You only need 7 ingredientsย to make these lemon bars. The lemon curd filling is extra thick and creamy and sits on an irresistibleย buttery shortbread crust. Always bake lemon bars at a lower temperature to avoid over-baking. Theyโre simply the best lemon bars and are perfect for picnics, bake sales, spring brunches, baby showers, and bridal showers.
Today Iโm teaching you how to make lemon bars. I love this lemon dessert recipe so much that I published it in my 1st cookbook, Sallyโs Baking Addiction. These are theย best lemon bars and I donโt use that statement lightly. After 1 taste, Iโm confident youโll agree. Everyone needs this recipe.
The process is pretty simple and Iโm walking you through each step in the video tutorial below.ย Pick up some fresh citrus and letโs get baking. Spring is in the air!
Video Tutorial: Lemon Bars
These are classic lemon bars featuring a soft butter shortbread crust and a tangy sweet lemon curd filling thatโs baked to the perfect consistency. The lemon layer is thick and substantial, not thin or flimsy like most other lemon bar recipes.
Only 7 Ingredients in these Lemon Bars
- Butter: Melted butter is the base of the shortbread crust.
- Sugar: Sugar sweetens the crust and lemon curd filling layers. Not only this, it works with the eggs to set up the lemon filling. If reduced, the filling will be too wet.
- Flour: Flour is also used in both layers. Like sugar, it gives structure to the lemon filling. These days, I add slightly more flour to the shortbread crust compared to my cookbook version. You can get away with 2 cups, but an extra 2 Tablespoons really helps solidify the foundation of the lemon bars.
- Vanilla Extract: I use 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract in the shortbread crust. Not many lemon bar recipes call for vanilla extract and I promise you itโs my best kept secret.
- Salt: Without salt, the crust would be too sweet.
- Eggs: Eggs are most of the structure. Without them, you have lemon soup!
- Lemon Juice: I highly recommend using lemon juice squeezed from fresh lemons. You can also use another citrus like blood orange, grapefruit, or lime juice. For extra flavor, add some fresh zest as well.
How to Make Lemon Bars in 5 Steps
- Prepare the crust: Mix all of the shortbread crust ingredients together, then press firmly into a 9ร13-inch baking pan. Interested in a smaller batch? See my recipe note.
- Pre-bake: Pre-baking the crust guarantees it will hold up under the lemon layer.
- Prepare the filling: Whisk all of the filling ingredients together. No cooking on the stove!
- Bake: Pour the filling on the warm pre-baked crust, then bake for around 20 minutes or until the center is just about set. I slightly increased the baking temperature from my cookbook version. Either temperatures work, but 325ยฐF is preferred.
- Cool:ย I usually cool the lemon bars for about 1 hour at room temperature, then stick the whole pan in the refrigerator for 1-2 more hours until relatively chilled. Theyโre wonderful cold and with a dusting of confectionersโ sugar on top!
Prepared in only 2 bowls and a baking pan, clean up is a breeze. These lemon bars win 1st place every time because theyโre the perfect balance of tangy and sweet. In fact, I made them for my friendโs baby shower last weekend and they were the first dessert to disappear. And thatโs saying a lot considering the competition: homemade chewy fudgy frosted brownies and adorable mini animal cracker cookies. ๐
2 Guaranteed Tricks to Make the Best Lemon Bars
- Use a glass pan. Ceramic is fine, but glass is best. Do not use metal. Iย always detect a slight metallic flavor in the lemon bars when baked in metal pans.
- Use fresh juice.ย Store-bought bottles are convenient, but you miss out on a lot of flavor. You will definitely taste the difference! I have a super old citrus juicer, but I recently purchased this juicer for my mom and she loves it. Highly recommended.
White Air Bubbles on Top of Baked Lemon Bars
Do you notice air bubbles, perhaps even a white layer of air bubbles, on top of your baked lemon bars? Thatโs completely normal. Itโs the air from the eggs rising to the surface. Some batches have it, some donโt. Regardless, the lemon bars taste the same and a dusting of confectionersโ sugar covers it right up!
