This Easy Lemon Bars Recipe is a refreshing, sweet, and slightly tart treat made up of a lemony custard filling on top of a buttery shortbread crust.
This easy dessert is quick to make and every absolutely loves them!
Easy Lemon Bars
Never in a million years did I think I’d say that I like love Lemon Bars… but I do!!!
I’ve always liked lemonade and lemon chicken but lemon desserts and pastries were never hard for me to pass up. However, a few years ago I finally gave lemon a second chance and was pleasantly surprised to find how deliciously fantastic it is in things like cheesecake, cupcakes, and these bars.
The Buttery Crust
What makes these so good? First, that crumbly buttery shortbread crust. And please don’t substitute the butter with margarine or shortening. Butter is best and makes everything 983x better.
And the FRESH lemon… Second, to make this lemon bar recipe, you need the best lemon custard! When baked, it forms a crust on top with the soft sweet and tangy filling underneath. Fresh lemon juice is a must! And to top it all off, they’re sprinkled with powdered sugar… LOTS of powdered sugar.
How Much Juice is in One Lemon
Like most fruit, lemons can range in size but on average each lemon will give you give about 3 Tablespoons of fresh lemon juice. Each lemon will provide about 1 tablespoon of lemon zest using a microplane grater.
My only warning, besides being irresistible and ruining your diet, is to not make these for your birthday, or at least just don’t put birthday candles on them. Trust me! I know from experience. We were celebrating a friend’s birthday and Lemon Bars were his cake of choice. The candles were stuck down into the bars and lit, we sang “Happy Birthday”, waited as he paused to make a wish… then inhale, exhale… BOOM! The powdered sugar rose into a dust cloud that quickly caught fire and slightly singed his eyebrows. It was quite shocking, scary, and hilarious all at the same time. Oh, the life lessons we learn.
If you’re looking for a bright and cheery dessert for your upcoming spring or summer party, make these sweet and tangy refreshing Lemon Bars!
More Lemon Recipes
- Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
- Lemon Chicken Soup
- Lemon Pepper Chicken
- No-Bake Lemon Cheesecake
- Watermelon Lemonade
- Lemon Rice Krispie Treats
- Soft Lemon Cookies
Easy Lemon Bars Recipe
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 10 tablespoons butter room temperature
- 1 ¼ cups flour
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For the Filling:
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- ⅓ cup lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
Instructions
For the Crust:
- Preheat oven to 350°F and lightly grease a 9x9 inch pan.
- Mix the flour, powdered sugar, and salt together. Cut the butter into the mix 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:
- 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 powdered sugar, cut into squares.
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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Can I line the baking pan with parchment before baking the crust? I’d like to be able to lift the whole dessert out of the pan to make cutting easier. Thanks!!!
That should work just fine Mary!
i loved these lemon bars!!
is there a recipe to make chocolate bars instead of lemon??
something with the same consistency…
just chocolate not lemon.
any suggestions!?!
I haven’t tried these with chocolate so I can’t say for sure Donna.
These are so fire. I was skeptical about the crust, because I’ve never made anything like this and am new to baking, but it came out perfect. I’ve never had a better lemon bar, not even in any store.
Can the lemon bars be frozen?
Absolutely! These freeze well Anne!
Really easy to make, and delicious to eat!!
When you say powdered sugar do you mean icing sugar?
Yes, powdered sugar is also known as icing sugar.
It says to put in the oven until set. How do you know it is set
It should be fairly firm in the center and not jiggly.
Can it be doubled and pressed into a 13×9?
That should work just fine Robin! If you try it I would love to hear how it turns out!
Never heard of a 9” x 9” pan. Only have an 8 x 8.?????
Hi Mot, a 9 x 9-inch pan is a common pan and I have this one here which can be found on Amazon! I haven’t tried an 8 x 8-inch pan but it should work just fine, however you may need to increase the bake time slightly.
How successful is this receipe if you need to freeze ahead?
I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure Mary, but that should be just fine. If you try it I would love to hear how it turns out!
Can I cool them in the fridge or does it have to be room temp cool?
They can be cooled in the fridge.
I don’t have lemon zest. can I omit this ingredient?
The lemon zest does add flavor and I have only tried the recipe as written Mary so I can’t say for sure how it would turn out.