Southerners have a lovely habit of keeping a sweet treat on the counter at all times. I’ve lived in the South long enough to have adopted this tradition, and it’s not uncommon for me to share a slice of pound cake with friends who stop by. I’ve been inspired by the start of spring, so this week’s dessert is a seasonal twist on my favorite sour cream cookie bars.
These cookie bars are soft and tender, with a tangy flavor from sour cream. The pretty pink color and the fruity strawberry flavor comes from freeze-dried strawberries, not a bottle of food dye. These dessert bars are easy to make and share, as they bake in a single pan—no scooping required. No matter the occasion—visiting with neighbors, going on a spring picnic, or filling the final school lunch boxes of the season—you’ll love these strawberry sour cream bars.
Why You’ll Love Them
- The bars are bursting with sweet strawberry flavor. Add freeze-dried strawberries to classic American buttercream for a spring-flavored finish. The berries give the frosting a pastel pink color and delicious fruit flavor.
- They’re perfect for parties. If invitations for gatherings are piling up, this is the dessert you should bring. Cut these cookie bars into 16 pieces to share with a crowd.
Key Ingredients in Strawberry Sour Cream Cookie Bars
- Sour cream: Full-fat sour cream gives these cookie bars their moist and tender texture. Its tangy flavor brings out the fruitiness of the strawberry frosting.
- Sugar: You’ll need two types of sugar for this recipe: granulated sugar for the sour cream cookie bars, and powdered sugar for the frosting.
- Freeze-dried strawberries: When strawberries are freeze-dried, their flavor is concentrated. They are dry and crunchy, so it’s easy to grind them into a powder to add to the frosting. I like to take the extra step to strain out the seeds for a smooth, pink frosting.
