These Strawberry Lemon Sugar Cookie Bars are one of the best desserts out there! A thick and soft lemon sugar cookie base, topped with a fluffy strawberry lemon buttercream frosting. These are scrumptious!
Since the kids are home full time now, my oldest daughter and I have been cooking and baking up a storm! We love spending time in the kitchen together. The other day, I had a few lemons in the fridge and we decided to put them to use in a delectable lemon sugar cookie bar recipe! We originally were going to top them with a lemon buttercream frosting. But then we saw some fresh strawberries in the fridge and decided those definitely needed to be a part of today’s dessert.
Boy, were we glad we combined the two flavors! Strawberry and lemon are a dreamy combination!
We used fresh lemon juice in both the cookie bars and frosting. I love the zing and tang of fresh lemon juice! It’s perfectly balanced by the sweetness of the strawberry frosting.
When the weather warms up, I crave all things lemon! Sugar cookie bars with lemon flavoring are heaven sent! I’ve made lots of sugar cookies and sugar cookie bars in my day, but these are top of the list! You’ve also got to try these Softest Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars and these Funfetti Sugar Cookie Bars! Both are phenomenal!
When I think of spring and summer, I imagine myself sitting under the shade of a tree on a sunny afternoon, sipping strawberry lemonade. These are strawberry lemonade in a cookie bar! A perfect way to usher in summer! They’re perfect for potlucks too!
Strawberry Lemon Sugar Cookie Bars
Ingredients
- 3/4 c. salted butter softened
- 1 1/2 c. granulated sugar
- 1/2 c. full-fat sour cream
- 2 tsp. lemon zest
- 2 large eggs
- 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
- 3 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
- Heaping 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- Frosting:
- 1/2 c. salted butter softened
- 1/2 tsp. lemon zest
- 2 Tbsp. fresh strawberry puree I just mashed a few large strawberries well in a bowl with a fork
- 2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
- 3 1/2 c. powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Line a 9"x13" cake pan with parchment paper so it hangs over the edges.
- For the cookie bars, in the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together softened butter, granulated sugar, sour cream, lemon zest, eggs, and lemon juice until combined. Scrape down the sides in between.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, salt and baking soda.
- Add flour mixture to wet mixture and mix just until incorporated.
- Press dough evenly into the prepared parchment-lined pan.
- Bake for approximately 17-19 minutes, or just until set and baked through. The bars shouldn't be jiggly, but they will be more firm to the touch. Check them often and don't over bake! Mine didn't have any browning on top. Let the bars cool completely on a cooling rack.
- Prepare the frosting by creaming together softened butter, lemon zest, strawberry puree, lemon juice and powdered sugar. Frosting should be creamy and perfect as is, but if it's not, you can add a little bit of milk to thin or a little more powdered sugar to thicken. Frost cooled bars, slice and enjoy.
The key to a soft sugar cookie bar is baking it to perfection, so be sure to check these often when they’re in the oven. Mine didn’t have any brown on top or around the edges. You want them to set up, so they’re not jiggly at all, but just barely bake through, for the perfect texture and flavor! Enjoy!
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