Easy Lemon Bars
Easy lemon bars are made with a simple shortbread crust and gooey lemon filling. Dust the squares with powdered sugar and enjoy!
Lemon bars are a dessert that my mom has perfected. She has used this recipe for years and family and friends beg for more. The shortbread crust is pillow-y soft and the lemon filling is gooey and sweet. All you need are a few basic ingredients to make these lemon bars!
This lemon bar recipe creates all the right textures all while being simple enough to master. This recipe is similar to Ina Garten’s, but made in a 9×9 pan and with less lemon juice. In my opinion, too much lemon juice makes the bars too gooey and don’t cut cleanly. The zest makes up for the lemon flavor!
Overview: How to Make Lemon Bars
Lemon bars call for the following ingredients: flour, butter, confectioners’ sugar, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, eggs, lemon juice and lemon zest.
- Make the shortbread crust. Beat flour, butter and confectioners’ sugar on medium speed using a hand mixer. Press dough into a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 350° F for 18 to 20 minutes.
- Make the lemon bar filling. Whisk granulated sugar, flour, lemon zest, baking powder and salt together. Add eggs and lemon juice. Use a hand mixer to beat until frothy.
- Bake the lemon bars. Pour the filling over the crust and bake at 325° F for 20 to 25 minutes. Cool completely and dust with confectioners’ sugar.
Shortbread crust
A good shortbread crust is soft, but sturdy to hold filling. This crust does both and pre-baking the crust is key. After 18 to 20 minutes in the oven, the crust sets and becomes golden. Another secret is using confectioners’ sugar as opposed to the typical granulated sugar. The crust becomes extra smooth and buttery—the perfect base for the lemon filling.
Lemon filling
Lemon bars require a gooey filling, but not so gooey that they loose structure. The lemon juice makes a nice gooey consistency, while the eggs and flour help the bars keep their shape. Eggs and a touch of baking powder give the bars rise, which may (or may not) result in bubbles. A dusting of confectioners’ sugar will cover that right up!
Frequently Asked Questions
Store lemon bars in an airtight container at room temperature for a few hours or in the refrigerator for up to three days. If you’d like to keep lemon bars for longer, consider freezing them.
Yes, lemon bars should be refrigerated overnight or for up to three days. They have a custard-like filling on top, which requires chilling. However, the bars may be kept at room temperature for a few hours if you are serving them at a party or dinner gathering.
Yes, you can freeze lemon bars. Once they are cooled, remove the bars from the pan and do not cut. Cover tightly with plastic wrap, then aluminum foil to prevent freezer burn. Bars will last up to three months in the freezer. Let bars defrost in the refrigerator before cutting, dusting with powdered sugar and serving at room temperature.
No, I do not recommend store-bought lemon juice. It does not have nearly enough flavor. Plus, you’ll need lemon zest for this recipe!
Yes, double the recipes and bake in a 9×13 pan. The baking time for the filling will be closer to 25 minutes.
More recipes with lemons
If you love a good citrus dessert, consider these lemon recipes. They are delightfully sweet and refreshing! First, lemon curd tart is similar to lemon bars in its creamy gooey filling. Lemon raspberry scones have fresh lemon flavor that complements raspberries nicely. Lemon poppy seed bread is an easy quick bread bursting with citrus flavor. Lemon crinkle cookies are clouds of lemon-y goodness! Lemon cupcakes are topped with a sweet lemon buttercream frosting.
Related recipes
If you enjoyed this recipe, here are some more desserts to try next!
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Get the Recipe: Easy Lemon Bars
Ingredients
Shortbread Crust
- 1 cup (125 g) all purpose flour
- ½ cup (113 g or 1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
- ¼ cup (30 g) confectioners' sugar
Lemon Filling
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- Dash of salt
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten and room temperature
- ¼ cup (60 mL) fresh lemon juice, strained
- Confectioners’ sugar for dusting
Instructions
Shortbread crust
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Line an 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, butter and confectioners' sugar with a mixer until combined (about 2-3 minutes). If the mixture doesn't come together, add 1 teaspoon of milk.
- Press mixture into the prepared pan. Bake 20 minutes, or until light brown and fragrant. Lower oven temperature to 325° F.
Lemon Filling
- In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, flour, lemon zest, baking powder, salt until combined. Add eggs and lemon juice. Beat until frothy, about 2-3 minutes.
- Pour lemon filling over the crust (it's okay if the crust is still warm). Tap the pan gently on the counter to remove any bubbles. Bake at 325° F for 20 to 25 minutes longer or until the filling is set when gently shaken and it starts to turn golden in spots.
- Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack, then chill for 2 hours in the refrigerator. Use parchment paper to lift bars out of the pan. (If they don't lift, run a sharp knife around the edges of the pan.)
- Dust bars with confectioners' sugar and cut into 2-inch squares. Serve at room temperature or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Notes
- Kitchen scale: Weighing your ingredients is more accurate than measuring them.
- Hand mixer: I own this model. It makes mixing, quick, easy and reliable.
- 8×8 baking pan This pan is a staple when is comes to baking bars.
- Lemon zester: This handy tool makes zesting easy. It also works for ginger, nutmeg, parmesan and chocolate.
- Lemon juicer: Make juicing easy with this juicer that has a built in strainer.
13 Comments on “Easy Lemon Bars”
I adore lemon bars and this is the perfect time of year for them! Thanks for sharing on Foodie FriDIY!
Thanks, Colleen! It is the perfect time of year and I’m always happy to share on Foodie FriDIY 🙂
These lemon bars look absolutely delicious!
I do believe these have the proper name! They look perfect indeed. 🙂 I imagine the shortbread crust is a lovely contrast to the lemon filling. Thank you for sharing your lemon bars and the recipe with all of us at this week’s edition of Fiesta Friday!
I’ve always wanted to make these. Love that this recipe is so simple. Can’t wait to try this. Also, saw your lime curd cheesecake as well. so mouthwatering!
Lemon bars are my favourite all time – I’ve been trying out different recipes for years to get the right one. Will be trying these out for sure. They look so beautiful and gooey. Can’t wait.
Good luck, Whitney! Let me know how they turn out. I personally love this recipe – gooey for sure!
can I use margerine instead of butter
Hi Barbara, I have never made these bars with margarine so I cannot guarantee they will turn out the same way. Let me know how it turns out if you choose to make that substitution!
Perfect Lemon Bars! Very tasty and easy to make!
Great easy recipe
That you so much for putting in hints on what to do for high altitude. Most recipes don’t give you that. Very helpful!