Lemon Raspberry Sugar Cookie Bars made easily with basic pantry ingredients, plus fresh raspberries and lemons! The zesty lemon adds a refreshing twist, while the raspberries provide a pop of color and flavor.
Get ready to indulge in the perfect combination of flavors with these raspberry lemon bars! This delightful treat blends the brightness of lemon with the sweet juiciness of raspberries, creating an irresistible dessert that’s sure to impress. Our lemon cookie bars recipe creates a soft and chewy cookie base, bursting with fresh berries and topped with a creamy lemon frosting.
For those who’ve never made cookie bars, here are some tips!
- Gather your ingredients. Honestly, this is a step I take with any recipe and it stands true for this one too. Gathering all the ingredients you need makes the preparation a smooth process. Since these lemon bars call for a wide range of items, taking this step will be worth the effort up front!
- Use parchment paper. A trick when making cookies bars is to line your baking dish with parchment paper for easy removal and clean-up. It makes removing the bars from the pan a breeze and simplifies the cutting process.
- Lemon flavor. Don’t hold back on the lemon in this recipe! The juice and zest throughout this recipe is a main component for the amazing flavor. Make sure you are adding the recommended amount, plus a little more if you love an extra zesty lemon taste!
Lemon Raspberry Cookie Bar Ingredients
Flour: Flour is the structural base of this cookie dough recipe.
Baking powder: Adding 1 tsp of baking powder helps the cookie to puff up nicely as it bakes.
Salt: Use salt to balance the flavors.
Butter: Add ½ cup of softened unsalted butter to create a rich tasting dough.
Sugar: Using granulated sugar makes the cookie base sweet and chewy.
Egg: You need 1 large egg to help bind the ingredients together well.
Sour cream: A trick to soft, moist dough is adding sour cream to the mixture.
Vanilla extract: Use 1 tsp of vanilla extract in this recipe.
Lemon juice: Add 1 TBSP of each lemon juice and lemon zest for a fresh, tangy flavor.
Raspberries: You’ll need ⅓ cup of fresh raspberries for plenty to be scattered around the cookie.
Lemon Frosting
Butter: 4 TBSP of softened unsalted butter makes the frosting rich and smooth.
Lemon: Using lemon juice and lemon zest adds even more amazing, zesty flavor to these cookie bars.
Milk: Add some milk to get the frosting to the proper spreading consistency.
Vanilla extract: For a nice subtle flavor add in vanilla extract.
Powdered sugar: The sweet base of the frosting is 3-4 cups of powdered sugar.
Food coloring: For added color mix in 2 drops of yellow food coloring.
Raspberries: You’ll want a few additional raspberries for the topping as a nice garnish.
Preparation Tips for A Perfect Lemon Raspberry Cookie Bars
- Handling the dough: First, make sure your butter, egg, and sour cream are at room temperature. This helps create a smooth and creamy dough that we are aiming for. When combining the wet and dry ingredients, mix until just combined. Overmixing the dough can lead to tough cookie bars, which we don’t want.
- Fresh fruit additions: You will want to use fresh raspberries for the best flavor in these cookie bars, they are a key component in achieving the best results. Same with the lemons, the fresh zest and juice adds an incredible flavor that you don’t want to skip on.
- Cool before frosting: After baking is complete, let the bars cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to prevent sogginess. Only frost when your cookie bars are completely cool, this helps the frosting stay intact and not melt off the bars.
- Garnish Creatively: Add more raspberries on top for a beautiful finish. They add a pop of color and extra flavor!
How long are lemon raspberry bars good for?
These frosted cookie bars can be kept covered in the fridge for up to 4 days. I recommend eating them within 2 to 3 days for the best tasting results as the cookies will soften and possibly become soggy after a few days thanks to the moisture in the berries and frosting.
LEMON RASPBERRY SUGAR COOKIE BAR RECIPE
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 TBSP lemon juice
- 1 TBSP lemon zest
- ⅓ cup fresh raspberries
Lemon Frosting
- 4 TBSP unsalted butter softened
- 2 TBSP lemon juice
- 1 TBSP lemon zest
- 2 TBSP milk
- 1 TBSP vanilla extract
- 3-4 cups powdered sugar
- 2 drops yellow food coloring
- additional raspberries for topping
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Then line a 9 x 13 baking dish with parchment paper or spray with non-stick cooking spray, set aside.
