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We are OBSESSED with strawberry desserts, especially in the summer, and these strawberry shortcake bars are on repeat all season long! Let’s be honest, all YEAR long.

The super soft cake-like crust is the perfect base for the light cream cheese layer and the fresh, cold strawberries. These bars actually taste just like our classic Strawberry Shortcake but with less hassle! Simply mix and bake each layer and top with strawberries and Whipped Cream. It’s heavenly and easy enough for the kids to make!

Although the steps are super simple, be sure to plan ahead with time, because it does need to refrigerate for at least 3 hours! That makes it an IDEAL make-ahead dessert and a favorite chilled treat.

If you love the flavors in these shortcake bars, try these other shortcake-inspired desserts: Classic Strawberry Shortcake and Bisquick Strawberry Shortcake!

Why we think you’ll love it:

  • A chilled treat. We love that this bar recipe is refrigerated, it makes a delicious warm-weather dessert!
  • Just layer and bake. The steps are SUPER simple – mix and bake the batters, then top with fresh strawberries and Whipped Cream.
  • Fresh strawberries. We love treats that incorporate fresh fruit – especially strawberries! It’s just so refreshing and delicious.

Strawberry Shortcake Bar Ingredients and Substitutions

Butter Vanilla Cake

  • ½ cup butter, softened – see How to Soften Butter Quickly
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs – room temeprature
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1½ cups all-purpose flour – see How to Measure Flour
  • ¾ cup milk
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract – or ½ teaspoon almond extract
  • 1-pint strawberries – We prefect just using strawberries, but to mix it up you could try raspberries, blueberries, sliced bananas, or sliced kiwi.

Frosting

  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • ¼-½ cup powdered sugar sifted
  • 8 ounces cool whip – Thaw if frozen. We love using Cool Whip to keep it simple but you could also make our favorite Homemade Whipped Cream.

How to Make Strawberry Shortcake Bars

  1. PREP. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Remove the Cool Whip from the freezer to thaw. Hull and slice the strawberries and set aside.
  2. CAKE LAYER. In a large bowl, beat the sugar and butter until creamy. Mix in eggs, baking powder, and salt. Alternate between adding in the flour and milk, beating after each addition. Beat until all ingredients are combined. Stir in vanilla extract.
    • Pour batter evenly into a greased and floured 9×13-inch baking dish.
  3. BAKE. Bake for 18-20 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Do not overbake, the cake should be flat and light in color. Let cool completely and set aside.
  4. CREAM CHEESE LAYER. In a large bowl, cream the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and thawed Cool Whip. Evenly spread cream cheese mixture over top of cooled cake. Top with sliced strawberries.
  5. CHILL. Refrigerate for 3 hours.
  • Let the cake cool completely before adding the frosting, we’ve made this mistake before and the frosting will melt right into the layers!
  • Ripe strawberries are a vibrant, deep red color from stem to tip with a sweet aroma and will have the BEST flavor. We love to pick up fresh strawberries from farmer’s markets.
A square slice of strawberry shortcake bars on a doily.
4.98 from 70 votes

Strawberry Shortcake Bars

Chilled strawberry shortcake bars are a light and easy twist on a classic dessert with simple steps and lots of fresh berry flavor.
Servings: 12
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Refrigerate: 3 hours
Total: 3 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients 

Butter Vanilla Cake

  • ½ cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • cups all-purpose flour
  • ¾ cup milk
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 pint strawberries

Frosting

  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • ¼-½ cup powdered sugar
  • 8 ounces cool whip, thawed

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Remove the Cool Whip from the freezer to thaw. Hull and slice the strawberries and set aside.
  • In a large bowl, beat the sugar and butter until creamy. Mix in eggs, baking powder, and salt. Alternate between adding in the flour and milk, beating after each addition. Beat until all ingredients are combined. Stir in vanilla extract.
  • Pour batter evenly into a greased and floured 9×13-inch baking dish.
  • Bake for 18-20 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Do not overbake, the cake should be flat and light in color. Let cool completely and set aside.
  • In a large bowl, cream the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and thawed Cool Whip. Evenly spread cream cheese mixture over top of cooled cake. Top with sliced strawberries.
  • Refrigerate for 3 hours.

Video

Notes

Recipe Tips:
  • Using room temperature ingredients helps them incorporate more easily, resulting in a lighter cake.
  • Ripe strawberries are a vibrant, deep red color from stem to tip with a sweet aroma and will have the BEST flavor. We love to pick up fresh strawberries from farmer’s markets.
  • Let the cake cool completely before adding the frosting, we’ve made this mistake before and the frosting will melt right into the layers!
Make ahead. The frosting and the cake can be made a day ahead of time and stored separately until you’re ready to assemble the cake.
Store leftovers, covered, in the fridge or divide it into airtight containers. The bars will last for 2-3, but the strawberries will only last for 1-2 days. The frosted cake can be frozen without the strawberries for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Serving: 12g, Calories: 340kcal, Carbohydrates: 40g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 18g, Saturated Fat: 11g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 70mg, Sodium: 208mg, Potassium: 189mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 27g, Vitamin A: 573IU, Vitamin C: 23mg, Calcium: 79mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Recipe FAQ

Make ahead of time?

The frosting and the cake can be made a day ahead of time and stored separately until you’re ready to assemble the cake.

How to store?

Store leftovers, covered, in the fridge or divided into airtight containers. The bars will last for 2-3, but the strawberries will only last for 1-2 days. The frosted cake can be frozen without the strawberries for up to 3 months.

This recipe was originally published May 2017.

Recipe adapted from Divas Can Cook.

About Kristyn

Kristyn Merkley is a published cookbook author, wife, mom of six, and major food enthusiast! For the past 15 years, she has been sharing foolproof, family-friendly recipes—each one tested in her kitchen—that anyone can master. As a seasoned recipe creator, she loves making cooking simple, stress-free, and totally doable for everyone!

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4.98 from 70 votes (35 ratings without comment)

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100 Comments

  1. Karen Harris says:

    I love your recipes! Tasty and so easy. Looks like it takes hours, not minutes!

  2. Sandy Gotter says:

    Can I put this on a 8×11 dish? Thanks

  3. Terri Littlefield Miller says:

    5 stars
    This cake is so good and refreshing. It’s my go to dessert for gatherings.

  4. Lynette says:

    5 stars
    Simply delicious!! And easy to make!

  5. Cindy Ostrowski says:

    5 stars
    This was such a simple and easy recipe to make and it was light and delicious. Everyone loved it and asked for the recipe. Will definitely make this again for family gatherings and for my family.

  6. Leslie says:

    5 stars
    W.hat a marvelous improvement on the good old “fruit pizza!” However, this is vastly more elegant.

    1. Sandy Gotter says:

      Can I use buttermilk instead of milk? Looks so good. Thanks sandy

  7. Kara Evans says:

    5 stars
    This is my all time favorite to make in the summer! My family loves it and it goes fast!

  8. Anabel says:

    5 stars
    I love to try this – looks refreshing to me.my family would love it.

  9. Teresa Stopher says:

    5 stars
    I love, love, love anything with strawberries!!!
    They are so refreshing to me in the summer!
    These bars are perfect for summer events! I might even make them year round!!!
    Thanks for a delicious dessert that makes my mouth water just making it!!!

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