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A delicious lemon curd filling on a buttery shortbread crust, these creamy lemon bars have the perfect combination of sweetness and tartness.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This recipe originally came from a childhood friend’s mother in Wisconsin over 50 years ago. It is the recipe my mother always made and it is the one I always make. I have made this recipe hundred’s of times. Through the years I have tried an endless number of recipes and this one still comes out on top.
You have to have just the right texture for a perfect bar, not too gooey, not too dry. It must also has to have the right amount of lemon, not too sweet and not to tart. This one has the perfect amount of lemon flavor.
Ingredients
- Lemons
- Butter, salted
- Flour
- Sugar, powdered and granulated sugar
- Eggs
- Baking Powder
How to Make Lemon Bars
Shortbread Crust
- Mix together butter, 1 cup of flour and 1/4 cup of powdered sugar using a fork, pastry blender or a food processor. This will make a dry crumbly mixture. A food processor will give you a more delicate crumb.
- Press dough into the bottom of an 8 x8 baking pan. Line pan with parchment paper for easy removal. Press down the shortbread crust with your hand or the bottom of a glass or measuring cup.
- Bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes, until lightly golden brown around the edges.
Filling
- Mix together sugar, 2 Tbsp flour and baking powder in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or use an electric mixer.
- Add in eggs, juice of one lemon (about 2 Tbsp.) and the zest from the lemon and whisk together.
- Pour the lemon filling over baked warm crust and bake for an additional 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees F or until edges are golden brown and mixture is set.
Lemon Glaze
- Mix together 3/4 cup powdered sugar with 2 Tbsp lemon juice or enough to make glaze soft enough to drizzle over lemon bars while they are still warm.
- Cool and cut. They are best eaten within 24 hours if not refrigerated.
Tip from Leigh Anne
- Lemon bars may seem slightly underdone when you remove them from the oven but they will set up as they cool and as they chill.
- You can also blend the crust together in a food processor for a more delicate crumb.
- Be sure and compress down the shortbread crust in the pan using your. hand or the bottom of a glass or measuring cup.
- Glaze the bars while they are still warm. Instead of glaze, you can sprinkle them with powdered sugar when they are cooled if you prefer or you can glaze and sprinkle!
- Allow them to cool completely before cutting. You will get a cleaner slice. To speed the cooling process I will sometimes put them in the refrigerator.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I double this recipe?
Absolutely! They are so delicious you are going to want to double it! Use a 9×13 inch pan if you are doubling it. Bake time should be the same.
How do you zest a lemon
Two of my favorite tools when working with lemons are this lemon juicer and a microplaner for zesting. When zesting a lemon only remove the outer lemon layer, not the inner white layer which is bitter.
How to store lemon bars?
Lemon bars are best eaten fresh within 24 hours but they do freeze really well. I have been known to eat them frozen straight out of the freezer. Be sure to let the bars cool completely before freezing. You can freeze them whole by removing them from the pan and wrapping the entire amount in plastic wrap and then a layer of foil. You can freeze individual bars by wrapping them each in plastic wrap and foil. They will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and then dust with powdered sugar before serving.
How to cut lemon bars?
My favorite way to cut any kind of bar cookie is with a plastic disposable knife. You get a nice clean cut. Lemon bars can be a little gooey in the middle and the plastic knife works great.
I also have a small batch lemon bar recipe! They are the perfect amount for 2-4 people.
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Lemon Bar Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter cold
- 1 cup flour
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 Tbsp flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 2 eggs beaten
- 1 lemon zest and juice (about 2 Tbsp juice)
Lemon Glaze
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice or enough to get proper consistency for drizzling
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Cut together butter, 1 cup flour and 1/4 cup powdered sugar and press into 8 x 8 pan.
- Bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees.
- Mix together sugar, 2 Tbsp flour and baking powder
- Add in eggs, juice of one lemon (about 2 Tbsp.) and the zest from the lemon.
- Pour this mixture over baked crust and bake for 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees or until edges are golden brown and mixture is set.
Glaze
- Mix together 3/4 cup powdered sugar with 2 Tbsp lemon juice or enough to make glaze soft enough to drizzle over lemon bars while they are still warm.
- Cool and cut.
Jilchristina Vest says
Great lemon bars!! But please separate the CRUST from the FILLING in the ingredients. Confusing for no reason.
Making the Crust: XYZ – bake.
Making the filling ABC- pour
Jan says
I’m confused! I’m not much of a baker so I need recipes to be really clear.
In the ingredients it lists 2 tablespoons lemon juice then 1 lemon zest and juice.
When reading the instructions in step 2 it says add the lemon zest and lemon juice.
So I zest the lemon then squeeze out the juice from that same lemon ……. is this correct? How much lemon zest and juice is needed exactly? Then …. no where in the recipe does it say what to do with the 2 tablespoons of lemon juice listed in the ingredients ( next ingredient listed under “ 1 lemon – zest & juice) is the 2 tablespoons of lemon juice the juice that goes in the glaze.? It doesn’t say in the recipe how much lemon juice is needed for the glaze so I’m assuming the 2 tablespoons is what that is for …. am I correct? It drives me crazy when a recipe isn’t written with exact and specific ingredients! Please answer my question as I really want to make these. Thank you!
Leigh Anne says
Jan, I have gone in clarified the recipe to hopefully make it easier for you, I am sorry for your frustration. I hope you enjoy the lemon bars.
Karen Hudis says
Flour and powdered sugar are listed twice. Please advise as to instructions for crust and for filling separately. I do not wish to guess at what you mean. Thank you, Karen Hudis
Leigh Anne says
Karen, It is because they are used in both the shortbread part of the bar and the topping. I clarified the directions for you, hopefully that makes it more clear.
Diane says
Hi there. Can you freeze these or will the last 1 week if I make them ahead?
Leigh Anne says
They should freeze fine – enjoy!
Anne Wldig says
for the apple lemon bars do you use self raising flour or plain flour?
Leigh Anne says
regular all purpose flour, I will always specify if it is something other than that