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Small Batch Lemon Bars are the perfect amount for 1-2 people. They have the perfect balance of sweetness to tartness and the texture is perfection.
Lemon bars are definitely one of my favorite treats and I’ve been making these particular lemon bars for 40 years! My mother made them before me. I am pretty particular about my lemon bars and these bars have the perfect texture, not too gooey and the perfect flavor, not too sweet or tart.
Now that we are a reduced size family, I love taking my all time favorite recipes and adjusting them to make just enough for two. I pretty much have no self control when it comes to these lemon bars so if I made a full batch, I would eat a full batch.
You can find my full size lemon bar recipe here.
This lemon bar starts with a shortbread crust. It is baked first and then the delicious lemon curd like filling is added on top of the baked shortbread and then it is popped back in the oven for a bit longer. Finally, it is drizzled with a delicious lemon glaze to give it even more amazing lemon flavor.
Lemon Bar Ingredients
- All purpose Flour
- Granulated Sugar
- Powdered Sugar
- Butter
- Baking powder
- Eggs
- Lemon juice and zest. I always use fresh squeezed lemon juice for best flavor.
How to Make Small Batch Lemon Bars
- Pan. I use a glass 9 x 5 loaf pan. I always line it with parchment paper because it makes removing the lemon bars from the pan so much easier!
- Make shortbread crust. Mix together your flour, powdered sugar and butter until the mixture is crumbly with pea size pieces of butter.
- Pressure mixture into bottom of parchment lined loaf pan. Press down to form an even layer.
- Bake at 350 degrees F. for about 15 minutes or until it just begins to brown around the edges.
- Mix together sugar, 1 Tbsp flour and baking powder. Add in egg, 1 Tbsp lemon juice and zest of lemon. Stir to combine.
- Pour over baked crust.
- Return to oven and bake for an additional 20 minutes until it is set and light brown around the edges.
- Mix together powdered sugar and additional lemon juice to form a glaze with a nice drizzling consistency.
- Cool lemon bars for 5-10 minutes and drizzle while they are still warm.
- Allow to finish cooling before cutting.
- After they have cooled I like to slice them into quarters. If I am feeding a few more people I will slice them into quarters and then cut the quarters in half so I have eight pieces.
Be sure and try some of our other small batch recipes:
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Small Batch Lemon Bars
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup cup butter cold
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1/8 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 Tbsp flour
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1 egg
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- zest of one lemon
Lemon Glaze
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Blend together butter, 1/2 cup flour and powdered sugar until crumbly and pea size pieces of butter.
- Line 9 x 5 loaf pan with parchment paper.
- Press flour mixture into bottom of pan in an even layer.
- Bake at 350 degrees F. for 12 minutes, until lightly brown around edges.
- Mix together sugar, 1 Tbsp flour, egg and baking powder.
- Add in 1 Tbsp lemon juice and zest. Stir to combine.
- After shortbread crust has baked, remove from oven and pour lemon curd mixture over the top.
- Return to oven and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes or until light brown around edges.
- Allow to cool 5-10 minutes
- Drizzle with glaze.
- Cool and cut into bars.
Glaze
- Combine powdered sugar and enough lemon juice to make a nice drizzling consistency.
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Nutrition Facts:
Mary says
These are delicious and so easy to make. This recipe is a keeper.