Description
Strawberry Lemonade Bars combine a buttery shortbread crust with a vibrant lemon-strawberry filling for a sweet, tangy, and refreshing dessert—perfect for summer parties or a light treat any time of year.
Ingredients
- For the crust:
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract
- For the filling:
- 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (about 3 lemons)
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 10 fresh strawberries, hulled
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- In a bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add flour, salt, and lemon extract. Mix until crumbly.
- Press crust mixture evenly into a 9×13-inch baking pan.
- Bake for 15–17 minutes until lightly golden.
- While crust bakes, blend lemon juice, lemon zest, strawberries, sugar, eggs, flour, baking powder, and salt until smooth.
- Pour the blended filling over the hot crust as soon as it comes out of the oven.
- Bake for another 25 minutes, or until filling is set and center is no longer jiggly.
- Cool completely in the pan, then dust with powdered sugar if desired.
- Slice into 12 bars and serve chilled or at room temperature. Garnish with lemon or strawberry slices if desired.
Notes
- Use fresh lemons for the best flavor in both juice and zest.
- Substitute lemon extract in the crust with more zest or fresh juice if preferred.
- Let bars chill before slicing for the cleanest cuts.
- Use a metal baking pan for even baking and firmer crust edges.
- Not recommended for freezing as the filling may weep upon thawing.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 210
- Sugar: 22g
- Sodium: 95mg
- Fat: 8g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 32g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 45mg
