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These Strawberry Shortcake Bars are an easy cake mix cookie bar topped with whipped cream frosting and fresh strawberries. The bars have a texture somewhere between blondies and cake – paired with the frosting and berries this is the perfect treat for summer!

bars with strawberries and boxes behind


Why I Love This Recipe

If you’re looking for a dessert bar version of strawberry shortcake then this is the recipe for you!

This is the perfect summer cookie bar – great for potlucks or anytime you have a bounty of fresh strawberries!

I can never get enough of strawberries and cream, and when you combine that with a cake mix bar? I’m in heaven! It’s a delicious dessert for summer.

Strawberry Shortcake ingredients

7 Ingredients Needed

  • Cake Mix: Use your favorite brand. I prefer yellow or white cake mix for this recipe.
  • Butter: Always use the best! Challenge Butter is our family favorite and it’s what I use in all my recipes. We melt the butter so it’s easier to mix in.
  • Eggs: Always buy large eggs.
  • Vanilla: Pure vanilla extract is the best!
  • Heavy Whipping Cream: For the whipped cream frosting; no substitutes.
  • Cream Cheese: Make sure that it is room temperature to avoid lumps.
  • Strawberries: Hull and slice them to layer on top. You can also use a mixture of fresh berries!

Click to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions!

How to Strawberry Shortcake Bars

  1. Add melted butter, eggs and cake mix to a large bowl. No mixer needed! Stir until it’s combined. The mixture will be thick.
  2. Press the batter into a 9×13-inch pan. I like to line my pan with foil for easy removal.
  3. Once the bars are baked until golden brown and cooled, make the whipped cream frosting.
  4. Frost the bars. Top with strawberries. Slice and enjoy!

Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions

  • Make the cake mix bars and store tightly covered at room temperature for up to 3 days without frosting or topping.
  • Freeze Cake Mix Cookie Bars (without topping) for up to 3 months.
  • The whipped cream frosting can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours before frosting. Do not freeze.
  • Don’t slice your strawberries or add them to the bars until just before serving. The berries will weep, discoloring the frosting, if they sit longer than a day.
strawberry shortcake bar with bite missing

Expert Tips for making Strawberry Shortcake Bars

  • Variations: Use any fruit on top! Make this like a fruit tart or rainbow fruit pizza.
  • Be sure to whip the frosting until stiff peaks form. It will set up if you mix it enough.
  • Don’t forget to let your cream cheese soften to room temperature before making the frosting.
  • Don’t over bake the bars – the cake mix bars are done when they just loose their glossy sheen and are light golden around the edges.
overhead shot of bars on cookie sheet

FAQs

How to Store Cake Mix Cookie Bars

Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to a day. These are best eaten within a day of being assembled.

Are cake mix bars soft or chewy?

The cake bars bake up nice and soft, like a cross between a sugar cookie and cake!

bars with strawberries and boxes behind

Strawberry Shortcake Bars Recipe

5 from 4 votes
Cake Mix Cookie Bars topped with whipped cream frosting and fresh strawberries – the perfect summer cookie bar recipe!
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Yield 12 large bars
Serving Size 1 bar

Ingredients
 

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Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9×13-inch pan with foil or parchment paper and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
  • Add cake mix, butter and eggs to a large bowl. Stir until combined. You can do this by hand or use a mixer.
  • Press batter evenly into prepared pan. Bake until light golden around the edges and no longer glossy, approximately 15-20 minutes. Cool completely before frosting.
  • To make the forsting, beat cream cheese with powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth. Mix on high speed while adding heavy whipping cream, then mix until stiff peaks form.
  • Frost bars as desired. Store leftover frosting in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
  • Just before serving, top bars with sliced strawberries. Slice and serve.
  • Store bars in refrigerator for up to 24 hours once berries are added. Make bars up to 2 days in advance and frosting up to 2 days ahead. Don’t assemble until ready to serve.

Recipe Video

Recipe Nutrition

Serving: 1bar | Calories: 332kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 112mg | Sodium: 83mg | Potassium: 134mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 1117IU | Vitamin C: 22mg | Calcium: 57mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutritional information not guaranteed to be accurate
Course Dessert
Cuisine American

This post was sponsored by Challenge in 2022. Using the best ingredients possible will give you the best outcome, which is why I always recommend Challenge Butter. The butter has been a quality staple for over 100 years and is churned from the freshest purest cream. It’s 100% natural without the use of synthetic hormones.

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Dorothy Kern

Welcome to Crazy for Crust, where I share recipes that are sometimes crazy, often with a crust, and always served with a slice of life.

5 from 4 votes (4 ratings without comment)

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