Lemon Bars
Classic easy lemon bars with a buttery shortbread crust, tart lemon filling, and powdered sugar topping are always a crowd favorite!
Earlier this week I had the most intense cravings for lemon bars. Springtime always has me craving lemony treats, and they seemed like the perfect way to get my fix. And then I realized I don’t have a traditional lemon bar recipe! And maybe I hadn’t ever even baked a batch before? Time to fix that!
After various testing to get exactly what I wanted, I landed with this recipe for the best lemon bars ever. These bars have a tender buttery crust and the lemon filling is silky and tart. They’re rich and luscious, but still simple and easy to make. You won’t find a better lemon bar!
Table of Contents
- Ingredients you’ll need
- How to make lemon bars
- Tips for baking the best lemon bars
- The best way to store lemon bars
- Other lemon desserts you may like
- Get the recipe
Ingredients you’ll need
- Freshly squeezed lemon juice and lemon zest
- Unsalted butter
- Granulated sugar
- Eggs
- All-purpose flour
- Salt
- Powdered/confectioners sugar
How to make lemon bars
- Prepare shortbread crust. Press crust dough into a parchment lined 9-inch square baking pan and bake until it just start to turn golden brown.
- Prepare filling. Once the crust is baked and cooled, whisk together filling ingredients. Carefully pour onto the cooled crust and bake until set (if you jiggle the pan, the center shouldn’t wobble).
- Cool completely. Let the bars cool completely to room temperature to let them finish setting up. If you want, you can chill in fridge to speed up the cooling process, or if you want your bars firmer (which makes for easier slicing).
- Top with powdered sugar. Use a fine mesh strainer or powdered sugar duster to top the bars evenly.
- Slice & serve. Use a sharp knife and wipe clean in between each cut for the prettiest slices.
Tips for baking the best lemon bars
- Use a smaller pan. Using a 9-inch square baking pan instead of a 9×13-inch pan means these bars are thicker and more substantial.
- Line the pan with parchment paper. Line the pan with parchment paper or greased foil with extra overhanging the sides so you can lift the bars out of the pan for easy slicing.
- Par bake the crust. Baking the crust first before adding the lemon filling keeps the crust from getting soggy.
- Always use fresh lemon juice for the best lemon flavor.
- Cool the bars completely before slicing so the filling completely sets up. I even like to chill them in the fridge in order to get the cleanest slices.
The best way to store lemon bars
The best way to store lemon bars is in the fridge. Store them in an airtight container with parchment paper in between layers to prevent sticking for up to 5 days.
You can also freeze lemon bars! Wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and store in a freezer safe container for up to 30 months. Defrost in the fridge before serving.
Other lemon desserts you may like
Get the recipe
Lemon Bars
Ingredients
Crust:
- 1 cup (226 grams) unsalted butter , softened to room temperature
- ½ cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
- 2 cups (240 grams) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon coarse salt
Filling:
- 4 large eggs
- 1 ½ cup (300 grams) granulated sugar
- ⅔ cup (190 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice (, 2-3 lemons)
- Zest of 2 lemons
- ½ cup (60 grams) all-purpose flour
- Powdered sugar , for dusting
Instructions
To make the crust:
- Preheat oven to 350°F degrees and line a 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper or greased foil.
- With an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until light and creamy, 2-3 minutes on high.
- Add flour and salt and mix until the dough comes together.
- Press evenly into the prepared sheet pan and bake until it just starts to turn golden brown, 15-20 minutes.
- Let cool for about 15 minutes before adding filling.
To make the filling:
- Whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and flour until smooth.
- Pour on top of the cooled crust.
- Bake for a few minutes past the point when the center is set (if you jiggle the pan, the center should not move), about 30-35 minutes.
- Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then lift out of the pan with the parchment paper or foil, and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before serving. You can chill in the fridge to cool it faster.
- Dust the top of the bars with powdered sugar, then slice and serve.
I found that the filling was very rubbery but the base really nice. Maybe reduce the amount of flour?
‘Lemons in the sale’ so I thought: “Let’s do this”
Best choice I ever made!! They turned out marvelously wonderfully lemony delights. (if only I could eats these everyday without turning into Godzilla…) I found the filling on the first try perhaps a bit sweet for my taste, I love the tartness of Lemons. On the second try I reduced the sugar with 100gr, perfect (for me)
Thx for the recipe, looking forward to try more of your deliciousness.
They look so tempting drift f1
Love lemon bars. My mom made these every Christmas and Easter (cut out like bunnies). Her recipe uses powdered sugar in the crust which makes it light and buttery. I add zested lemon about 1/2 of a lemon. Which adds lemon each bite!!