Strawberry Lemonade Bars! Fresh strawberries garnish a zesty lemon curd topping, that’s baked onto a sugar cookie crust for a delicious and easy sheet-pan dessert.
What’s in this Strawberry Lemonade Bars Recipe?
These strawberry sugar cookie bars give all of the flavor and texture of sugar cookies without all of the rolling and cutting! This is a fun summertime dessert, it’s zesty with a fresh strawberry topping, so easy and so delicious!
- Cookie Dough: Use refrigerated sugar cookie dough to save time and hassle.
- Cream Cheese: Makes these bars creamy and tangy.
- Lemon Curd: Adds a tangy, zesty lemon flavor.
- Lemon: Both juice and zest add extra acidity.
- Strawberries: Add a fresh and fruity flavor.
- Mint Leaves: Add a touch of color and a cooling sensation.
- Garnishes: Freshly sweetened whipped cream or Cool Whip
Pro Tip: Make sure the cream cheese is at room temperature so that it combines smoothly!
Variations on Strawberry Lemonade Cookie Bars
You can make these bars with just about any fruit you can imagine. Raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries all pair super well with the tangy lemon curd!
These cookie bars are best eaten on the day they are made, since the lemon curd will begin to seep into the crust the longer they sit. However, they will remain safe to eat for up to 3 days.
These cookie bars should be soft and chewy!
If you’d like to make these bars with homemade ingredients, use my soft sugar cookies recipe as the base and make homemade lemon curd.
How to Store
Store leftover strawberry lemonade bars loosely covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The crust will soften if kept too long – it is best eaten the day it is prepared.
How to Freeze
Freeze your cookie bars by wrapping the bars individually and then freezing them for up to 1 month. Allow them to come up to room temperature for 30 minutes prior to serving or eating.
Serving Suggestions
Serve these light and tangy cookie bars with a cool glass of strawberry lemonade or a strawberry mojito!
Strawberry Lemonade Bars
Equipment
- Kitchen Scale
- 9×13 Baking Pan
- Stand Mixer
Ingredients
- 16.5 ounces refrigerated sugar cookie dough 468 grams (1 roll)
- 8 ounces cream cheese 227 grams, room temperature (1 brick)
- 10 ounces lemon curd 283 grams (1 jar)
- 1 lemon juiced and zested
- 1 quart fresh strawberries 907 grams, chopped
Garnishes (optional)
- Whipped cream or Cool Whip
- Fresh mint leaves
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to the middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.
- Spray a 9×13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
- Break cookie dough apart and press it evenly in the bottom and ¾ of the way up the sides of the pan.16.5 ounces refrigerated sugar cookie dough
- Bake for 18-25 minutes, or until medium golden brown. Cool completely (about 1 hour).
- While the crust cooks, place cream cheese, lemon curd, lemon juice and lemon zest in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat for 2-3 minutes, or until smooth and creamy. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate until the crust has cooled completely and is ready to serve. (The cream cheese mixture will get firmer during refrigeration. If the mixture gets too firm, simply leave on the counter for 15-30 minutes to soften a little, then vigorously stir before spreading over the crust.)8 ounces cream cheese, 10 ounces lemon curd, 1 lemon, 1 quart fresh strawberries
- When ready to serve, spread the lemon cream cheese mixture evenly over the crust and top with the chopped strawberries.
- Garnish with whipped cream and a fresh mint leaf, if desired.Whipped cream, Fresh mint leaves
Becky’s Tips
- Do not overbake! When baking, these are done just before they look done; that is, slightly golden around the edges but not golden in the center. They finish cooking as they cool.
- Lining your pan in foil or parchment paper will help you remove the cookie bars easier after they’re baked.
- Garnish with a sprig of mint.
- Serve with whipped cream or Cool Whip.
- Keep leftovers loosely covered in the fridge. The crust will soften if kept too long – it is best eaten the day it is prepared.
- The crust, lemon/cream filling and strawberries can be prepped up to 24 hours in advance.
- Nutritional information does not include optional garnishes.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did you make this? Leave a comment!
