Strawberry Lemon Blondies

If you could only have one strawberry dessert this season, these fruity little strawberry lemon blondies would have to be the one, they’re ridiculously easy to throw together and completely irresistible. Take it from me, I had my fork in one before I could finish my photo shoot. That’s always a sign of a good recipe 🙂

related quick and easy strawberry desserts

• Strawberry Buttermilk Cake
• Strawberry Shortcake
• Fresh Strawberry Galette
• Fresh Strawberry Shortbread Cookies

strawberry lemon blondies ingredient notes

The juicy strawberries and tart lemon are coequal partners in this recipe!

the strawberries

• of course look for the reddest ripest berries you can find ~ but remember that baking softens and sweetens berries, so even before the really good strawberries start showing up at market, you can make these blondies!
• I recommend fresh strawberries for this recipe: frozen berries will add too much moisture to the blondies.

the lemon

• lemons vary greatly in how much juice they’ll give, so plan on 2 lemons for this recipe. I prefer thin skinned lemons, they’ll be the juiciest.

prep and baking tips

1. Fresh berries are best, and I like to dice rather than slice them so they get well distributed in the batter.
2. The plush batter for these strawberry lemon blondies is thick but easy to work with. Take a minute to spread it out evenly in your pan so it bakes up nice and flat.
3. Do not over-bake! Watch carefully, especially if your oven runs hot.
4. Be sure to let them cool before frosting or that gorgeous rosy glaze will sink right in!

I recommend a 9″ square ceramic baking dish

It’s the little black dress of pans when it comes to small bakes like brownies and blondies. I like to bake in ceramic or stoneware because I find it bakes evenly without over cooking the edges.

• They come in so many pretty colors, but I’m partial to my white pan. Every kitchen needs one.
• I recommend the 9″ size, and side handles help when you’re trying to get it in and out of a hot oven.

The pretty pink glaze is naturally colored

Strawberry lemon blondies are pretty unassuming when they come out of the oven, but just wait. Let them cool down a bit, then drizzle on the tart glaze (I use a tablespoon of strained strawberry puree to create that pretty color naturally)…things are about to get interesting…

what to expect from strawberry lemon blondies

These little beauties are moist and dense (think soft shortbread) with plenty of little jammy pockets thanks to a cup of diced fresh strawberries in the batter. A hint of lemon gives these strawberry bars a bright, tangy vibe.

If you like your desserts soft and moist, I know these strawberry lemon blondies will appeal to you. There’s nothing dry or crumbly about them, they melt in the mouth like a great blondie should. Only instead of nuts and chocolate you’ve got juicy strawberries and tart lemon. Yum.

storing and freezing

Store your blondies at room temperature. I don’t recommend wrapping in plastic as that will make these too moist. Cover them loosely with foil. The fruit will keep them moist.

Let cool completely before freezing, then wrap in plastic and again in foil. Use within one month.

variation suggestions

Use blueberries or raspberries instead of strawberries.

Top your blondies with a simple lemon glaze, just mix lemon juice and powdered sugar.

Gluten free: use a good quality gf baking mix in place of AP flour. I recommend Bob’s Red Mill or King Arthur Flour.

Reduce sugar: use 1/2 cup sugar.

summary of 4,000+ reviews!

Thanks for sharing your wealth of baking experiences, tips, tricks, and creativity. Together we can help each other make the perfect strawberry lemon blondies!!

Overview

• Overwhelmingly positive: the vast majority of commenters rave about the recipe, describing the blondies as delicious, easy to make, moist, and flavorful. One person said, “These are so delicious! I’ve made them three times already.” Another raved, “Best blondies I’ve ever made! My family devoured them.”
• Perfect flavor balance: People love the sweet and tart combo. A commenter wrote, “The lemon glaze is the perfect finishing touch! It really brings out the strawberry flavor.” Another said, “The balance of lemon and strawberry is spot on.”
• Moist and tender: Everyone agrees on the texture. Someone described them as “incredibly moist and not at all dry.” Another said, “They are so soft and chewy!”

Useful Tips & Modifications

• Avoid over baking: Several warnings. One person cautioned, “Don’t overbake them! I took mine out a few minutes early, and they were perfect.” Another said, “Check with a toothpick – you want it to come out mostly clean, not completely clean.”
• Fruit substitutions
  • Raspberries: “I substituted raspberries because that’s what I had, and they were amazing!”
  • Mixed Berries: “I think blueberries or a mix of berries would also work really well.”
• Gluten-free adaptations (popular topic)
  • Commenter success: “I used Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten Free Baking Flour, and they turned out great!”
• Sugar reduction: “I found them a bit too sweet, so next time, I’ll try reducing the sugar by 1/4 cup.”
• Frozen strawberries: “I only had frozen strawberries, so I thawed them and drained them really well. They still worked, but fresh is definitely better.”
• Preventing sinking fruit: “I tossed the strawberries in a little flour before adding them to the batter, and they didn’t sink!”
• Glaze adjustments : “I added a little more lemon juice to the glaze to make it thinner.”
• Slicing tips: “Let them cool completely before cutting them – they’ll be much easier to slice.”

Common Questions

• “Can I make these without fresh strawberries?”
  • I generally don’t recommend using frozen strawberries because they can make the blondies too moist. Some readers have had success with draining them really well first.
• “What gluten-free flour blend do you recommend?”
  • I recommend Bob’s Red Mill or King Arthur Flour.
• “How do I store these to keep them moist?”
  • These blondies will stay moist because of the fruit content. I recommend keeping them at room temperature loosely covered with foil.
• “Can I freeze these?”
  • Yes, let them cool completely, then wrap in plastic and again in foil. Use within a month.