Blood orange bars! See my recipe note about substituting flavors.
Want to kick it up a notch? Here are my lemon meringue pie and lemon cheesecake recipes.
Craving lots of texture with your bars? Youโll love my oatmeal lemon crumble bars.
Plenty of lemon recipes to love on my site including these lemon crinkle cookies and lemon thumbprint cookies! Regardless of what you choose, lemon desserts are always a great choice when looking for springtime or Easter dessert recipes.
Print
Lemon Bars
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours, 50 minutes
- Yield: 24 bars
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
You only need 7 ingredientsย to make these lemon bars. The lemon curd filling is extra thick and creamy and sits on an irresistibleย butter shortbread crust. Always bake lemon bars at a lower temperature to avoid over-baking. See recipe notes for important tips. Theyโre simply the best lemon bars and are perfect for picnics, bake sales, spring brunches, baby showers, and bridal showers.
Ingredients
Shortbread Crust
- 1 cup (16 Tbsp; 226g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups + 2 Tablespoons (265g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
Lemon Filling
- 2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
- 6 Tablespoons (46g) all-purpose flour
- 6 large eggs
- 1 cup (240ml) fresh lemon juice (about 4 lemons)
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon zest, optional
- optional: confectionersโ sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325ยฐF (163ยฐC).ย Line the bottom and sides of a 9ร13-inch glass baking pan (do not use metal) with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides to lift the finished bars out (makes cutting easier!). Set aside.
- Make the crust: Mix the melted butter, sugar, vanilla extract, and salt together in a medium bowl. Add the flour and stir to completely combine. The dough will be thick. Press firmly into prepared pan, making sure the layer of crust is nice and even. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned. Remove from the oven. Using a fork, poke holes all over the top of the warm crust (not all the way through the crust). A new step I swear by, this helps the filling stick and holds the crust in place. Set aside until step 4.
- Make the filling: Sift the sugar and flour together in a large bowl. Whisk in the eggs, then the lemon juice and lemon zest (if using) until completely combined.
- Pour filling over warm crust. Bake the bars for 22-26 minutes or until the center is relatively set and no longer jiggles. (Give the pan a light tap with an oven mitt to test.) Remove bars from the oven and cool completely at room temperature. I usually cool them for about 2 hours at room temperature, then stick in the refrigerator for 1-2 more hours until pretty chilled. I recommend serving chilled.
- Once cool,ย lift the parchment paper out of the pan using the overhang on the sides. Dust with confectionersโ sugar and cut into squares before serving. For neat squares, wipe the knife clean between each cut. Cover and store leftover lemon bars in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- Freezing Instructions: Lemon bars can be frozen for up to 3-4 months. Cut the cooled bars (without confectionersโ sugar topping) into squares, then place onto a baking sheet. Freeze for 1 hour. Individually wrap each bar in aluminum foil or plastic wrap and place into a large bag or freezer container to freeze. Thaw in the refrigerator, then dust with confectionersโ sugar before serving.
Notes
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 9ร13-inch Glass Pan | Glass Mixing Bowls | Silicone Spatula | Silicone Whisk | Juicer | Fine Mesh Sieve
- Halve the Recipe: Halve each of the ingredients to yield around 12 squares in a 9-inch square baking pan. Same oven temperature. Bake the crust for 16-18 minutes and the bars for 20 minutes or until the center no longer jiggles.
- Sifting: More often than not, the flour doesnโt fully incorporate into the lemon filling unless itโs sifted with the sugar. As directed in the recipe, sift the two together before adding the eggs and lemon juice. I donโt always do this (and didnโt even do it in the video above!) but itโs preferred to avoid any flour lumps. If you have a sifter, itโs worth using. If you forget, itโs not a huge deal. Here is my favorite sifter. You use it again to dust the lemon bars with confectionersโ sugar.
