Raspberry Lemon Bars

These beautiful Raspberry Lemon Bars are packed with lemon zest and lemon juice and topped with a flavorful raspberry frosting. These bars are moist and chewy (similar to a blondie) and the frosting is flavored with real raspberries.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 25

Total Time 45

Servings

Calories 289kcal

Author Allison - Celebrating Sweets

Ingredients

Bars:

1 cup all purpose flour spooned and leveled
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup unsalted butter melted and cooled slightly
⅓ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup light brown sugar packed
finely grated zest of two medium-sized lemons
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Frosting:

½ cup unsalted butter softened
1½ cups powdered sugar
¼ cup freeze dried raspberry powder see note
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon raspberry jam
2 teaspoons milk plus more, if needed

Optional garnishes:

fresh raspberries and/or sliced lemon

Instructions

Bars:

Preheat oven to 350°F with the rack in the middle of the oven. Line an 8x8 baking pan with foil or parchment and lightly grease. Set aside.
Combine flour, baking powder, and salt.
In a separate bowl, whisk melted butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar for one full minute. Add lemon zest, juice, whole egg, egg yolk, and vanilla, whisking until well combined. Tap the whisk on the side of the bowl to remove all the excess batter, then remove the whisk from the bowl. Add the flour mixture and stir with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon until well combined.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread into an even layer.
Bake for 17-20 minutes, until the top is dry and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (the bars should still be pale). Place on a wire rack to cool completely.

Frosting (see note):

Using a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter until smooth. Add powdered sugar, raspberry powder, vanilla extract, and raspberry jam. Beat until fully combined. Add milk, one teaspoon at a time, until the frosting is thin enough to spread. Spread frosting onto the cooled bars.

Notes

FREEZE DRIED RASPBERRIES: Freeze dried raspberries are dry and crispy. They can be found on the dried fruit aisle (I get mine at Target). Note: they are not soft and chewy like a raisin. Because they are dry they add a deep, more intense raspberry flavor without adding too much moisture to the frosting.

Pulse the freeze dried raspberries in a food processor or blender until ground into a fine powder. If desired, you can remove the seeds by putting the powder through a fine mesh sieve.

You'll need about ½ cup of freeze dried raspberries for ¼ cup of powder.

FROSTING: This makes a generous amount of frosting. The frosting layer is equal thickness to the lemon bar layer. Prefer less frosting? Halve the frosting portion of the recipe.

SERVING AND STORAGE: Store in the refrigerator, tightly covered, for up to 3 days. Serve at cool room temperature.

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