Strawberry Lemonade Bars Shortbread (Printable)

Tangy strawberry lemonade filling on buttery shortbread crust, a refreshing and sweet crowd-pleaser.

# What You 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, as needed

# How To Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8x8-inch baking pan with parchment paper, allowing excess paper to hang over edges for easy removal.
02 - In a medium bowl, cream together softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add flour and salt, mixing until soft dough forms.
03 - Press dough evenly into bottom of prepared pan, smoothing surface. Bake for 18-20 minutes until lightly golden.
04 - While crust bakes, puree diced strawberries in blender or food processor until smooth. Strain through fine mesh sieve to remove seeds if desired.
05 - In 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 hot crust from oven and pour strawberry lemonade filling evenly over surface.
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 wire rack, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours for clean cutting.
09 - Lift bars from pan using parchment overhang. Cut into 16 equal squares and dust with powdered sugar before serving if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • Perfect balance of sweet and tangy flavors that refresh the palate
  • Buttery shortbread crust provides the ideal textural contrast to the silky filling
  • Beautiful pink hue makes these bars as stunning as they are delicious
  • Easy enough for beginner bakers but impressive enough for special occasions
  • Make-ahead friendly—actually improves after chilling
  • Requires only simple, accessible ingredients you likely already have
02 -
  • Room temperature butter creams more easily and creates a better crust texture
  • Line your pan with parchment that extends over the edges for foolproof removal
  • Don't overbake the filling—it should still have a slight jiggle in the center when you remove it from the oven
  • Chill the bars for at least 2 hours, or preferably overnight, for the cleanest cuts
  • Wipe your knife clean between cuts for picture-perfect squares
  • Dust with powdered sugar just before serving to prevent it from absorbing into the bars
  • Use a fine-mesh strainer for the strawberry puree to achieve the smoothest filling
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