- Lemon Juice: For exceptional taste, I highly recommend fresh lemon juice. Here is a wonderful inexpensive juicer if you donโt have one. Or use another fresh-squeezed citrus like grapefruit, blood orange, lime, or regular orange. You can slightly reduce the sugar if using a sweeter citrus. I recommend no less than 1 and 2/3 cup granulated sugar in the filling as itโs needed for structure.
- Room Temperature: Bringing the eggs and lemon juice to room temperature helps them mix easier into the flour and sugar. However, I never notice a taste or texture difference when using cold. Room temperature or cold, use whichever!
Reader Comments and Reviews
Hi Sally, Just wondering what you might use as a substitute for powdered sugar (or any sugar) for sprinkling on the bars.
Hi Alyssa, you can leave off the powdered sugar on top of the bars if you wish.
Well I followed your recipe to the โTโ and 26 min in the oven (@ 350 because I know my oven)
Soupy is an understatement!
I ordinarily add 1 1/2 Tbls of starch to assure the lemon is thick enough to eat by handโฆ
What a massive waste of ingredients!
Iโll not be using recipes by other folks again.
Iโll follow but I know what I know from my own experience: eggs and a little flour has never thickened the lemon enough!
1 1:2-2 Tbls starch and 1/2 cup of flour must be added to your recipe to make sure your company isnโt eating soup!
Starch
This is one of my favorite recipes of all time, always a hit! I do have a question: would I need to make any baking adjustments if I wanted to add in some strawberry preserves (thinking about a strawberry lemonade swirl barโฆ)?
Hi MC, weโre so glad they were a hit! We havenโt tried it so weโre unsure of how the bars would set up with that addition. It would like take a bit of trial and error. We do have a recipe for Lemon Strawberry Crumb Bars that you might be interested in.
My neighbors all loved it. Easy to make! Thank you!
First time I ever made lemon bars. These were so easy to make and came out spectacular. No messy mixers. This recipe is a great go too for any occasion.
I have never made lemon bars but would love to serve them for an upcoming event. Can these be made in advance or does moisture become a problem?
Hi Andrea, Yes, they can be made 1-2 days in advance. We would wait to dust with sugar until just before serving. If you need to make them before that, see the last step of the instructions about freezing for details. Enjoy!
Hi Sally- I made these lemon bars for Easter. Everyone loved them! So delicious. I have a question about the confectionersโ sugar. Is there a technique to dusting the bars so the sugar lasts for more than a few minutes? The sugar seems to melt quickly into the bars.
Thank you!
Hi Suzie, that happens to some of our batches as wellโ itโs just the moisture from the lemon topping. Try baking a couple extra minutes because that always seems to help. Thanks for giving this recipe a try!
Thank you. I will try your suggestion.
Suzie
hello! i made these and they turned out ok ๐ i wanted to use oranges without worrying about it being too sweet so i did half-half with lemons like you said but i think i couldnt taste the oranges so i would try a different ratio next time!
i got a problem with my crust though, mine was weird and it felt and tasted so dry. it was like eating something sandy. i dont know if this is normal since i hadnt tried lemon bars before, but how would i fix this? thanks so much for your recipe!
Hi Jie! The crust shouldnโt be sandy, it should be more soft. Did it seem dry? How did you measure the flour? Make sure to spoon and level (instead of scooping) to avoid packing in too much flour into your measuring cups โ or use a kitchen scale. You can read more about properly measuring baking ingredients in this post.
yes, trina, it seemed a bit dry, like itd crumble in my mouth! i did the spoon and level, but im really new at baking so that might actually be the issue, thanks and ill take note of that! โค๏ธ
Could you use salted butter for crust instead of unsalted?
Hi Mary, you can use salted butter and leave out the added salt. Happy baking!
I was hesitant to stick to the receipe after seeing the curd contains 400 grams sugar. I wish I didnt because; Holy moly this is overly sweetโฆ inedible in my opinion. Mij tooth glazing is popping right off after trying. What a waste of my home grown amalfi citrus. This is going in the trash.
In order to make these gluten free, Iโd sub almond flour for the shortbread crust, but for the filling do you think it would be better to sub corn starch or almond flour?
