Strawberry Lemonade Bars
User Reviews
4.5
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Prep Time
15 mins
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Cook Time
1 hr
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Chill Time
2 hrs
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Total Time
3 hrs 15 mins
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Servings
9
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Calories
343 kcal
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Course
Baked Goods
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Cuisine
American
Strawberry Lemonade Bars
Description
These bars start with a buttery crust made from melted unsalted butter, granulated and brown sugars, flour, and optional salt to provide a crumbly base. Part of this mixture is reserved to be sprinkled on top as a crumble. The creamy filling combines egg, plain Greek yogurt, sugar, lemon juice, vanilla, and flour to create a smooth lemon custard layer.
The strawberry layer uses diced fresh or frozen strawberries tossed with sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, cornstarch, and flour to add body. The bars are assembled by packing the crust mixture into a pan, pouring on the filling, and topping with the strawberry mixture and reserved crumble before baking.
Flavor combines buttery sweetness with tart lemon and bright strawberry notes. Texture varies from crumbly crust and topping to creamy filling and soft berry layer, providing complexity in each bite. Baking times may vary depending on berry type and batter temperature, with frozen berries requiring longer baking to set properly.
After baking, the bars can be stored at room temperature for several days, refrigerated for about a week, or frozen for longer storage. Cooling before slicing helps clean bars to hold shape. These bars offer a fresh dessert that balances floral fruitiness and creamy lemonness with a crunchy finish.
Fresh strawberries may require less flour in the berry layer, while frozen berries generally need 2 tablespoons of flour to thicken properly.Adjust baking time based on berry type; frozen berries and a cold pan may require longer baking of up to 72 minutes, while fresh berries bake closer to 60 minutes.Bars can be stored airtight at room temperature for up to 5 days, refrigerated for 7 to 10 days, or frozen for up to 4 months.Lining the pan with foil and spraying it aids in easy cleanup and helps remove bars cleanly.
Ingredients
Crust and Crumble Topping
- ½ cup butter melted, unsalted
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup light brown sugar packed
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- pinch salt optional and to taste
Filling
- 1 egg large
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt lite is okay (or use sour cream, or vanilla Greek yogurt
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
Strawberry Layer
- 2 strawberry fresh or frozen; I used a combo, diced, heaping cups
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar or 1/2 cup if berries are sour
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons lemon or to taste, zest
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour * (see notes)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8-inch square pan with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray; set aside. Lining the pan will really help with cleanup and is recommended.
- Crust and Crumble Topping - In a large, microwave-safe bowl melt the butter, about 1 minute on high power.
- Add the sugars and whisk to combine.
- And the flour, optional salt, and stir to combine. Mixture will be very dry and sandy with some larger, well-formed crumble pieces.
- Set a heaping 3/4 cup crumble mixture aside.
- Transfer remaining mixture to prepared pan, and using a spatula or your fingers, hard-pack the mixture to create an even, smooth, flat crust; set aside.
- Filling - In a medium bowl, add the egg, Greek yogurt, sugar, lemon juice, vanilla, and whisk to combine or beat with a handheld electric mixer until smooth.
- Add the flour and whisk to combine or beat with a handheld electric mixer until smooth.
- Evenly pour filling over the crust and jiggle pan to help distribute it or smooth it with a spatula; set aside.
- Strawberry Layer - In a separate medium bowl, add all filling ingredients except flour and toss to combine.
- Evaluate mixture and if it’s very thin, runny, soupy, or liquidy, add up to 2 tablespoons flour to help thicken it. If using fresh berries, you may not need any flour. Because I used half fresh and half frozen berries, I needed 2 tablespoons flour because my mixture was thin and soupy.
- Evenly distribute strawberry mixture over the filling, smoothing it lightly with a spatula.
- Evenly sprinkle with the reserved heaping 3/4 cup crust mixture. Before sprinkling, I squeeze the mixture in my palm to encourage bigger crumble pieces to form.
- Baking - Bake for about 60 to 75 minutes (place pan on a cookie sheet for insurance against overflow if your pan is quite full), or until edges are bubbling quite vigorously and there’s some bubbling in the center. Crumble topping should appear set and very pale golden.*
- Cooling - Place pan on a wire rack and allow bars to cool for at least 2 hours (overnight is even better) before slicing and serving. After cooling overnight, I placed pan in the fridge 2 hours before slicing to ensure clean, neat cuts. If you try to slice bars before they’ve cooled completely, they’ll be extremely messy and could fall apart.
Notes
- Use less flour in the strawberry layer if using fresh berries; frozen berries usually need 2 tablespoons of flour for proper thickening.
- Watch baking time carefully; 60 minutes is typical for fresh berries but frozen berries and cold pans can extend bake time to around 72 minutes.
- Store bars airtight at room temperature for up to 5 days, refrigerate for up to 7–10 days, or freeze for up to 4 months.
- Lining the baking pan with foil and spraying it helps with easy cleanup and bar removal.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 9Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 343 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1 | |
| Calories | 343kcal | 17% |
| Carbohydrates | 56g | 19% |
| Protein | 5g | 10% |
| Fat | 11g | 17% |
| Saturated Fat | 7g | 35% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 4g | 24% |
| Cholesterol | 49mg | 16% |
| Sodium | 33mg | 1% |
| Fiber | 2g | 8% |
| Sugar | 34g | 68% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.5
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