Easy Lemon Bars
This is my favorite lemon bars recipe, and for good reason! To bring out the best lemony flavor in our creamy filling, we use lemon juice and lemon zest, then we pour it over a buttery, shortbread crust. This one is a real keeper! I’m not sure I can convey how much I love these incredible homemade lemon bars. Let’s start with the crust. If you’ve had shortbread cookies before, our lemon bar crust will remind you of them. I love it so much that I’d be happy to eat the crust all by itself (it’s that good). Then, there’s the lemon filling. You’ll use fresh lemon juice and lots of lemon zest to pack in as much lemony flavor as possible. It’s tart, creamy, and it works so nicely with that buttery crust. For more lemon desserts, I also love these blueberry lemon cheesecake bars and this lemon blueberry cake. Key Ingredients Butter: Melted butter is the secret to our shortbread crust. Salted butter is perfect, but unsalted is fine. Just follow my tips for adding a bit of salt to our recipe below. Flour: All-purpose flour is perfect here, or use your favorite gluten-free all-purpose flour blend. Sugar: I use granulated sugar for the crust and lemon topping. Lemons: I usually buy 5 lemons when shopping for this recipe to make sure I have enough juice. For these bars, you’ll use the zest of a lemon or two and the juice of 4 to 5 lemons. Extra lemony!! Eggs: These are the base of our creamy lemon filling. Vanilla: I add a bit of vanilla to make the crust taste even more delicious. I highly recommend it! Butter: Melted butter is the secret to our shortbread crust. Salted butter is perfect, but unsalted is fine. Just follow my tips for adding a bit of salt to our recipe below. Flour: All-purpose flour is perfect here, or use your favorite gluten-free all-purpose flour blend. Sugar: I use granulated sugar for the crust and lemon topping. Lemons: I usually buy 5 lemons when shopping for this recipe to make sure I have enough juice. For these bars, you’ll use the zest of a lemon or two and the juice of 4 to 5 lemons. Extra lemony!! Eggs: These are the base of our creamy lemon filling. Vanilla: I add a bit of vanilla to make the crust taste even more delicious. I highly recommend it! Find the full recipe with measurements below. How to Make My Favorite Lemon Bars Lemon bars are such a simple dessert, and every time I bring them somewhere, they are one of the first things to disappear from the dessert table. Here are my top tips for making them the best: Tip 1: Add extra flavor to the crust. To really pack in as much fresh lemon flavor as we can, we rub lemon zest and a bit of vanilla into the sugar we use for making the shortbread crust. Use your fingers to rub the zest and vanilla into the sugar until it smells fragrant and takes on a slight yellow color. I love this trick so much, I use it for other recipes, like our blueberry scones made with lemon sugar. Tip 2: Use melted butter for the crust. Very often, you’ll see softened butter used to make the crust of lemon bars. Melted butter is easier, and it makes the crust more crisp, which is perfect against the creamy lemon filling. I use the same trick for shortbread cookies, chocolate chip cookies, and the topping for my apple crisp. If I can, I will always substitute melted butter for softened butter in my baking recipes. Tip 3: Give the crust a head start in the oven. In our recipe, you’ll chill the crust for 5 minutes, and then bake it until golden brown before adding the lemon filling. This makes sure it sets and crisps before adding the wet filling. Tip 4: Cool the bars completely before cutting them. For perfect slices and the perfect creamy texture, let the bars cool completely. It’s hard, I know, but it makes a huge difference when slicing them. Easy Lemon Bars PREP 30 mins COOK 55 mins TOTAL 1 hr 25 mins PREP 30 mins COOK 55 mins TOTAL 1 hr 25 mins These easy lemon bars have the most delicious shortbread crust and a creamy, tart lemon topping. Making the crust with melted butter is much easier than softened butter, which is common in other recipes. Don’t skip chilling the crust before baking, it really helps keep the crust crisp and crunchy. Makes 16 lemon bars You Will Need Shortbread Crust 12 tablespoons (170g) salted butter, melted and cooled 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar 1 teaspoon lemon zest 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 cups (260g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled 1 ½ cups (300g) granulated sugar 3 tablespoons (25g) all-purpose flour 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt 2 teaspoons lemon zest 4 large eggs 3/4 cup (180ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice, from 4 to 5 lemons 2 tablespoons powdered sugar for sifting tops of bars Directions 1Prepare the baking pan: Line a straight-sided 13×9-inch metal baking pan with foil, leaving an overhang on two opposite sides. (This will help when removing the cooled bars from the pan.) Lightly coat the sides of the foil, but not the bottom, with non-stick cooking spray or extra melted butter to prevent the lemon topping from sticking. 2Make the crust: In a medium bowl, use a spatula or your fingers to stir and press 1/2 cup of sugar, 1 teaspoon of lemon zest, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract together until moist and fragrant. Stir in 2 cups of flour and the melted butter until a crumbly, stiff dough forms. 