These Lemon Poppy Seed Bars with Fresh Strawberry Frosting are the perfect burst of Spring for your dessert table!
If you are looking for a pretty, yet easy recipe this Spring, these Lemon Poppy Seed Bars with fresh strawberry frosting are perfect. They are extremely easy to make and full of glorious flavors.
I love making cookies, but I hate having to roll out the dough and bake only 12 at a time. I'm an instant gratification type of girl, which is why I love making cookie bars. You make the dough, spread it out in the pan, and bake the entire pan at once! Soft chewy sugar cookie bars in ⅓ of the time it would take to make a few dozen cookies.
Since it is Spring, and I'm lemon and strawberry obsessed, I had to add these flavors to my favorite sugar cookie bars. The lemon and poppy seed combination pairs perfectly with the buttery sugar cookie base. The fresh strawberry frosting is the icing on the cake, or in the case on the bars. One bite of these Lemon Poppy Seed Bars with Strawberry Frosting will have your tastebuds go wild!
Now, if you are not the frosting type, these Lemon Poppy Seed Bars are perfect on their own. You could even sprinkle them with some powdered sugar for pretty decoration.
If you like the simplicity of "bar" desserts, make sure to check out our absolutely favorite Lemon Brownies, Dulce de Leche Cookie Bars, Blackberry Crumble Bars, or our Strawberry Rhubarb Sugar Cookie Bars. Enjoy!
- 1 cup butter softened
- 2 cups sugar
- 4 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 tablespoons meyer lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons freshly grated meyer lemon zest
- 5 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
- Fresh Strawberry Frosting-
- ⅓ cup fresh strawberry puree
- 1 cup unsalted butter , slightly cold
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 ½ cups confectioners' sugar , sifted
-
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
-
Grease or line a 13x18 in baking sheet.
-
Start by creaming together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy in your mixer.
-
Add eggs one at a time, mixing in between each addition.
-
Add vanilla, lemon juice, and zest.
-
In a separate bowl, mix flour, salt, and baking soda.
-
Add the flour mixture to the butter/egg mixture in 1 cup increments, mixing well after each addition.
-
Stir in poppy seeds.
-
Spread dough on to the baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick is inserted and comes out clean.
-
To make the frosting-
-
Place strawberries in the bowl of a small food processor; process until pureed.
-
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter and salt on medium speed until light and fluffy.
-
Reduce mixer speed and slowly add confectioners' sugar; beat until well combined.
-
Add vanilla and 3 tablespoons strawberry puree (save any remaining strawberry puree for another use); mix until just blended. Do not overmix, or frosting will incorporate too much air.
-
Frosting consistency should be dense and creamy, like ice cream.
-
Frost cooled lemon sugar cookie bars and cut to serve.
-
Makes 15-18 bars.
Kathryn
These look so delicious! I love lemon and strawberry together. It is the perfect spring time combo! Can't wait to try these. Thanks!
collegeceliackc
What says spring more than combining lemon with strawberry? These look so refreshing and I love the poppyseed twist!
gunjan
This combination of lemon, strawberries and poppy seeds are totally irresistible.
Kate
These look so delicious! Strawberry and lemon is such a fantastic flavor combination. Especially with the addition of poppy seeds!
brandidcrawfordgmailcom
YUM! These look so tasty and perfect for spring.
Kimberly @ Berly's Kitchen
These sound delicious. Lemon is always a favorite, and you can't go wrong by adding strawberry, especially fresh strawberry frosting.
Ribas with Love
They really look amazing!! and that by I mean, so good... it would be hard to stop eating eat. Something so special about lemon, poppy seed and strawberries, I simply cannot resist!
sara | belly rumbles
Do love lemon and poppy seed, you won me over with that flavour combo to start with. But OMG that glorious looking strawberry frosting, such a great looking frosting!
Lane & Holly @ With Two Spoons
These look fabulous! I love lemon poppyseed and the strawberry frosting is LITERALLY the icing on the cake!
Leah Hall
These look fantastic! What a great flavor combo, yum!
Brian Jones
They look as pretty as a picture, love the addition of poppy seeds to, I love them such a fab flavour.
[email protected]
Yum, lemon and strawberry, make such a nice flavor combination! These bars look so tasty and just perfect with a nice cup of tea or coffee. I'm looking forward to making a batch soon!
hellomycontrolexperimentcom
So pretty! Beautiful photos - they make me want to actually bake 🙂
[email protected]
These look so delicious! I completely agree - turning cookies into bars is such a quick and delicious way to enjoy a cookie recipe 🙂
Courtney Connolly
Oh my gosh those look amazing! Lemon Poppy Seed is one of my absolute favourite flavours but that icing looks like the perfect addition!
La Belle Sirene