Strawberries and Cream Bars

Strawberries and Cream Bars are made with a soft cookie like base, cream cheese fruit filling, and topped with a creamy glaze. Best fruit dessert bars ever!

This is one of my all time favorite summer strawberry desserts! Right up there with Strawberry Pop Tart Cookies and Strawberry Banana Bread.

Strawberries and Cream Bars

I've made these strawberry bars more times than I can count, with lots of variations. They make a full cookie sheet sized batch and are the BEST for parties and potlucks. This is such a cute Valentines dessert! The base is sugar cookie like with a creamy smooth filling, strawberries for filling and a little more cookie topping with a vanilla icing on top.

Ingredients for strawberries and cream bars

Here are the basics! As always, full list of ingredients in the recipe card below.

• Butter - salted
• Granulated white sugar
• Eggs - large
• Vanilla extract
• Salt
• All purpose flour
• Strawberries- fresh, chopped
• Cream Cheese
• Sour cream - or plain greek yogurt
• Lemon 
• Powdered Sugar
• Milk

Step By Step Instructions

1. Chop strawberries and letting them sit with fresh lemon juice and sugar to release all of the yummy juices while I prepare everything else. Sometimes I do this ahead of time and refrigerate until I need them.
2. Make the dough. I lightly flour the rolling pin and top of the dough as I roll it straight into the pan.  ALWAYS reserve a heaping cup of dough for the end to spread over the filling and strawberries! The nice thing is that if you forget and roll it into the pan, you can just remove some and roll the crust out thinner. No harm done!
3. Make cream filling to top the crust with. I found that using sour cream or plain greek yogurt worked better than using more cream cheese, it made the filling more creamy and less chewy and jelly like.
4.  After the strawberries have released their juices, I sprinkle them over the creamy filling and crust.
5.  Use the reserved cup of dough to spread in flattened pieces over the filling, it makes for less mess when serving.
6. Bake!
7. Make the icing while the bars are baking and put it in a small plastic ziploc bag. After the bars have cooled 15-20 minutes I snip a tiny hole in the corner of the bag and drizzle in an "X" shape across the bars for a pretty lattice glaze pattern.

I kid not when I say that the Mancub has eaten his weight in these bars over the years. They're one of his very favorite desserts!

How to customize these dessert bars:

• Try different fruits! Our favorites include raspberries, blueberries, peaches, and cherries.
• Use fresh citrus juice in the cream cheese filling and/or the glaze. I love to use lemon and orange juice.
• Top with walnuts, sliced almonds, or pecans for some extra crunch. So delicious!

Don't forget to share the love and Pin or share on your favorite social media if you enjoyed this recipe!

Can you freeze these bars?

You can, but it may change the consistency due to the dairy content. If you wish to freeze them, simply slice after they have cooled completely, transfer to an airtight container, and freeze for up to 3 months.

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5 from 4 votes

Strawberries and Cream Bars

Strawberries and Cream Bars are made with a soft cookie like base, cream cheese fruit filling, and topped with a creamy glaze. Best fruit dessert bars ever!

Prep Time20 mins

Cook Time30 mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: fruit dessert, strawberry bars, strawberry dessert

Servings: 24 slices

Calories: 283kcal

Author: Sara

Ingredients

For the crust:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, softened
• 2 cups white granulated sugar
• 3 eggs large
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 4-½ cups all purpose flour

For the filling:

• 4 cups diced strawberries
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 Tablespoons white granulated sugar
• 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
• ½ cup plain greek yogurt or sour cream
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 eggs large
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

For the icing:

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• 3 Tablespoons whole milk OR lemon juice
• (optional) zest of one lemon

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 F. Prepare a standard cookie sheet by spraying with baking spray.

For the crust:

• In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream together softened butter and white sugar 3-5 minutes until fluffy and creamy. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each egg. Add vanilla and mix well.
• Add salt, baking powder, and flour and mix on low speed until combined.

  Reserve one heaping cup of dough for topping the bars.
• Roll remaining dough into prepared cookie/baking sheet.

For the filling:

• Combine strawberries, lemon juice, and 2 Tablespoons sugar in a medium bowl and let sit 5-10 minutes to release juices. Can be done ahead of time and refrigerated until ready to use.
• In clean bowl of stand mixer with paddle attachment, beat cream cheese, plain greek yogurt, and sugar until smooth. Add eggs one at a time and mix well between. Add vanilla and mix well. Pour over crust and spread evenly.
• Spread strawberry mixture evenly over cream cheese filling, being careful not to mix together. Spread 1 cup reserved crust dough evenly over filing in flattened pieces.

  Bake @ 350 for 30 minutes, until middle is set and jiggly.

For the icing:

• While bars are baking, combine powdered sugar, milk (or lemon juice), and vanilla. After bars have cooled for 15-20 minutes, drizzle over bars and allow to harden before slicing and serving. Best served at room temperature.

Notes

Store covered at room temperature for 1-2 days or refrigerated 2-3 days. Storing in the fridge can dry out the bars.  

Inspired by The Recipe Critic

Nutrition

Calories: 283kcal

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