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strawberry lemon bars with gluten-free oat flour shortbread crust

Strawberry Lemon Bars

These sweet and tangy strawberry lemon bars are made with fresh strawberries and are super easy to make. They have a buttery, gluten-free oat flour shortbread base, and a smooth, creamy lemon filling. They're an easy summer dessert!
5 from 2 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 30 minutes
Serving 12 servings

Ingredients
 

Oat Flour Shortbread Base:

  • 1 ½ cup oat flour, I used Bob’s Red Mill
  • ½ cup coconut sugar
  • 6 - 8 tbsp salted butter (or unsalted butter + ¼ tsp salt), melted
  • 1 ¼ tsp vanilla extract

Strawberry Lemon Filling:

  • 6 large eggs
  • 1 cup fresh lemon juice, about 10 lemons
  • ½ cup fresh strawberries, destemmed
  • ½ cup strawberry jam, I love Bonne Maman
  • ¼ cup honey
  • ¼ cup oat flour, I used Bob’s Red Mill

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease an 8x8’ baking dish with butter and then line it with parchment. I highly recommend leaving an overhang of parchment paper on the sides of the dish so you can easily lift the bars out to cut them.
  • In a mixing bowl, combine all the oat flour shortbread ingredients. Start with 6 tablespoons of butter and mix the ingredients together. The crust should hold together well when squeezed & not be too soft. If it is too crumbly, add 1 - 2 tablespoons more melted butter.
  • Dump the dough into the greased pan and press it evenly into the bottom of the dish. I like to press mine flat with the bottom of a glass or measuring cup. Bake at 325°F for 15 minutes until lightly golden around the edges. Gently poke the crust all over with a fork immediately after you remove it from the oven. Don’t poke all the way through to the bottom; just make indents.
    gluten-free oat flour shortbread crust in a baking dish after blind baking
  • While the crust is baking, make the strawberry lemon filling. In another bowl, whisk together eggs. Then add them to the blender with all filling ingredients and blend for 30 seconds on high. I like a few strawberry flecks, but blending until totally smooth works too.
    blended strawberry lemon custard filling
  • Pour the filling over the warm crust (poked with holes) and bake at 325°F for 20 - 25 minutes or until the center just barely jiggles.
    unbaked strawberry lemon custard filling ontop of the shortbread in a baking dish
  • Let cool completely on a wire rack. I usually cool them for 2 hours at room temperature, then place the baking tray into the refrigerator for 1 - 2 more hours until fully chilled.
    baked strawberry lemon bars in a dish after coming out of the oven
  • Once the bars are cooled, lift the parchment paper out of the pan; then dust the tops of the bars with powdered sugar. For clean-edged, neat squares, wipe your cutting knife between each cut.
  • Serve chilled and enjoy!

Notes

Frozen Strawberries: I do not recommend using frozen strawberries for these lemon bars. It will turn the lemon filling into a runny slushy, the baking time will increase, and the bars will not set properly.
Coconut Sugar: You can use light brown sugar instead of coconut sugar.
Oat Flour: I used store-bought oat flour for the shortbread crust; however, you can use homemade oat flour too. Add around 3 cups of old fashion rolled oats or quick oats to a high-speed blender and blend on high for 30 – 90 seconds until it resembles a flour-like consistency. Then measure out what the recipe calls for by spooning into a measuring cup and leveling it with the back of a knife. There shouldn’t be any oat grains left; make sure to blend it completely so it’s soft and smooth. DO NOT use almond flour or coconut flour!
Whisk your eggs before adding them to the blender. This ensures that the bars have a smooth filling without egg flecks. If you blend whole eggs with the rest of the ingredients, the lemon custard filling will not be smooth.
Use fresh lemon juice. Use freshly squeezed lemon juice for the best, most natural-tasting lemon bars. Do not use store-bought lemon juice; it is overly tangy.
Make these lemon bars dairy-free. Easily make these strawberry lemon bars dairy-free by using dairy-free, vegan butter or melted coconut oil instead of salted butter in the oat flour shortbread crust. The custard filling is already dairy-free.
Make Ahead: Easily make these strawberry lemon bars ahead of time to serve at a BBQ, party, brunch, or event. Just follow the recipe instructions below, bake, and chill them. I like to cut them right before serving.
Freezing: You can easily freeze lemon bars for up to 3 months. To freeze the bars, let them cool completely in the fridge; then, individually wrap them tightly with plastic freezer wrap or aluminum foil and freeze for up to three months.
Storing: For best results, store leftovers in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 6 days. I like enjoying these strawberry lemon bars chilled straight out of the fridge.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 220kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 108mg | Sodium: 97mg | Potassium: 142mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 312IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 29mg | Iron: 1mg
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
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