Simple and easy to make, these delicious lemon bars are a wonderful homemade treat. Full of bright and zesty flavor, they are a family favorite!
Table of Contents
Homemade Lemon Bar Recipe
As we start to move into warm weather, my mind turns to all things lemon! Bright and zesty, this classic lemon bar recipe is a must have.
Perfect to enjoy for Easter and all throughout the summer, I just know you will love this dessert recipe just as much as I do!
Why You’ll Love these Easy Lemon Bars:
- Simple ingredients: Made with just a handful of basic ingredients, most of which you will have to hand already.
- Quick: It takes minutes to make a big batch of these bars before they get baked in the oven.
- Easy: This is a straight forward foolproof recipe, and it’s a great one to get your kids to help you with.
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 crust and bake.
- Allow to cool, cut and dust with icing 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 with parchment. They will keep well in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Yes! These freeze really well! I find it easiest to freeze them in individual squares. Freeze them solid on a baking sheet before wrapping in foil or plastic wrap and placing in a freezer bag.
These lemon bars will keep well for up to 3 months if frozen. Thaw them in the fridge and sprinkle over the powdered sugar to serve.
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.
These easy lemon bars are super simple to make, but they always come out so delicious.
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!