Soft and chewy cookie bars that taste like strawberry lemonade! These healthy cookie bars are flavored with real lemon juice and zest and studded with juicy strawberry chunks. So easy to make, in just one bowl, and the perfect healthy dessert for spring and into summer. These Strawberry Lemon Cookie Bars are made better-for-you using only 11 total real, simple ingredients. This recipe is paleo-friendly (gluten/grain/dairy free), refined sugar free, and easily made nut free!
What Do These Healthy Lemon Strawberry Bars Taste Like?
These healthy Lemon Strawberry Bars have a wonderfully soft and chewy cookie texture studded with juicy fresh strawberries complemented by fresh and tangy lemon. These healthy cookie bars have that perfect sweetness level to be acceptable to enjoy any time of day! And although I have yet to try this, these would be incredible topped with a scoop of ice cream.
Here’s why you will LOVE these Strawberry Lemon Blondies!
- So easy to make! Just one bowl and 11 total ingredients.
- Melt-in-your mouth cookie bar texture.
- Studded with delicious juicy strawberry chunks.
- Bursting with lemon flavor from fresh lemon juice AND zest.
- A delicious healthy seasonal dessert for spring and summer!
How Do You Make Strawberry Lemon Blondies Healthy?
This recipe for Strawberry Lemon Blondies is made healthier as it contains no refined sugars, flours, or oils. These healthy blondies are paleo-friendly meaning they are gluten free, grain free, and dairy free and can easily be made nut free!
Here’s a look at the ingredients you’ll need and some possible variations:
- Coconut Sugar – Coconut sugar is the best granular sweetener for refined sugar free baking. Plus the natural maple flavor of the coconut sugar is delicious with the strawberry and lemon! I use Nutiva’s Coconut Sugar for the great quality and price!
- Cashew Butter – Makes the cookies perfectly soft and chewy. Cashew butter can be a bit pricey but the neutral flavor doesn’t overpower the strawberry or lemon flavors. Feel free to use any other thick and creamy nut/seed butter you like that contains only 1 ingredient. Sunflower seed butter or tahini are other good options and would make this nut-free!
- Avocado Oil – Adds the perfect amount of moisture. Sub with melted and cooled coconut oil.
- Egg – Adds just a little bit of height to the bars.
- Vanilla – Vanilla and lemon are wonderful together!
- Cassava – A gluten free, grain free, and nut free flour that is unrefined! I find the best pricing to be on Amazon.
- Tapioca Flour – Helps thicken the dough without making it too floury or dense.
- Baking Powder – Gives the cookie bars the right amount of rise.
- Lemon Juice & Zest – Freshly squeezed lemon juice and zest give these bars big lemon flavor. I know it’s tempting, but don’t skip the zest! It adds so much lemon flavor, maybe even more than the lemon juice! This Microplane zester makes zesting a breeze! (And comes in fun colors!)
- Strawberries – The strawberry chunks throughout and on top of the bars add an addictingly delicious sweet and juicy textural change. Use fresh, ripe strawberries. Frozen have too much moisture and make the bars soggy.
- Salt – To enhance all the flavors.
How Do You Make These Healthy Cookie Bars From Scratch?
These Strawberry Lemon Bars are SO quick and easy to make. They are made in just one bowl and have only 11 total ingredients! Here’s an overview of the steps:
- Heat the oven and prep the fruit. Cut the strawberries in half if they are small or quarters if they are on the large side. Zest the lemon then squeeze two tablespoons of juice. You’ll need about two lemons to get two tablespoons of zest, but will likely use only one for the juice. And, like I said before, don’t skip the zest! This grater makes zesting a breezer.
- Mix the wet ingredients until thick and glossy.
- Stir in dry ingredients.
- Fold in the strawberries.
- Scoop into a baking dish and gently spread out into an even layer trying not to disturb the fruit.
- Bake! For just about 25 minutes.
- Let cool and enjoy!
These will keep at room temperature for about a day, any and the juice from the strawberries may make the cookie bars soggy. Transfer any uneaten portion to the freezer! These are amazing frozen!
These Strawberry Lemon Cookie Bars are the perfect healthy dessert recipe for spring and summer! They are deliciously soft and chewy, studded with juicy strawberries and packed with fresh lemon flavor. So easy to make and in just one bowl. Plus they have that just-perfect-sweetness to make them an acceptable treat for anytime of day.
paleo friendly (gluten/grain/dairy free), naturally sweetened, vegan, oil free
More Cookie Bar Recipes!
- S’mores Cookie Bars (gluten free, nut free, dairy free)
- Healthy PB&J Stuffed Blondies (paleo & nut-free option)
- Dulce De Leche Blondies (paleo & nut free)
SHARE THE LOVE!
If you make this recipe, please spread the love by leaving a review or rating down below. And I’d LOVE to see and share your creation! Take a picture and tag me on Instagram @freshlydafna in your feed or stories and I will share on my account!
Strawberry Lemon Cookie Bars
These Strawberry Lemon Cookie Bars are the perfect healthy dessert for spring and summer! They are deliciously soft and chewy, studded with juicy strawberries and packed with fresh lemon flavor. So easy to make and in just one bowl. Plus they have that just-perfect-sweetness to make them an acceptable treat for anytime of day.
paleo friendly (gluten/grain/dairy free), naturally sweetened, nut free option
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- 3/4 cup (114 grams) coconut sugar
- 1/2 cup (130 grams) cashew butter sub other thick & creamy nut/seed butter of choice.
- 1/4 cup (61 grams) avocado oil sub melted & cooled coconut oil
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp lemon zest
- 2 tbsp lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 1 tsp vanilla
Dry Ingredients
- 3/4 cup (108 grams) cassava flour, spooned and leveled
- 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp (45 grams) tapioca flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup (4 oz/110 g) sliced strawberries halved if small, quartered if large berries
Instructions
Heat oven to 360 (yep, 360) and prepare an 8 or 9 inch square baking dish by lining with parchment paper.
Mix wet ingredients. In a large bowl, if mixing by hand, or in the bowl of a stand mixer beat the coconut sugar, cashew butter, avocado oil, and egg together until well mixed and bubbly, about 2 minutes. Add the lemon juice, zest, and vanilla and continue to beat until the mixture is thick and glossy.
Stir in the dry ingredients. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Add the dry ingredients (except the strawberries) and mix until everything is just fully incorporated. Scrape down the bowl again and mix briefly to ensure ingredients are evenly distributed.
Fold in half the strawberries using a silicone spatula, gently so as not to smush the fruit, into the batter.
Scoop batter into the baking dish and gently spread out into an even layer. Top with remaining strawberries and additional zest if desired.
Bake for 24-27 minutes or until the top is puffed and center has fully set. Use a toothpick poked into the center to test for doneness.
Let cool in the baking dish for at least 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Slice and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Helpful Kitchen Tools: square baking dish, microplane zester, silicone spatula, kitchen scale
Storage: These will keep at room temperature for about a day, any longer and the juice from the strawberries may make the cookies soggy. Transfer any uneaten portion to the freezer! These are amazing frozen!
Ingredient Substitutions/Variations:
Cashew Butter – Use any other thick and creamy nut/seed butter you like. Cashew is great in this recipe because it has a neutral flavor. Sunflower seed better or tahini are also great options. Choose a nut/seed butter with only 1 ingredient (no added oils or sugars). Always mix the nut/seed butter in the jar well before measuring.
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