Make delicious, easy Strawberry Brownies from scratch. These soft, fruity bars are also safe for shipping in hot weather. An ideal recipe for summer time snacking and sharing!
Why you'll love this recipe
- These chewy, pink brownies are made with heat resistant ingredients to help prevent spoiling during hot weather shipping.
- Strawberry brownies stay moist and chewy for over a week.
- Decorate with just sprinkles, or add strawberry spritz cookies on top!
Strawberry Brownies have the perfect, fudgy texture you would expect in a brownie, but with the fruity flavor of strawberries instead of chocolate.
This cookie bar recipe was developed especially for successful hot weather shipping , avoiding ingredients that add mold promoting moisture, such as liquid sweeteners or fresh fruit.
Using strawberry flavoring instead of fresh strawberries provides flavor while avoiding the risk of mold.
Military care packages to the Middle East regularly travel in 120+° F desert heat! Domestic packages regularly travel in summer temperatures around 100° F. Melting is a concern. Spoilage is a problem. Using safer recipes is essential.
Wherever these Strawberry Brownies travel, they'll be a delicious sweet treat.
Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. The full instructions are in the recipe card below.
- Combine ingredients to form batter.
- Spread the brownie batter into a foil lined 9”x9” pan and sprinkle with nonpareils.
- If using Strawberry Press Cookies to decorate, cover the pan loosely with a sheet of foil and bake for 15 minutes.
- Remove the foil and add the frozen, unbaked Strawberry Press Cookies on top.
- Bake for an additional 12 minutes.
- If not using cookie decorations, bake for 25-30 minutes.
- Cool completely in the pan before removing and cutting into bars.
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Storage
Store at room temperature in an airtight container or ziplock bag for up to 10 days.
For longer storage, wrap the entire square and do not cut into individual bars.
Tips
- These bars are part of the contents of a “Thank You Berry Much!” military care package and were decorated with 16 unbaked, frozen Strawberry Press Cookies that were set aside for this purpose. The Strawberry Brownies recipe provides directions and timing for baking with the cookie decorations or without.
- The 3 egg yolks in this recipe, combined with the red tinted strawberry flavoring, turns the batter a peach color. For a more strawberry pink-red color, add some red or pink food coloring gel.
- For the best results, I'm a big fan of Lorann baking emulsions. The flavors taste natural and don’t fade while baking. They can be easily found online, in baking stores, and at Michael's craft stores.
- The brownies are partially baked before adding the Strawberry Press Cookies as decoration on top of the brownies, in order to help keep the cookies from sinking into the brownie dough while baking. There will be some sinking but most of the cookies should remain clearly visible.
- Strawberry Brownies are so pretty and make the perfect dessert for special occasions like baby showers, Mother's Day, Valentine's Day and birthday parties.
Related recipes
Chocolate Strawberry Blondie Bites are chewy, pink blondie with chocolate on top.
Strawberry Lemonade Bars are fruity, two-layer bars great for care packages and picnics. A great summer time dessert recipe
Strawberry Lemonade Mug Cake gives you a taste of summer in a one minute microwave mug cake easily made with boxed cake mix.
Strawberry Sugar Cookies are chewy cookies with crunchy edges and lots of real strawberry flavor from freeze-dried strawberries.
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Strawberry Brownies
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup butter flavor vegetable shortening
- 1¼ cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs + 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon strawberry jello powder OR 2 teaspoons strawberry extract
- 4-7 drops of red food coloring gel optional
- ¼ cup mini white chocolate chips
- 2-3 tablespoons pink and red nonpareil sprinkles
- 16 unbaked Strawberry Press Cookies frozen (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9” x 9” square baking pan with foil extending over the edges for easy removal. Spray the foil with non-stick spray.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt.
- Place vegetable shortening in large microwave safe bowl and microwave about 1 minute until melted.
- Into the bowl of melted shortening add flour mixture, sugar, eggs and yolk, and vanilla extract and strawberry jello (or strawberry extract). Mix with a large spoon until smooth.
- For a more red colored bar, mix in food coloring gel.
- Stir in white chocolate chips.
