These raspberry lemon bars are made with a lemon zest infused buttery shortbread crust, juicy raspberries that go in fresh with no cooking down required (yay!), and a crunchy cinnamon lemon streusel on top. Then it’s drizzled with a quick and sweet lemon glaze to add just a tad more flavor. Safe to say this is going straight into my regular summer dessert rotation and should be in yours too!

A lemon raspberry crumb bar cut into a square and leaning on its side.
No need to cook down any fruit to make these lemon + raspberry bars!

I loved my blueberry lemon crumb bars so much that I couldn’t stop thinking about doing a raspberry version, so I made these the very next week. Same shortbread crust, same crumble, same easy lemon glaze, just swapped raspberries in for blueberries. An abundance of summer produce really make this such an easy recipe for you to swap!

Over the last month I have made a version of this dessert at least 4 times. Partly because it’s so easy to make when you need an easy summer dessert and partly because every time I make it, its met with rave reviews and a “where can I get this recipe?”.

So I thought you should have it too! These lemon raspberry bars have 4 distinct separate layers. Were not making a crumble recipe here and using the same topping for the bottom. But don’t be scared or intimidated, it’s so super easy and the steps flow together easily so you don’t get overwhelmed.

Lemon shortbread crust pressed into a 9x 13 pan
Combine all the shortbread ingredients in one bowl and mix until a smooth dough comes together. Press it into an even layer in a parchment-lined 9×13 pan, then bake and let it cool completely before the raspberries go on.
Ingredients for a crumb topping in a glass bowl.
Make the crumb topping while the crust bakes: combine all the ingredients, then pinch the cold butter in with your fingers until you’ve got small, pea-sized clumps. Pop the bowl in the freezer until you’re ready to use it – keeping that butter cold is what gives you a crunchy, sandy streusel instead of a greasy one, so don’t skip the chill
Fresh raspberries tossed with flour and lemon juice in a glass bowl.
In a medium sized bowl, add the flour, lemon juice, and sugar to the raspberries and toss to coat everything evenly. That little bit of flour is what keeps the filling from turning into a puddle once the bars cool. Once your shortbread crust is cool to the touch, spread the raspberries out in one even layer on top.
Raspberry filling spread on top of lemon shortbread.
You can use fresh or frozen raspberries here. I prefer fresh, since frozen berries take more effort to thaw and dry and carry a higher risk of a soggy filling. If you do go frozen, make sure they’re thawed and dried very well first.
Lemon raspberry crumb bars pre baked in a 9x13 inch dish.
Spread the cold crumb topping evenly all over the raspberries, then bake.

Once the bars have baked, let them cool for at least an hour before you make the lemon glaze and drizzle it on top. If you drizzle it while the bars are still warm it will just melt into the crumb topping and you wont be able to see the pretty white drizzle!

I prefer to let the bars chill for another hour in the fridge or even overnight before cutting into them. The colder they are the cleaner it will cut. So yes, this dessert is actually even better cold!

Raspberry lemon crumble bars drizzled with a white glaze.
Use a spoon to drizzle the glaze all over the bars before cutting in to them. I prefer to drizzle right before serving but you can do it before (as long as they are cooled down) and chill in the fridge too.

The parchment paper makes it easy to lift the bars out of the pan so you can cut them into squares or triangles. Enjoy!

A lemon raspberry crumb bar cut into a square and leaning on its side.
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Easy Raspberry Lemon Crumb Bars

Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 50 minutes
Cooling Time: 1 hour
Total: 2 hours 5 minutes
Servings: 16 Bars
These raspberry lemon bars are made with a lemon zest infused buttery shortbread crust, juicy raspberries that go in fresh with no cooking down required (yay!), and a crunchy cinnamon lemon streusel on top. Then it’s drizzled with a quick and sweet lemon glaze to add just a tad more flavor. Safe to say this is going straight into my regular summer dessert rotation and should be in yours too!
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Ingredients

Lemon Shortbread

  • 1 cup butter or butter substitute, unsalted, softened (227g)
  • 1/2 cup confectioners sugar, 60g
  • 2 cups all purpose flour, 240g
  • 1/4 tsp kosher salt
  • Zest of 1 lemon

Crumble

  • 1 cup all purpose flour, 120g
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar, 100g
  • 1/4 cup white sugar, 30g
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup butter, unsalted, cold, diced small, 113g
  • Zest of 1 lemon

Raspberry Filling

  • 24 oz raspberries, fresh or frozen, washed and dried very well
  • 2 tbsp all purpose flour
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice, about half a lemon
  • 1/4 cup white sugar

Lemon Glaze

  • 1 cup powdered sugar, 120g
  • 2 tsp fresh lemon zest, optional
  • 2-3 tbsp fresh lemon juice, depending how thick you want the glaze

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 325°F and line a 9×13 pan with parchment paper.
  • In the bowl of a hand or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment add the 1 cup softened butter, and 1/2 cup confectioners sugar. Mix on low speed moving up to medium to cream until combined, about 2 mins. Add the 2 cups all purpose flour, 1/4 tsp kosher salt, and zest of 1 lemon, and mix again on low until the dough starts coming together in a ball.
  • Stop the mixer and press the dough together into one smooth ball. Drop the ball of dough into the lined 9×13 pan and press and spread out evenly into the pan.
  • Bake for 20 minutes. Remove, raise the oven temperature to 350°F, and let cool.
  • Meanwhile make the crumb topping. In a small bowl combine the 1 cup flour, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup white sugar, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp kosher salt, 1/2 cup cold diced butter, and zest of 1 lemon.
  • Using your fingers, mix and pinch the butter into the mixture gently until small clumps form and are about the size of a pea. Put the bowl in the freezer while the crust continues baking.
  • Toss the raspberries in a medium bowl with 2 tbsp flour, 2 tbsp lemon juice, and 1/4 cup sugar. When the crust is cooled, pour the raspberries over the crust, then sprinkle all over with the crumble.
  • Bake for 30 mins.
  • Cool on the counter for 20 minutes, then move to the fridge to chill for at least an hour but can even be overnight.
  • In a pourable measuring cup, add 1 cup powdered sugar, lemon zest if you’re using it, and 2-3 tablespoons lemon juice. Mix and pour over the cooled bars. Using a large sharp knife, cut into 16 squares.

Notes

You’ll need 2 lemons if you are using fresh. You can also use bottled lemon juice but then you will be missing out on the extra lemon flavor from fresh zest. 

Storage

Keep the bars covered in the fridge (either in the pan or in an airtight container) for 3-5 days (although they are always gone by then!). I don’t recommend freezing these. The raspberry filling has a high water content, and thawing tends to leave the filling watery and the crumble soft instead of crisp.
Calories: 358kcal, Carbohydrates: 48g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 18g, Saturated Fat: 11g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 46mg, Sodium: 213mg, Potassium: 109mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 26g, Vitamin A: 546IU, Vitamin C: 13mg, Calcium: 26mg, Iron: 1mg
Course: Dessert
Author: Sam Adler
Cuisine: American
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