These strawberry shortcake bars are a delicious twist on a classic made in a sheet pan. They are topped with a delicious cream cheese frosting and sweet strawberries.
Other shortcake dessert recipes we love include strawberry shortcake trifle, and strawberry shortcake biscuits.
Table of Contents
Strawberry Shortcake Bars Recipe
During fresh strawberry season and throughout the summer, I’m always looking for new strawberry desserts. Easy dessert bar recipes like strawberry crumb bars and strawberry shortcake bars are the ones I keep for potlucks and large gatherings!
This strawberry dessert bars recipe is a take on my classic strawberry shortcake recipe without making an angel food cake or using a tube pan. It’s a simple sheet pan cake topped with a luscious cream cheese frosting topped with fresh strawberries.
Why This Recipe Works
- Bakes up quickly. With about 20 minutes of baking time, you’ll have a batch of strawberry shortcake squares that serves 15 people.
- Simple and delicious. Made with simple ingredients, the results are moist thin bars with the classic flavors of strawberry shortcake with the ease of a sheet cake!
Recipe Ingredients
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- Butter: If you keep your butter in the fridge, bring it to room temperature with enough time to let it soften.
- Strawberries: Washed, dried, hulled, and chopped.
- Cream cheese: Bring this out of the fridge with the butter. It needs to be soft so it whips up and blends nicely with the heavy cream and powdered sugar for the frosting.
- You’ll also need Sugar, eggs, baking powder, salt, all-purpose flour, milk, and vanilla.
How to Make Strawberry Shortcake Bars
In a large mixing bowl, beat the sugar and butter until light and creamy. Then, add the eggs, baking powder, and salt. Alternate adding the flour and milk to the wet ingredients, beating after each addition until combined. Now, stir in the vanilla.
Pour the batter into a prepared 9×13 baking dish and bake for 18-20 minutes, being careful not to overbake. It may appear slightly underdone, but it’s ok!
Once it has cooled completely spread the frosting made of whipped cream, powdered sugar, and cream cheese, evenly across the thin golden cake. Top with chopped strawberries and sugar. Enjoy!
Variations and Tips
- Use different fruits. Try this shortcake recipe with peaches, blueberries, raspberries, or your fruit of choice for flavor variations.
- A different frosting. Use just a whipped topping like Cool Whip or homemade whipped cream or amp up the strawberry flavor with strawberry buttercream.
- Serve with a scoop of strawberry ice cream or vanilla ice cream.
More strawberry recipes to try include frozen strawberry lemonade, strawberry bananas smoothie and strawberry bread!
More Fruity Dessert Recipes
Browse all
HUNGRY FOR MORE? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all the newest recipes!
Strawberry Shortcake Bars
Video
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup butter , softened
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup milk
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla
Topping
- 1 pint strawberries , diced
- 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
Frosting
- 2 ounces cream cheese
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9×13 inch baking dish.
- Make batter: Beat 1 cup sugar and 1/2 cup softened butter together in a large mixing bowl until light and creamy. Add 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
- Beat: Alternating between the two, add 1 1/2 cups flour and 3/4 cup milk, beating after each addition until all combined. Stir in 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract. Pour batter into the prepared baking dish.
- Bake: In the preheated oven, bake 18-20 minutes. The cake may appear slightly underdone, but do not overbake. The cake will be flat and light in color. Let cool completely.
- Topping: In a small bowl combine 1 pint diced strawberries and 2 Tablespoons sugar. Set aside.
- Frosting: In a medium mixing bowl, cream together 2 ounces cream cheese, 1 cup whipping cream and 1/4 cup powdered sugar until stiff peaks form. Spread evenly on cooled cake. Top with strawberries and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Recipe FAQs
Keep any leftover bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Sure you can! With or without the frosting on top. If you are freezing it with the topping, it’s a good idea to flash-freeze the bars on a baking sheet until they are solid. That way you can wrap them in plastic wrap to freeze them without making a mess!
Categorized as: 4th of July, American, Birthdays, Desserts, Easter, Fruit Desserts, Nut-Free, Reader Favorites
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook and shares easy family-friendly recipes and desserts for every occasion.
can I make these in a sheet pan
Yes, this recipe is for a 9×13 sheet pan. Enjoy!
These were a perfect summertime treat for my kids, and of course myself!
It’s perfect for summer! So glad you enjoyed it!
Made these bars with some farmers market strawberries that I needed to use up and they turned out amazing! My daughter even said that this is her favorite new dessert!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the shortcake bars Maria! And I love farmers market produce :)
Whipped up a batch of these for an afternoon treat, and they did not disappoint! Turned out light, fluffy and delicious; exactly what I needed to cure my sweet tooth!
What a delicious, fun and easy way to serve strawberry shortcake to a crowd! Everyone loved it.