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Strawberry Lemon Blondies Recipe

4.7 from 82 reviews

Strawberry Lemon Blondies are delightful pink dessert bars combining the sweetness of strawberries with the tart brightness of lemon. These moist, dense blondies with soft shortbread-like texture feature juicy pockets of fresh strawberries and a tangy lemon glaze that melts in your mouth. Perfect as an easy-to-make seasonal treat, they balance sweet and tart flavors beautifully and are great for spring and summer occasions.

Ingredients

Scale

Blondies

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
  • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 cup diced fresh strawberries

Glaze

  • 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
  • 1 Tbsp strawberry puree (made from about 2 large strawberries)
  • About 1 Tbsp lemon juice (or enough to reach a spreadable consistency)

Instructions

  1. Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper along the long edges to help lift the blondies out easily for glazing and slicing later.
  2. Cream Butter and Sugar: Cream together the unsalted butter and sugar until fluffy and light. Beat in the egg fully to combine.
  3. Add Lemon Juice: Incorporate the fresh squeezed lemon juice into the mixture. It’s normal if the lemon juice does not fully blend at this point—it will become incorporated during mixing with dry ingredients.
  4. Mix Dry Ingredients: Whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl. Gradually add this dry mix to the wet ingredients, mixing just until no dry flour is visible.
  5. Fold in Strawberries: Gently fold the diced fresh strawberries into the batter, distributing them evenly without breaking them up.
  6. Spread Batter in Pan: Spread the thick batter evenly into the prepared baking pan using an offset spatula to get a flat surface for even baking.
  7. Bake: Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until edges turn golden and the center is set but still moist. Test doneness with a toothpick; it should come out mostly clean but moist. Avoid over-baking to keep blondies soft and dense.
  8. Cool: Remove from oven and allow to cool completely on a wire rack before glazing to prevent the glaze from soaking in unevenly.
  9. Prepare Glaze: Puree about 2 large strawberries in a small food processor and strain through a fine mesh sieve to obtain 1 tablespoon of puree. Whisk powdered sugar, strained strawberry puree, and lemon juice together until smooth. Adjust thickness by adding more powdered sugar if too thin, or more lemon juice if too thick.
  10. Glaze and Set: Spread the prepared glaze evenly over the cooled blondies. Let the glaze set fully before slicing into bars.

Notes

  • Measure flour by fluffing it first, then scooping with a cup and leveling off without compacting to ensure accuracy.
  • If you prefer a simpler glaze, use just lemon juice instead of strawberry puree, but avoid using strawberry jam as it will be too sweet.
  • Perform a small test glaze before applying full glaze: if it soaks in too quickly, add more powdered sugar; if too thick, thin with more puree or lemon juice.
  • Try variations by substituting diced rhubarb, blueberries, or raspberries, or mixing strawberries with rhubarb.
  • To keep fruit from sinking in batter, toss diced strawberries in a bit of flour before folding in.
  • Let blondies cool completely before slicing for cleaner edges.
  • Store blondies loosely covered with foil at room temperature to maintain moistness; avoid wrapping tightly in plastic which can make them soggy.
  • Blondies freeze well after cooling; wrap tightly in plastic then foil and use within one month.

Keywords: baking, blondies, dessert, easter, easy, lemon, Mother’s Day, recipe, spring, strawberries, valentines day