This recipe for lemon bars is quick to make, and everyone loves them!
With a perfect balance of sweet and tart, these bars have a lemon custard filling on top of a buttery shortbread crust.
We Love These Lemon Bars Because…
- They’re easy to make and use ingredients I always have on hand.
- They have a perfect balance between sweet and tart.
- They can be made ahead of time and freeze well.
Here’s What You’ll Need For Perfect Lemon Bars
Crust: What makes these so good? First, that crumbly buttery shortbread crust. Use real butter for the best flavor.
And the FRESH lemon… Second, to make this lemon bar recipe, fresh lemon is the best choice. You will need both lemon zest and juice for lots of lemony flavor.
Other ingredients: Eggs, sugar, and flour help bring it all together. They’re topped off with powdered sugar… LOTS of powdered sugar.
How Much Juice is in a Lemon?
Like most fruit, lemons can range in size, but on average, each lemon will give you about 3 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice. Each lemon will provide about 1 tablespoon of lemon zest using a microplane grater.
A Lot of Love For Lemons!
Did you enjoy this Easy Lemon Bars Recipe? Be sure to leave a comment and rating below.
Easy Lemon Bars Recipe
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 10 tablespoons butter room temperature
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup powdered sugar plus 2 tablespoons, divided
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For the Filling:
- ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice about 2 lemons
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
Instructions
For the Crust:
- Preheat oven to 350°F and lightly grease a 9×9 inch pan.
- In a mixing bowl, combine flour, ½ cup powdered sugar, and salt. Cut the butter into the mixture until crumbly and then press into the bottom of the pan.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes until lightly golden. Meanwhile, make the filling.
For the Filling:
- In another mixing bowl, whisk all the filling ingredients together until combined.
- Pour over the cooked crust and place back in the oven for 17-20 minutes until filling is set.
- Cool completely, dust with remaining powdered sugar, and cut into squares.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Dessert
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These lemon bars are great. I didn’t make any changes to the recipe, and they came out tasting delicious. I will definitely be making them again!
this recipe was so easy and fun to do with my mom we listened to music and danced and sang into the whisks we even call my grandma so she could join In on the fun it was so quick and fast we were done with in 10 min.
Does the crust need to cool completely before adding the filling and continuing the bake?
The crust only needs to be cooled for the amount of time it takes to make the filling. Enjoy Jennifer!
These are a fantastic treat! I made a pan for my church’s covered dish dinner, and they go fast! (Life is uncertain, eat dessert first is their motto!) I double the recipe and there are leftovers, which are either brought home or put in the freezer to be put out on a Sunday if no one remembers to bring food for coffee hour.
They are a huge hit, I will be making 2 pans again this Wednesday. (I will be making a small batch gluten-free, and I have a request from a friend!
Thank you so much for sharing, Roxanne!
Just made this recipe and it turned out great. I didn’t even wait for them to fully cool, I just had to have a piece. Finally a lemon bar recipe that taste so good. thank you!
This was such a good, classic recipe. I was wanting to make a double batch in a 9×13 pan…thinking it would do well. Have you tried?
I haven’t tried doubling this recipe but I think it would work well.
Doubling the recipe in a 9×13 pan works well. I increased my baking time by a few minutes, however, I have a very temperamental electric oven that has a hot spot.
This is my new go-to lemon recipe, easy to make and so refreshing!
I apologize that I provided a negative rating earlier about these squares. I think they had not had time to set yet. After time in the fridge they have turned out very well and I am very happy with the flavour of them. I would make them again.
Hi
Do you have any recipes that are gluten free?
I have enjoyed your recipes, thank you so much for them.
Thank you
Maria
Hi Maria, we do not have any that are specifically gluten free but a lot of our recipes can be adapted to be gluten free or are naturally gluten free.
Hi Maria,
I have had luck using gluten-free flour (great value) 1:1 ratio for baking. If a recipe calls for a small amount of flour, I have used cornstarch instead, using half of the amount of cornstarch for the flour. (I use this for my mini cheesecake bites, made in my mini muffin pans; no one can tell the difference. I make them for my church’s covered dish dinners, a few of my fellow parishioners have celiac disease. They can also enjoy a treat, and I don’t have to separate the food.)
Easy, & very tasty
So amazing! Made 2x now! Family is a huge fan!