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Strawberry Lemonade Bars

🍓🍋🎉 Imagine crossing lemon bars with a strawberry pie. These easy bars taste like strawberry lemonade! A firm crust with a soft and juicy strawberry and lemon filling, and topped with buttery crumbles, these EASY layered bars are perfect for casual summer entertaining, BBQs, picnics, potlucks, summer holidays, and more!

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
1 hr
Chill Time
2 hrs
Total Time
3 hrs 15 mins
Servings: 9
Calories: 343 kcal
Course: Baked Goods
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Crust and Crumble Topping
  • ½ cup unsalted butter melted
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup light brown sugar packed
  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • pinch salt optional and to taste
Filling
  • 1 large egg
  • ½ cup plain or vanilla Greek yogurt lite is okay (or use sour cream)
  • ⅓ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour
Strawberry Layer
  • 2 heaping cups diced strawberries (fresh or frozen; I used a combo)
  • ⅓ cup granulated sugar or 1/2 cup if berries are sour
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons lemon zest or to taste
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour * (see notes)

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. 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.
  2. Crust and Crumble Topping - In a large, microwave-safe bowl melt the butter, about 1 minute on high power.
  3. Add the sugars and whisk to combine.
  4. And the flour, optional salt, and stir to combine. Mixture will be very dry and sandy with some larger, well-formed crumble pieces.
  5. Set a heaping 3/4 cup crumble mixture aside.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. Add the flour and whisk to combine or beat with a handheld electric mixer until smooth.
  9. Evenly pour filling over the crust and jiggle pan to help distribute it or smooth it with a spatula; set aside.
  10. Strawberry Layer - In a separate medium bowl, add all filling ingredients except flour and toss to combine.
  11. 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.
  12. Evenly distribute strawberry mixture over the filling, smoothing it lightly with a spatula.
  13. 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.
  14. 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.*
  15. 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

  • *Flour in strawberry layer: If using fresh berries, you may not need any flour, and if using frozen berries you likely will need 2 tablespoons
  •  using fresh berries, you may not need any flour, and if using frozen berries you likely will need 2 tablespoons
  • Bake time: I used some frozen berries and the pan was very cold going into the oven and the strawberry layer was quite runny; I baked for 72 minutes. If using fresh berries, baking time will be reduced, likely right at the 60 minute mark, but start checking at 50 minutes. Watch your bars, not the clock, when evaluating doneness.
  • Storage:  Bars will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 5 days, in the fridge for up to about 7-10 days (they’re good slightly chilled if you like chilled pie and I store them in the fridge), or in the freezer for up to 4 months.
  • Storage:
  •   Bars will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 5 days, in the fridge for up to about 7-10 days (they’re good slightly chilled if you like chilled pie and I store them in the fridge), or in the freezer for up to 4 months.
  • Recipe adapted from Blueberry Pie Bars.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1 Calories 343kcal (17%) Carbohydrates 56g (19%) Protein 5g (10%) Fat 11g (17%) Saturated Fat 7g (35%) Polyunsaturated Fat 4g Cholesterol 49mg (16%) Sodium 33mg (1%) Fiber 2g (8%) Sugar 34g (68%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 9Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 343

% 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.