Lemon Bars are a classic dessert with a buttery crust topped with a sweet-tart lemon curd that is easy to make and everyone goes wild for!
No one can get enough of shortbread and bright sweet lemons, and when you combine them to make Lemon Bars they get gobbled up immediately! This easy-to-make Lemon Bars recipe uses simple pantry ingredients like butter, flour, sugar, eggs, and wonderfully tart lemons to make an irresistible sweet treat!
Sweet-Tart Goodness
Do you know anyone who doesn’t love a giant lemon bar? I’m sure that person doesn’t exist because these squares of happiness are just too delicious! Lemon Bars are one of those desserts that take little effort to make, but the reward is huge, so we love to make pan after pan of them. The buttery shortbread crust and bright, sweet lemon curd are drool-worthy, and lemon bars make everyone’s day brighter!
Skinny Honey Lemon Bars are a lighter version of your favorite sweet treat, or dive into a luscious Lemon Pudding Pie for an indulgent lemon dessert!
Other Recipes to Serve with Lemon Bars
- Celebrate your love of lemons with a deliciously sweet Lemon Drop Martini cocktail!
- The bright acidity of lemons makes them perfect for savory dishes, so try out Lemon Spaghetti and fall even more in love with lemons!
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients: To make this recipe you will need all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, and powdered sugar.
Wet Ingredients: Set out salted butter to soften and a few eggs to make these lemon bars.
Fruit: Juice a couple of large lemons to make the lemon curd. Bottled lemon juice can be used if that’s all you have, but fresh lemon juice is best.
How to Make Lemon Bars
STEP ONE: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and set out a 9×13 baking pan. In a bowl, mix 2 cups of flour, 1/2 cup of granulated sugar, and butter. Press the dough into the 9×13 pan evenly and bake for 15-20 minutes, until the crust is golden.
STEP TWO: In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, 1 1/2 cups of granulated sugar, 1/4 cup of flour, and lemon juice until well combined.
STEP THREE: Once the crust has finished baking, pour the lemon mixture over the warm crust and bake for another 20 minutes.
STEP FOUR: Remove the pan from the oven and allow the bars to cool on the counter for 1 hour before transferring them to the fridge for 1-12 hours.
STEP FIVE: When the bars are completely cooled, sprinkle powdered sugar over them and cut them into squares.
Tips for Success
- The best tip for determining whether your lemon bars are done is to wiggle the pan. If the filling lightly jiggles, the lemon curd is done, and you can remove the pan from the oven. If the filling moves a lot, cook for a few more minutes.
- Allow the lemon bars to cool completely for at least an hour before slicing. They are even better if they chill in the fridge before cutting.
- Store the lemon bars in the fridge for a week or freeze them for later. You can place the separated bars on a sheet pan and freeze them for 30-60 minutes, then wrap each bar individually in plastic wrap and store in the freezer for three months.
Can I substitute lemon with another fruit?
One of the wonderful things about the citrus family is how versatile it is! Other citrus fruits like oranges, grapefruits, and limes can be used to make these bars, and each has its own delicious brightness. Substitute the same amount of any citrus fruit for lemon juice and follow the recipe as written. Feel free to also include a few tablespoons of zest in the curd or even the crust to boost the amazing citrus flavor.
How do I cut lemon bars cleanly?
The first trick in cutting clean lemon bars is ensuring they are completely set. I know we all want to dive right in, but chilling lemon bars in the fridge for 1-2 hours helps them set and makes them nice and firm for easier cutting. Secondly, use a cold knife to cut the bars. Run a long, sharp knife under cold water for a bit, dry it off, and cut one long row at a time. Clean the knife off between each cut to maintain clean cuts.
More Crowd-Pleasing Sweet Bars!
- Buttery Coconut Bars
- No Bake Chocolate and Peanut Butter Bars
- Strawberry Cheesecake Bars
- Butterscotch Bars
- Blueberry Oatmeal Bars
*This post originally posted on 03/30/2016.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter at room temperature
- 2 cups granulated sugar divided
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour divided
- 4 large eggs
- ½ cup lemon juice freshly squeezed (about 2 lemons)
- Powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the butter, ½ cup sugar, and 2 cups flour. Mix until fully combined. Press the dough into an ungreased 9-inch x 13-inch baking pan.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the edges are golden.
- While the crust bakes, whisk the remaining 1 ½ cups sugar, ¼ cup flour, eggs, and lemon juice in a medium mixing bowl until well combined.
- Pour the lemon mixture over the warm crust and bake for another 20 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for 1 hour on the counter. Then transfer the pan to the fridge for 1-2 hours. Once cooled, sprinkle the top of the bars with powdered sugar before cutting into 15 squares.
Notes
- If you don’t have salted butter on hand, you can substitute 1 cup of unsalted butter and add 1/2 teaspoon of salt to the butter/flour mixture.
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