Strawberry Lemonade Bars Shortbread (Print version)

Tangy strawberry lemonade filling atop a buttery shortbread crust, a refreshing spring and summer treat.

# What You'll Need:

→ Shortbread Crust

01 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
02 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
03 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
04 - 1/4 teaspoon salt

→ Strawberry Lemonade Filling

05 - 1 cup fresh strawberries, hulled and diced
06 - 1 cup granulated sugar
07 - 3 large eggs
08 - 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
09 - 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
10 - 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
11 - 1/4 teaspoon salt

→ Topping

12 - Powdered sugar for dusting

# Cooking Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8x8-inch baking pan with parchment paper, allowing overhang on sides for easy removal.
02 - In a medium bowl, cream together softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add flour and salt, mixing until a soft dough forms.
03 - Press dough evenly into prepared pan, smoothing the surface. Bake for 18-20 minutes until lightly golden.
04 - While crust bakes, puree diced strawberries in a blender or food processor until smooth. Strain through fine mesh sieve to remove seeds if desired.
05 - In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and strawberry puree until fully combined. Add flour and salt, whisking until smooth.
06 - Remove crust from oven and pour strawberry lemonade filling evenly over the hot crust.
07 - Return to oven and bake for 20-22 minutes until center is just set and no longer jiggles.
08 - Allow bars to cool completely in pan on a rack, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours for clean slicing.
09 - Lift bars from pan using parchment overhang. Cut into 16 squares and dust with powdered sugar before serving if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • They taste like strawberry lemonade in dessert form, which is basically magic on a warm day.
  • The buttery shortbread crust stays crispy even after refrigeration, unlike so many bars that turn soggy.
  • You can make them ahead and just dust with powdered sugar before serving, making entertaining actually relaxing.
02 -
  • Don't skip cooling the bars completely and refrigerating them for at least 2 hours, because warm bars will fall apart no matter how good your technique is.
  • Fresh lemon juice makes an enormous difference in the final flavor, and that's not me being precious about it—it's just the truth.
03 -
  • The moment you see the crust turning golden at the edges, you're done—any longer and it starts to brown too much and lose its tender texture.
  • Grate your lemon zest before you squeeze the juice, because once the lemon is cut in half, it's harder to zest without your knuckles getting involved.
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