- Wash the raspberries and ensure all stems/leaves are removed. Zest the lemon for the required measurements for the batter and frosting and then squeeze for the lemon juice as well.
- Cookie dough: In a medium sized bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt, set it aside. In a separate large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar for about 2-3 minutes until it is light and fluffy. Add the egg, sour cream, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract. Mix until combined.
- Slowly add in the flour mixture, while stirring, until everything is incorporated. Fold in the fresh raspberries and mix once more.
- Bake: Press the batter into the prepared baking dish and spread it out evenly with your hands or a rubber spatula. Bake the sugar cookie bars for 15-17 minutes or until the edges have just started to turn golden. Be sure to allow the cookie bars to cool completely before adding the frosting.
- Frosting: In a large bowl, combine the butter, lemon juice zest, milk, vanilla extract, powder sugar, food coloring (if desired) and use an electric mixer to combine ingredients well. Beat the ingredients for 2-3 minutes until the frosting is smooth and creamy. You can add more powdered sugar or milk if needed, until you reach the desired consistency.
- Assemble: Spread the frosting evenly over the cooled cookie bar, then cut into squares and serve with additional raspberries on top. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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How do I know if the cookie is done baking?
The cookie will look just barely golden around the edges and the top may even look a little undone, but as the cookie sits and cools in the pan, the baking process will finish. The most important thing is that the top of the cookie bar doesn’t look glossy, wet, or like raw cookie dough.
What’s the best technique to incorporate fresh raspberries into cookie dough?
Gently fold the raspberries into your cookie dough at the last moment. This helps prevent them from breaking apart. Using a silicone spatula for folding can minimize damage.
HOW DO YOU SOFTEN BUTTER?
I like to soften butter by using the defrost function on my microwave. If you need the full 1/2 cup cube of butter, you can leave it in the paper wrapper, otherwise, place the amount of butter you need in a glass or porcelain bowl. I use the lowest defrost setting on my microwave and just let it run for 20 seconds. Check the butter and see how soft it is by pressing it with a rubber scraper. If it is still not soft to the touch, meaning it doesn’t indent when you press into it, let it warm for another 5-10 seconds. Watch it closely! Butter softens very quickly.
Check out more of our favorite fruit cookie recipes here:
- These flavorful lemon sugar cookies are so simple to make and are a wonderful treat to make for any occasion or just to enjoy at home.
- Make a batch of these strawberry sugar cookie bars with frosting, they are a perfect dessert for spring-time! The fruit flavored frosting elevates these cookie bars perfectly.
- For a cool, refreshing treat give our lemon ice cream bar recipe a try. The cookie base is layered with vanilla ice cream and zesty lemon curd, a delicious combination of flavors!
- Chocolate Raspberry Bars are buttery cookies topped with a raspberry filling and a simple chocolate topping. They are great for any occasion & are sure to impress!
Lemon Raspberry Sugar Cookie Bars are simple to make and OH so tasty too! Making this lemon cookie bars recipe is a fantastic way to use those fresh lemons in your yard, don’t let them go to waste this season.
aimee @ like mother like daughter says
I have got to try this adding raspberry next time. Oh my!
Rumi says
I think there may be an error in measurement for sour cream? I followed the link to the original recipe which calls for 1 tablespoon but wasn’t sure if you increased to 1/4 cup or you meant 1 TBSP. Thanks.
Jessica says
Nope- the recipe is correct! I adapted it to be more like our favorite sugar cookie recipe, which calls for 1/4 cup sour cream. It gives it a fantastic consistently. 🙂
Rumi says
Thanks for the clarification but the ingredients could cause a bit of confusion as it reads “¼ cup TBSP sour cream”.
Katie says
I followed the directions (except I used Greek yogurt instead of sour cream) but they turned out super dry. Suggestions?
Jessica says
Did you bake them too long?