Strawberry Lemon Bars

I wanted to give lemon bars a slight twist because I saw some great looking strawberries at the grocery store the other day and I really take for granted how great our strawberries are in California. These Strawberry Lemon Bars sort of taste like strawberry lemonade. They’re sweet, tart and a bit over the top, but still absolutely necessary. They’re filled with a tart lemon base swirled with a homemade easy strawberry compote of sorts and. Once baked and cooled, they’re finished off with strawberry powdered sugar to really get that great strawberry taste. You can’t go wrong with these!

To make the strawberry filling, combine strawberries, sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice in a small saucepan. Set over moderate heat and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring often, until the berries have softened and the sauce has thickened, about 8 to 10 minutes. Set aside and allow to cool completely.

**Note: This can be made ahead of time and kept in the fridge until ready to use. It’ll keep for up to 3 days. You can also use this same method with raspberries, blackberries or even blueberries.**

To make the base, preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 10-inch square baking pan with parchment paper and set aside. In a large bowl, mix together flour and powdered sugar.

Add the softened unsalted butter and mix until combined and comes together to form a dough.

Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking pan and press down into an even layer. Bake until lightly golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

To make the lemon filling, beat together the eggs, sugar lemon zest and lemon juice until thick and pale in color. Stir in the flour, baking powder and salt until just combined.

Pour the strawberry filling onto the cooled crust and spread out into an even layer. You’ll want to add the accumulated liquid to it as well.

Then pour in the lemon filling. Give it a few light taps on the counter to remove any air bubbles. Bake until just set in the center. It should wobble slightly but not too much, about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. Chill until ready to serve.

To make the topping, combine the freeze-dried strawberries and powdered sugar in a food processor. Pulse until the strawberries are well-blended into the sugar. Add to a sifter and dust the top of the bars completely with the strawberry sugar.

Slice the bars into 12 even pieces (or 9 bars if you want heftier squares). Then serve. Leftovers can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days. Just keep in mind that the powdered sugar on top will absorb from the moisture.

These are a decadent and sweet dessert that is perfect for this time of year. Of course, if you’re looking for a classic lemon bar recipe, just omit the strawberry part and you’ll have a great classic lemon bar base!

I hope you’ll give this recipe a try! And if you do, be sure to let me know what you think below. As always, thank you so much for reading and following along. I appreciate it so much!