Made with fresh strawberries and the natural flavor of lemon, these are the perfect bars for special occasions and family gatherings. With just a few minutes of prep, these strawberry bars can be ready to go in no time!
There’s something special about baking with fresh strawberries, especially when they’re perfectly ripe and full of flavor. Today’s recipe is a simple dessert that comes together with just a few basic ingredients…things you probably already have in your pantry. A buttery shortbread crust pairs with a sweet, jam-like strawberry filling, and the result is a treat that’s both crisp and soft in every bite. Whether served with a cup of coffee in the morning or as a light dessert after dinner, these strawberry bars are a wonderful way to enjoy the best of the season.
Ingredients
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.
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.
Helpful Tips
- 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.
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Strawberry Bars
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
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
If you make this recipe, and love it, please come back to leave a comment and a 5 star rating. I would really appreciate it, and it would help me so much. Thank you!
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Turned out very crumbly. The taste was ok. Served with extra strawberries and whipped cream which made it better.