These Strawberry Blondies are thick, chewy, sweet, filled with fresh strawberries, and covered in a layer of pink strawberry and lemon icing. They’re the perfect spring and summer treat to serve for just about any occasion.
Follow along for step-by-step instructions, tips, and variations for making this quick and easy dessert. For more strawberry dessert ideas, you can also try this Fresh Strawberry Pie, Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp, or this classic Strawberry Shortcake.
Strawberry Blondies
Thick, chewy, dense, and buttery, these strawberry lemon blondies are so delicious and full of strawberry flavor in each bite. Not only are they full of diced strawberries, they are slathered in a creamy pink strawberry and lemon icing.
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Feel free to add white chocolate chips, substitute fresh lime juice instead of lemon, or try one of our other icing recipes. We’ve got even more tips and variation ideas below so keep reading!
And if you love blondies and brownies, you may also love these Butterscotch Bars, Root Beer Blondies, Grasshopper Brownies, or our Lemon Blondie Recipe.
Key Ingredients
- Butter – if you use salted butter, reduce the additional salt by about half. Make sure your butter is soft before trying to cream with the sugar.
- Eggs – the egg is what helps bind the dough together and also helps to keep it nice and chewy.
- Fresh Lemons – you will need both the zest and the juice from a fresh lemon for the cookie dough. It’s easiest to zest first, then cut in half and juice.
- Baking Powder – you only need a tiny bit of baking powder to help keep these blondies nice and chewy.
- Flour – all-purpose flour is perfect for brownies and blondies like this. If you want to try making these gluten-free, just substitute your favorite gluten-free flour!
- Strawberries – fresh strawberries should be diced before adding. If you decide to use frozen strawberries, make sure they are thawed before you add them to the batter.
For the Strawberry Lemon Icing
- Butter – just like with the blondies, you want your butter to be nice and soft so that it will creamy up super fluffy.
- Powdered Sugar – powdered sugar will sweeten the icing without adding any grittiness.
- Strawberry Jam – you can use store bought strawberry jam or try our easy Strawberry Freezer Jam!
- Lemon Juice – adding lemon juice to any kind of berry helps to brighten the flavor. Be sure to use fresh lemon juice and not the bottled kind. The bottled juice will leave the icing with a very fake flavor that isn’t the best.
How to Make Strawberry Blondies
- Mix the batter. Cream the butter, sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest using the paddle attachment, until light and fluffy—about 1-2 minutes. Next, add the egg, scraping down the bowl as needed, and finally the flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat but don’t overmix! Fold in the strawberries by hand.
- Press into a baking dish. Line a 9″ x 9″ baking sheet with parchment paper, or lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray. Press the cookie dough into the prepared baking pan, covering the bottom of the pan as evenly as possible.
- Bake. Bake in your preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until just barely golden on the edges. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly.
- Make the strawberry icing. Meanwhile, cream together the butter and 1/2 cup powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Add the remaining powdered sugar, strawberry jam, and lemon juice and mix again until spreadable.
- Add the icing and serve. Using an offset spatula, spread the icing evenly over the warm strawberry blondies making sure to spread all the way to the edges.
- Serve. Let the cookie bars cool completely before cutting into 9 even squares. Enjoy!
Recipe Variations and Tips
- Add white chocolate chips to the blondie batter for a little extra sweetness and texture.
- Get creative with the frosting! You could substitute lime juice instead of lemon, use Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting, or even this yummy White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting.
- If you want even chewier blondies, try using light brown sugar instead of granulated sugar. It will also give them a little more of a caramelized flavor.
- Do not overbake your blondies! This is a cardinal rule for both blondies and brownies. Keep a close eye on them in the oven and pull them as soon as the edges because to turn lightly golden and they are just set in the center.
Frequently Asked Questions
While they are both chewy dessert bars, brownies are typically made with chocolate while blondies are made with sugar or brown sugar. Brownies are also usually brown from the chocolate while blondies are a more blonde color.
Yup! If you want to freeze the baked blondies before they have been iced, wrap well with plastic wrap and store in the freezer for up to 2 months. To thaw, transfer to the fridge overnight or pull out to room temperature for about an hour. From there, you can frost them and serve.
You can use either fresh strawberries or frozen strawberries for these blondies. If you do use frozen, make sure to thaw them completely ahead of time. You don’t want to add something so cold to the batter or else it will be hard to get them to cook evenly while they bake.
Storing Instructions
- Refrigerator: wrap or store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: blondies that haven’t yet been iced can be wrapped well with plastic wrap and then stored for up to 2 months in the freezer. To thaw, transfer to the fridge overnight or room temperature for about an hour. From there, you can frost them and serve.
Strawberry Lemon Blondies Recipe
Ingredients
Strawberry Blondies
- 1 cup butter, room temperature
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup strawberries, diced
Strawberry Icing
- 2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons strawberry jam
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the room temperature butter, sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Cream, using the paddle attachment, until light and fluffy—about 1-2 minutes. Next, add the egg, scraping down the bowl as needed.
- Finally, add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat on low speed until well incorporated and no streaks of butter remain, but do not overmix. Fold in the strawberries.
- Line a 9" x 9" baking sheet with parchment paper, or lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray. Press the cookie dough into the prepared baking pan, covering the bottom of the pan as evenly as possible.
- Bake in your preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until just barely golden on the edges. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly.
- Meanwhile, in the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the room temperature butter and ½ cup powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Add the remaining powdered sugar, strawberry jam, and lemon juice and mix again. You want your icing to be spreadable, so adjust by adding a little more lemon juice or powdered sugar as necessary.
- Using an offset spatula, spread the strawberry icing on the warm blondies. Spread evenly and to the edges.
- Let the cookie bars cool completely before cutting into 9 even squares. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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More of the Best Strawberry Desserts
- Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp
- Strawberry Pretzel Salad
- Strawberry Cream Pie
- Easy Strawberry Cream Scones
- Strawberry Rhubarb Cream Pie
- Fresh Strawberry Pie
- Strawberry Shortcake
- Strawberry Nutella Dessert Pizza
- More Brownies and Bars
- More Easy Dessert Recipes
These strawberry blondie bars are thick, chewy, and filled with strawberry flavor. On top of each square is a layer of creamy strawberry and lemon frosting.
Categories:
4th of July, Cookie Bars, Desserts, Easter, Frosting, Nut-Free, Spring Recipes, Summer Recipes, Vegetarian,
