Small-Batch Strawberry Lemon Bars
These lemon bars are basically the baked version the summertime staple drink, strawberry lemonade! This recipe is intended to be a small-batch because personally I can never finish a whole pan of lemon bars, so this amount is just right for you and a few friends! The star of this recipe is freeze-dried strawberries, which pack a much bigger punch from a flavor and color standpoint than fresh strawberry purée. Combined with the classic tart lemon flavor and a brown butter shortbread crust as a rich foundation, these strawberry lemon bars are the whole package for a summer dessert!

Ingredients You’ll Need for these Strawberry Lemon Bars
- Unsalted Butter – You will need 1 stick of unsalted butter for the shortbread crust. The butter in the shortbread crust will be browned to add more depth of flavor.
- Sugars – You will need 1/4 cup of light brown sugar for the shortbread crust and 1 1/8 cups of granulated sugar for the filling.
- All-Purpose Flour – You will need 1 1/2 cup of flour total for the crust and filling.
- Table Salt – You’ll need a quarter teaspoon of salt for the crust.
- Freeze-Dried Strawberries – You will need 15 grams of freeze-dried strawberry powder. I buy my freeze-dried strawberries from Trader Joe’s, and one 1.2-ounce bag provides plenty for this recipe. You can grind these in a food processor, blender, or even crush them in a plastic bag with a rolling pin, but I recommend a spice grinder for the best, finest results.
- Lemons – You will need 1/2 cup of lemon juice, freshly squeezed and 1/2 tablespoon of lemon zest for the filling. One lemon should give you enough zest for a half tablespoon, and 4-6 lemons should give you a half cup of juice. I don’t want to hear anyone telling me they used store-bought, pre-squeezed lemon juice here!
- Eggs – The filling will need 3 large eggs to ensure it sets properly in the oven.
Strawberry lemon filling. Strawberry lemon filling poured onto the shortbread crust.
Notes:
Place the butter in a skillet and begin to cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally so the milk solids at the bottom don’t burn. Be patient, as the butter can sputter and burn quickly if the heat is too high. After about 5-10 minutes, the milk solids at the bottom of the pan should start to turn a “teddy bear brown” color and the surrounding liquid will become light amber. Let it cool off just to room temperature. You can place the butter in a bowl and chill with an ice bath or in the refrigerator to speed up this process.
I buy my freeze-dried strawberries from Trader Joe’s, one 1.2-ounce bag is plenty for this recipe. Make sure you purchase ones that say “freeze-dried” and not just dehydrated, as anything other than freeze-dried will not blend into the fine powder we want.
Because freeze-dried strawberries tend to break up very easily, almost anything will work to create a fine powder. A blender, food processor, or even a rolling pin and plastic bag will yield a fine enough powder. The main reason I recommend a spice/coffee grinder is because such a small amount of strawberry powder is required in this recipe, so a blender is unnecessarily large for this task. Make sure you make the powder right before using though, as it will pick up moisture quickly over time and cake very easily, which prevents it from mixing properly in the filling.
Once the filling has set and the top is ever so slightly browning, you’re done! The filling has set when it no longer wobbles in the center when shaken back and forth.

The Brown Butter Cookie Recipe This Shortbread Crust is Based On

A Few More Tips
- Measure the strawberry powder after blending since he powder particles sit a lot more dense than whole strawberry pieces.
- For super straight, clean cut edges, stick the cooled pan in the freezer for about 1 hour before cutting the bars.

Small-Batch Strawberry Lemon Bars
- Prep Time: 1.5 hours
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 16 bars 1x
- Category: Bars
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
With a classic tart lemon flavor, a sweet burst strawberry, and a brown butter shortbread crust, these strawberry lemon bars are the whole package for a summer dessert!
Ingredients
Shortbread Crust:
- 1 stick (113 grams) unsalted butter, browned
- 1/4 cup (54 grams) light brown sugar
- 1 1/4 cups (150 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Filling:
- 2 tablespoons (15 grams) freeze-dried strawberry powder
- 1/4 cup (30 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 1/8 cups (225 grams) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (112 grams) lemon juice
- 1/2 tablespoon lemon zest
- 3 large eggs
- powdered sugar (optional, for dusting)
Instructions
Shortbread Crust:
- In a skillet over medium heat, cook the butter until lightly browned, then cool back to room temperature.
- In a medium-sized bowl, beat the cooled butter and sugar until lighter in color.
- Add the flour and salt and mix just until a dough starts to form.
- Press the dough into a 9-inch by 9-inch square baking pan evenly and chill for 30 minutes in the refrigerator. Preheat the oven to 350ºF in the meantime.
- Once chilled, bake for 15-20 minutes until lightly browned.
- Prick the dough all over with a fork once done baking.
Filling:
- In a spice grinder, blend the freeze-dried strawberries into a fine powder and measure out 15 grams.
- In a large bowl, whisk the strawberry powder, flour, and sugar until combined.
- Add the lemon juice, lemon zest, and eggs and whisk until thoroughly combined.
- Pour the mixture over the baked crust and bake at 350ºF for an additional 30 minutes or until the filling has set.
- Cool for 30 minutes, then dust with powdered sugar if desired, and enjoy!
Notes
- When blending the freeze-dried strawberries, make sure to measure the weight called for in this recipe after processing to ensure you use an accurate amount.
- You can use a blender, food processor, or even a rolling pin and plastic bag to crush the freeze-dried strawberries, but I find a spice/coffee grinder works best.
- The filling is set when it no longer wobbles in the center when gently shaken.
- Leftover bars should be stored in the refrigerator.
Keywords: Strawberry Lemon Bars Brown Butter Shortbread
This looks so good! What a great combination of flavors!