Simple and easy to make, these delicious lemon bars are a wonderful homemade treat. Full of bright and zesty flavor, plus a deliciously buttery shortbread crust, this classic is a family favorite!
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Lemon Bars
This easy lemon bars recipe is truly so simple, yet so delicious! Bright and zesty, this classic dessert is a must have.
These are perfect to enjoy for Easter and all throughout the summer. There’s really never a bad time to make these, and everyone will love them!
Why You’ll Love this Easy Lemon Bars Recipe:
- Simple Ingredients: You only need 7 basic ingredients to make these classic lemon bars.
- Quick: It takes minutes to make a big batch of these bars before they get baked in the oven.
- Flavorful: A delicious buttery shortbread crust, and the most creamy, thick yet delicate lemon curd filling. It’s tangy and tart yet sweet and bright. The flavor of this dessert is just unbeatable!
7 Ingredients
- Flour: Use all-purpose flour for both the crust and the filling.
- Butter: Salted butter creates the most delicious shortbread crust.
- Powder Sugar: This goes in the crust and gets used as a finally topping to finish of the bars.
- Eggs: You need about 4 large eggs to make the lemon curd filling. It creates the thick, creamy texture you need.
- Granulated Sugar: This sweetens the filling.
- Lemon Juice: This is how you get that perfect citrus flavor!
- Baking Powder: This adds heft and structure to the filling.
How to Make Lemon Bars from Scratch
Be sure to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions!
- Mix together the flour and powdered sugar.
- Mix in the butter until it is crumbly.
- Press into a pan and bake.
- Whisk together the eggs, sugar and lemon juice.
- Mix in the flour and baking powder.
- Pour the egg mix over the baked shortbread crust, and bake the bars.
- Allow to cool, then cut and dust with powdered sugar.
These lemon bars are super delicious, but they also can be made with other citrus fruits. Grapefruit and blood orange both work great. For the best flavors, use fresh juice rather than bottled.
Once your bars have cooled and are cut into squares, place them in an airtight container, with the layers separated by parchment. They will keep well in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
First, let the bars cool completely before cutting. Then, dip a knife in warm water and dry it off before each cut. The warming of the knife will help create a smooth cut.
Cracking likely means they are overbaked–either too long, at too high of a temperature, or both. 350F is perfect for this recipe, so just keep an eye on them and don’t let them cook too long.
Yes. The lemon curd filling is made with eggs, so it does need to be stored in the fridge for safe-keeping. After baking and cooling, store them away within a couple of hours.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- If you want to use fresh lemon juice, you will need the juice of one large lemon. Microwave the lemon for 10 seconds before cutting and squeezing it to get the most juice out.
- Use room temperature eggs and lemon juice if you can. These will combine more easily with the other ingredients, but if you use cold, it won’t affect the taste or texture.
Homemade lemon bars are the perfect baked good for any occasion. Bring them to summer BBQs, holiday parties, potlucks, baby showers, or any time you need a simple dessert.
How do you know when lemon bars are done?
Simply give the baking pan a bit of a jiggle–the bars should jiggle just a little bit, like cheesecake or jello, but still be fairly set. If they are too jiggly and seem liquid-y, they aren’t done yet, so keep baking. The crust edges will also be slightly golden brown.
Can I freeze lemon bars?
Yes, these freeze really well! I find it easiest to freeze them in individual squares, after cutting.
- Place squares on a baking sheet, and place that in the freezer for about 1 hour. This will make the filling solid enough to wrap without melding the two together.
- After they’ve firmed up, wrap them individually in plastic wrap or foil. Then place them all in a freezer-safe resealable bag.
- These lemon bars will keep well for up to 3 months in the freeze.
- Thaw them in the fridge, then sprinkle with powdered sugar to serve.
This easy lemon bars recipe is just so simple to make, but they always come out so delicious. There’s never a bad time for this classic dessert, so bake away and enjoy!
If you make this recipe be sure to leave us a comment or rating. Enjoy!
Lemon Bars Recipe
Ingredients
For the Bottom Crust
- 2 cups all-purpose flour 240 grams
- ½ cup powdered sugar 57 grams
- 1 cup salted butter 226 grams, room temperature and cut into cubes (2 sticks)
For the Lemon Filling
- 4 large eggs 200 grams
- 2 cups granulated sugar 400 grams
- ⅓ cup lemon juice 76 grams
- ½ cup all-purpose flour 30 grams
- ½ teaspoon baking powder 2 grams
For Garnish
- Powdered sugar
Equipment
- Kitchen Scale (optional)
- Hand Mixer (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking pan with nonstick spray and line with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Make the crust. Mix together the flour and powdered sugar in a large bowl.2 cups all-purpose flour, ½ cup powdered sugar
- Using your fingers, cut the butter into the mixture until it clings together and is crumbly.1 cup salted butter
- Press this mixture into the prepared pan and bake 20-25 minutes, until just turning golden.
- While the crust bakes, make the filling.
- In a large mixing bowl, use an electric hand mixer or whisk to beat together the eggs, sugar, and lemon juice. (If you love lemon, feel free to use a little more juice!)4 large eggs, 2 cups granulated sugar, ⅓ cup lemon juice
- In a separate bowl, stir together the flour and baking powder. Stir this mixture into the egg mixture. (This mixture will be very runny.)½ cup all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon baking powder
- Once you’ve brought the crust out of the oven, pour this egg mixture over the baked crust.
- Place the pan back into the oven and bake for approximately 25 minutes. It should be a light golden brown.
- Remove it from the oven and allow it to cool before cutting and serving. Once your pan gets to room temperature, you might even want to pop it into the refrigerator for 5-10 minutes before cutting.
- Lightly dust them with icing sugar (try using a fine sieve or sifter) to make them look extra fancy.Powdered sugar
Notes
- If you want to use fresh lemon juice, you will need the juice of one large lemon. Microwave the lemon for 10 seconds before cutting and squeezing it to get the most juice out.
- Use room temperature eggs and lemon juice if you can. These will combine more easily with the other ingredients, but if you use cold, it won’t affect the taste or texture.
Or….you can throw a whole washed lemon in the blender with your eggs and sugar. Makes wonderfully tart lemon bars!
Thats an awesome idea, I have never heard that! How fun and easy.
Trying to print this out but the print link just goes back to original page.
I’m so sorry! When I click the top print button (under the top title) or the print button within the recipe card, a new window pops up for me with the printable recipe. Could the issue be the new window being hidden? Let me know and I’ll send this issue to our tech help. Really appreciate you letting me know and sorry for the trouble!