By Becky Hardin
Published Aug 11, 2023
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 !
Ingredients1x2x3x
- ▢ 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
Equipment
- Kitchen Scale
- 9×13 Baking Pan
- Stand Mixer
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.
More Cookie Bar Recipes We Love
- Snickers Cookie Bars
- Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
- Halfway to Heaven Bars
- S’mores Bars
- Oatmeal Cream Pie Bars
- Millionaire Bars
Strawberry Lemonade Bars
Equipment
- Kitchen Scale
- 9x13 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 9x13-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
Notes
- 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
By Becky Hardin
Published Jul 12, 2017
This Essential Grocery List is an absolute life saver for my family on the busy weeks. When I started this journey to learn how to cook, I quickly realized that the first step in cooking is having staple ingredients on hand. I want to avoid having to run out to the grocery store every single time I prepare a new recipe. Having a well-stocked pantry has made my life in the kitchen so much simpler, because when it’s time to cook, I have what I need.
Essential Grocery List
It’s so helpful to have a basic grocery list to help me remember which foods to buy at the store. This food shopping list is my go-to!
It’s better to stock up on things like grains, seasonings and spices, baking essentials, oils, condiments, canned and frozen foods, etc. so I can just grab them when I need them. These things have a long shelf life , so I keep them in my kitchen for convenience.
However, I do have to go to the supermarket sometimes, and there’s a way to make that trip easy and hassle-free: I keep a grocery list! If I go in blindly, I’ll leave with things I don’t need, and nothing that actually helps me prepare a good meal.
In the list below, I’ve compiled everything I always have on my stock-up grocery list.
I’ve got you covered! I created an easy grocery list filled with all of the essentials. Plus there’s a free printable version that you can take with you to the grocery store. It has everything you need to stock your pantry, your freezer, and your refrigerator.
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List
What to Buy at the Grocery Store
This is the perfect grocery list filled with all the basics and essentials. It should help get you going if you’re new to cooking, or if you’re just left staring helplessly at an empty pantry and don’t know how to fill it.
When I first started cooking, things could seem overwhelming. I quickly realized that they more prepared I could be, the more confident I felt. If you already have the basics in your kitchen, then you can shop stress-free.
So print out our easy grocery list, stock up your pantry and fridge, and you’ll be cooking in no time!
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List for the perfectly stocked pantry and freezer!
Fresh Produce
- Apples
- Bananas
- Strawberries
- Avocados
- Bell Peppers
- Carrots
- Broccoli
- Garlic
- Lemons/Limes
- Onion
- Parsley
- Cilantro
- Basil
- Potatoes
- Spinach
- Tomatoes
GRAINS
- Breadcrumbs
- Pasta
- Quinoa
- Rice
- Sandwich Bread
- Tortillas
MEAT/PROTEIN
- Chicken
- Eggs
- Ground Beef
- Sliced Turkey
- Lunch Meat
DAIRY
- Butter
- Sliced Cheese
- Shredded Cheese
- Milk
- Sour Cream
- Greek Yogurt
BAKING GOODS
- Baking powder
- Baking Soda
- Granulated Sugar
- Brown Sugar
- Flour
- Honey
- Vanilla Extract
- Dry Yeast
- Chocolate Chips
- Cocoa Powder
- Powdered Sugar
FREEZER
- Fruit and Berries
- Frozen Veggies (Corn, Peas, Broccoli, etc)
- Juice Concentrate
- Pizza or Other Convenience Meals
- Pie Crust
- Cookie Dough
CANNED/DRIED GOODS
- Chicken stock/broth
- Salsa
- Diced Tomatoes
- Jam/Jelly
- Peanut Butter
- Pasta Sauce
- Beans (Black Beans, Chickpeas, Baked Beans, etc)
- Soups
- Tuna
- Green Chiles
- Canned Veggies
- Coffee or Tea
Get more details on the best non-perishable and pantry foods
CONDIMENTS/SPICES
- Black Pepper
- Chili Powder
- Cinnamon
- Crushed Red Pepper
- Cumin
- Garlic Powder
- Ketchup
- Mustard
- Mayo
- Nutmeg
- Paprika
- Salt (Course Sea Salt and Kosher Salt)
- Soy Sauce
- Steak Sauce
- Hot Sauce/ Buffalo Sauce
- Salad Dressings
OILS/VINEGARS
- Apple cider vinegar
- Balsamic vinegar
- Coconut Oil
- Olive Oil
- Vegetable/Canola Oil
- Red Wine Vinegar
- White Vinegar
- Cooking Wine
- White Wine Vinegar
SNACKS
- Crackers
- Nuts
- Quick Oats
- Popcorn
- Tortilla Chips
- Cereal
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List for the perfectly stocked pantry and freezer!
Click ☝🏻 for my FREE Grocery List Printable!
I hope this essential grocery list can help you buy what you need and make your home cooking so much easier!
Stock Your Kitchen
Find more ideas for your grocery list, stock up your kitchen, and print more cooking guides and charts to keep handy!
Non-Perishable Foods to Stock Up On
Frozen Vegetables to Stock Up On (and Recipes to Make)
Ultimate List of Cooking Herbs for Your Kitchen
Ultimate List of Cooking Spices for Your Kitchen
Cooking Oil 101: Types of Cooking Oils to Use
26 Types of Pasta and When to Use Them
What Fruits and Vegetables are in Season?
Meat Temperature Chart (Free Printable)
How to Meal Prep (Guide for Beginners)
Basic Cooking Measurements & Kitchen Conversion Chart
