking powder is gluten-free.
batter and fresh berries for strawberry bars

How to Make

  • Clean and dice the strawberries. Place in a small bowl and set aside. 
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  • In a large bowl, or bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter and sugar until fluffy.
  • Add egg, 2-3 Tablespoons lemon zest, and lemon juice
  • Mix well.
  • In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.
  • Slowly add dry ingredients to batter just until combined.
  • Fold in the juicy strawberries.
  • Put dough into prepared 9 x 9 baking pan and spread in an even layer to the edges with a large spoon.
  • Bake 35 – 40 min. until golden brown on top and a sharp knife inserted in center comes out clean.
  • Dust with powdered sugar if desired.
strawberry bars dough in baking pan

Helpful Tips

fresh strawberries on towel cropped
  • Prepare your baking dish with Baker’s Joy, melted butter, or line with parchment paper. 
  • For this post, I cut the pan into 9 bars. They were honestly a little big, so I recommend cutting the 9 inch pan of strawberry bars into 12 pieces.
  • Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days. After that, place in the refrigerator. 
  • These easy bars can be served with a scoop of ice cream, or dollop of whipped topping, and a few fresh berries on the side. 

strawberry bars on pedestal plate with red plaid towel

SHOP + SOURCE

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pan of strawberry bars with pieces on plates

Strawberry Bars

Made with fresh strawberries and the natural flavor of lemon, these are the perfect bars for summer picnics and family gatherings.
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5 from 5 votes
Servings: 12 bars
Author: Ann Drake
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
0 minutes
Total Time 1 hour

Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter (2 sticks at room temperature)
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • Zest of 2 lemons
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice (about 2 small lemons)
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup fresh strawberries (cleaned and diced)
  • 2 tablespoons powdered sugar (for dusting)

Instructions

  • Clean and dice strawberries. Place in small bowl. Set aside.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  • In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until fluffy.
  • Add egg, 2-3 Tablespoons lemon zest, and lemon juice
  • Mix well.
  • In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.
  • Slowly add dry ingredients to batter just until combined.
  • Fold in strawberries.
  • Put dough into prepared 9 x 9 baking pan and spread to the edges with a large spoon.
  • Bake 35 – 40 min. until golden on top and knife inserted in center comes out clean.
  • Dust with powdered sugar if desired

Notes

I prepare my pans with Baker’s Joy.

Nutrition

Calories: 274kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 54mg | Sodium: 260mg | Potassium: 51mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 494IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 31mg | Iron: 1mg
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