- Spread the strawberry brownie batter evenly into the prepared pan, then sprinkle with nonpareils. With fingertips, gently press the sprinkles to make sure they sticks to the batter.
If using Strawberry Press Cookies to decorate:
- Lay a sheet of foil loosely over the pan and bake for 15 minutes.
- Remove the foil, arrange the frozen, unbaked cookies on top of the batter, bake for an additional 12 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the brownies comes out clean.
If not using cookie decorations:
- Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
- Cool completely in pan on wire rack.
- Remove cooled brownies from the pan by lifting the overhanging foil.
- Dust with powdered sugar, if desired.
- Cut into bars.
- Store at room temperature in an airtight container or ziplock bag for up to 10 days. For longer storage, wrap the entire square and do not cut into individual bars.
Notes
- These Strawberry Bars are part of the contents of a “Thank You Berry Much!” military care package and were decorated with 16 unbaked, frozen Strawberry Press Cookies that were set aside for this purpose. This strawberry brownie recipe provides directions and timing for baking with the cookie decorations or without.
- The 3 egg yolks in this recipe, combined with the red tinted strawberry flavoring, turns the batter a peach color. For a more strawberry pink-red color, add some red or pink food coloring gel.
- This recipe was developed for safe hot weather shipping. Using fresh strawberries or strawberry jam is not recommended due to the moisture content that could cause spoilage.
- The brownies are partially baked before adding the Strawberry Press Cookies as decoration in order to help keep the cookies from sinking into the brownie dough while baking. There will be some sinking but most of the cookies should remain clearly visible.
- Double wrap bars individually or in pairs in plastic wrap before placing in airtight containers or ziplock bags.
- Wrapping or vacuum sealing the entire pan of Raspberry Bars without cutting will preserve moisture and keep the bars chewy for longer.
Nutrition
First Published: June 16, 2019. Last Updated: April 2, 2024. Updated for better user experience.
Molly
hi! would i be able to use butter instead of veggie shortening?
Wendy Sondov
Hi, Molly. I haven't tried this recipe with butter, but I think it should work. Be sure to melt the butter just like the directions say to melt the vegetable shortening. I hope you will let me know how your brownies turn out!
Kathleen
HI there, this is the most normal recipe I've seen for Strawberry Brownies I threw the first attempt right in the garbage...do you think for this strawberry jello powder OR 2 teaspoons strawberry extract, I can use freeze dried strawberries or it the jello powder better?
Thanks,
Kathleen
Wendy Sondov
Hi Kathlene. In my first recipe for fruit flavored brownies (strawberry lemonade), I actually used a combination of jello and extract for flavor (take a look at https://themondaybox.com/strawberry-lemonade-bars/). Really, you use so little jello that I don't think it has an effect on the texture, only on the color and flavor. I don't think either one is better. Some people don't want to purchase strawberry flavoring, so I gave an alternative. You can use either one, or a combination of the two. As for the freeze dried strawberries, I think you could make that work (I've used it for flavoring in cookies before) but I am not sure of the quantity. Jello and extract flavor is very condensed. I think you would need to use a lot more of the freeze dried strawberries to get strong enough flavor. Maybe a combination there to? I'd love to know how your strawberry brownies turn out and what method you used! Happy baking!
Sam
Do I think regular vegetable oil will work if so would I use the same amount
Wendy Sondov
Hi Sam. I don't think that regular vegetable oil would work in this recipe. Shortening is solid at room temperature whereas oil remains liquid at all temperatures. Coconut oil would work because it is a solid at room temperature too. If vegetable oil is used I'm not sure of the results and I am not sure how much you would use. Sorry I can't help more on this one!
Morgan
If I were to make a normal chocolate brownie batter, do you think I’d be able to pour this strawberry one on top? Would they bake the same together? Like a Neapolitan type thing.
Wendy Sondov
Hi, Morgan! I think a layered Neopolitan type brownie would be awesome! I see no reason why that wouldn't work as long as you had a pan that would accommodate the double batter and you allow extra baking time for the thickness. You may need to lay a piece of foil on top of the baking brownies toward the end of the baking time, so that the top layer doesn't over brown before it is cooked through. Just keep an eye on it. Enjoy! I'd love to know how your creation turns out!