The springtime sunshine is starting to stick around where I live, which is putting me in the mood for fresh, summer flavors! So when Kim at The Wad Squad tried Partylicious’ recipe for Strawberry Lemon Blondies, I knew I had to try them!

Lemon is such a versatile flavor! It’s sublime on its own, but something special happens when you add berries. Lemon blueberry is a common combo, but have you tried lemon strawberry? Oh my goodness, YUM!

My favorite aspect of this recipe is the fresh flavors of the fruits. There are no extracts, nothing artificial; just fresh lemon juice and zest with explosions of diced strawberry bits. The fruit makes these blondies sing! They’re perfectly tart, not too sweet, and altogether delicious!

TIP: Don’t skip the glaze; it’s lick-the-spoon good! It’s also easily customizable. My recipe doubles the fruit juices from the original, but it’s easy to make it sweeter, if that is your preference.

NOTE: These bars are dense! While this recipe bakes in a small 8×8 dish, it still serves quite a few. I recommend cutting your bars into 2-inch squares, giving you 16 servings of the perfect size!

Strawberry Lemon White Chocolate Blondies
(Original recipe: Partylicious)

BLONDIES
1 C butter, room temperature
3/4 C sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
1/4 C lemon juice
The zest of 1 lemon
306 g (2-1/4 C) all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 C finely diced fresh strawberries
½ C white chocolate chips

GLAZE
1 C powdered sugar
2 TBSP strawberry puree (2-3 strawberries)
2 TBSP lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest

Preheat oven to 350F. Line 8X8 inch pan with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, and salt.

In the bowl of a standing mixer or hand held mixer, cream the butter and sugar on medium for 2-3 minutes, until it is light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula and add the egg. Mix until incorporated. Then add lemon juice and continue mixing, pausing to scrape down the sides a few times. (It’s normal if it looks curdled.)

Add flour mixture to butter mixture and stir until combined. Gently fold in diced strawberries and chocolate chips with a large spoon or rubber spatula. Spread mixture into prepared pan, using a knife to push it towards the edges and make the top even.

Bake for 35-40 minutes. Try not to overbake them. The edges will be brown and a toothpick will come out clean when you pierce the middle. When they’re done baking, let them cool completely on a cooling rack before adding the glaze.

To make the glaze, cut up 2-3 strawberries and puree them in a food processor or blender. Strain out the solid parts of the strawberry so just the liquid is left.

Add 1 TBSP strawberry juice, 1 TBSP lemon juice, and 1 cup of powdered sugar to a bowl and whisk until thoroughly combined and a glaze forms. If it looks too thick, add a bit more lemon juice or strawberry puree. If it’s too thin, add a bit more powdered sugar.

Pour the glaze over the blondies and quickly spread it evenly using a knife or spatula. Let the glaze set completely before cutting.