3Form the crust: Press the dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking pan (it may not look like enough dough at first, but it will cover the bottom nicely). Prick the dough with a fork all over to prevent air bubbles while baking. Freeze the crust for 5 minutes or until firm (or refrigerate for 30 minutes). 4Preheat the oven: While the crust chills, position an oven rack near the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 325°F (162°C). 5Bake the crust: Bake the shortbread crust until lightly golden brown and set, 25 to 30 minutes. 6Make the lemon topping: While the crust bakes, stir the sugar, flour, salt, and 2 teaspoons of lemon zest. Whisk in the eggs until smooth, then whisk in the lemon juice. 7Bake the filling: Once the crust has baked, pour the lemon topping over the hot crust. Return the pan to the oven and increase the oven temperature to 350°F (177°C). Bake until the topping is set in the center and it no longer wiggles when the pan is moved, 20 to 25 minutes. 8Cool completely: Set the pan on a cooling rack and cool until the lemon bars are firm and the bottom of the pan is no longer warm, about 1 hour. (You can speed this up by placing the bars into the refrigerator once the pan is no longer hot). 9Cut the lemon bars: Once cooled, use the foil overhang to carefully lift the bars from the pan and place them on a cutting board. Peel away the foil, then cut the bars into 16 or 32 small bars. Sift the powdered sugar over the bars. 1Prepare the baking pan: Line a straight-sided 13×9-inch metal baking pan with foil, leaving an overhang on two opposite sides. (This will help when removing the cooled bars from the pan.) Lightly coat the sides of the foil, but not the bottom, with non-stick cooking spray or extra melted butter to prevent the lemon topping from sticking. 2Make the crust: In a medium bowl, use a spatula or your fingers to stir and press 1/2 cup of sugar, 1 teaspoon of lemon zest, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract together until moist and fragrant. Stir in 2 cups of flour and the melted butter until a crumbly, stiff dough forms. 3Form the crust: Press the dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking pan (it may not look like enough dough at first, but it will cover the bottom nicely). Prick the dough with a fork all over to prevent air bubbles while baking. Freeze the crust for 5 minutes or until firm (or refrigerate for 30 minutes). 4Preheat the oven: While the crust chills, position an oven rack near the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 325°F (162°C). 5Bake the crust: Bake the shortbread crust until lightly golden brown and set, 25 to 30 minutes. 6Make the lemon topping: While the crust bakes, stir the sugar, flour, salt, and 2 teaspoons of lemon zest. Whisk in the eggs until smooth, then whisk in the lemon juice. 7Bake the filling: Once the crust has baked, pour the lemon topping over the hot crust. Return the pan to the oven and increase the oven temperature to 350°F (177°C). Bake until the topping is set in the center and it no longer wiggles when the pan is moved, 20 to 25 minutes. 8Cool completely: Set the pan on a cooling rack and cool until the lemon bars are firm and the bottom of the pan is no longer warm, about 1 hour. (You can speed this up by placing the bars into the refrigerator once the pan is no longer hot). 9Cut the lemon bars: Once cooled, use the foil overhang to carefully lift the bars from the pan and place them on a cutting board. Peel away the foil, then cut the bars into 16 or 32 small bars. Sift the powdered sugar over the bars. Adam and Joanne's Tips Storing: Place the cooled and cut lemon bars in an airtight container lined with parchment paper. Refrigerate for up to one week. Freeze for up to 3 months. Butter: I use salted butter, but you can use unsalted. For unsalted butter, add 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt to the crust. Measuring your flour: Fluff the flour in its container, then gently scoop it into your measuring cup until slightly mounded. Level off the top with a knife for accurate measuring. For even more accuracy, use a scale and measure the flour by weight (in grams). Crust recipe inspired by Fine Cooking’s shortbread crust. The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. Storing: Place the cooled and cut lemon bars in an airtight container lined with parchment paper. Refrigerate for up to one week. Freeze for up to 3 months. Butter: I use salted butter, but you can use unsalted. For unsalted butter, add 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt to the crust. Measuring your flour: Fluff the flour in its container, then gently scoop it into your measuring cup until slightly mounded. Level off the top with a knife for accurate measuring. For even more accuracy, use a scale and measure the flour by weight (in grams). Crust recipe inspired by Fine Cooking’s shortbread crust. The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. Nutrition Per Serving Serving Size 1 bar / Calories 260 / Protein 4g / Carbohydrate 40g / Dietary Fiber 1g / Total Sugars 25g / Total Fat 10g / Saturated Fat 6g / Cholesterol 69mg AUTHOR: Joanne Gallagher We’re Adam and Joanne, a couple passionate about cooking and sharing delicious, reliable recipes since 2009. Our goal? To inspire you to get in the kitchen and confidently cook fresh and flavorful meals.More About Us