Hi Trisha, We donโt recommend almond flour as it has very different baking properties and is not always a 1:1 swap. We havenโt tested it, but you might have success experimenting with a gluten-free all-purpose flour like Bobโs Red Mill or Cup4Cup. If you give anything a try, weโd love to know how it goes for you!
Made this today it was amazing ! Easy recipe and wonderful outcome.
These were perfect. And amazing. And so simple.
Not a fan of lining the pan with parchment paper. It makes it difficult to ensure crust is even, and took a lot more time to bake.
I actually hate working with parchment paper!
I could not seem to get rid of the layer of moisture on top which meant icing sugar just disappeared immediately. What do you think went wrong? It cooled for over an hour room temperature, went uncovered in the fridge for another hour then I covered it before putting it back into the fridge over night. It was very cool before I covered it
Hi Davida, that happens to some of our batches as wellโ itโs just the moisture from the lemon topping. Try baking a couple extra minutes because that always seems to help. Thanks for giving this recipe a try!
Do you have a breakdown of the nutritional value of these bars? I have a friend who canโt have potassium or salt and Iโm wondering if these bars would be okay for him.
Thanks
Hi Sandi! We donโt usually include nutrition information as it can vary between different brands of the same ingredients. Plus, many recipes have ingredient substitutions or optional ingredients listed. However, there are many handy online calculators where you can plug in and customize your exact ingredients/brands. Readers have found this one especially helpful: https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076
Iโve just baked these bars but my top has gone brown and itโs still really watery underneath. Far more than a jiggle!! What have I done wrong? I followed the recipe exactly but it will burn if I leave it any longer.
Hi Sam! How strange, it sounds like there may be something that went a little off with your lemon filling. Is it possible an ingredient was left out? Did the mixture look like the photos and video tutorial above? Sorry these didnโt turn out for you!
Hi Sally, Iโve been following your blog and have your latest baking cookbook. Because you provide measurements in grams, I weigh everything and all recipes Iโve made have been successful.
This one is giving me pause due to the melted butter. The crust didnโt work and it lifted when I poured the lemon mixture on top. I canโt figure out what has gone wrong. Theyโll taste good, Iโm sure but this is something Iโve never experienced before. What do you think happened? Thank you! Tina
Hi Tina, how strange! I wonder if the crust could have used a little extra bake time before adding the filling if it lifted off of the parchment paper.
Is it normal for the crust edges to take 30-32 minutes to lightly brown?
Should be fine, Celia!
hi! ive heard people say using oranges instead of lemons might make it less tangy, which is something id want to avoid! people say to add lemon juice to it, but if i do that, how much should i put in?
Hi Jie, you could use half orange and half lemon for a nice flavor balance!
I doubled the recipe and my dough is very wet, not turning into a crumble at all. What should I do to fix this?
Hi Maria, itโs a wet shortbread dough. Does yours look like the photos above?
How much flour in crust vs filling?
Hi Sue! The crust and filling ingredients are listed separately in the recipe above. The crust uses 2 cups + 2 Tbsp flour, and the filling has 6 Tbsp.
My bars cracked after being left out at room temp for a couple hours. Why did this happen? They didnt come out of the oven cracked they cracked over time.
Hi Nicole! Lemon bars should be served cold, if al all possible. Could they have been over-baked at all?
When making the bars and using the parchment sleeve, the topping wanted to slip under the cookie base. Iโm sure it will still taste good, but the parchment might have caused this problem. Any solution to this?
Hi Karen! Usually when the bars end up inverted itโs because we either over-baked the crust, or let it cool for too long. Did you prick the crust with a fork (see the end of step 2)? This should help prevent this issue. Hope this helps!
This was my first time making Lemon Bars and oh wow are they good! Your recipe was easy and I will be using this again. Thank You
Shame, Iโm not sure what I did wrong. Iโm a very experienced home baker and have an almost 100% success rate with Sallyโs recipes. Not only did these bars not set they started to brown on the top. Still very much jiggly. At 25 minutes I took them out and noticed an eggy smell which makes me think theyโre likely over baked.. havenโt tried them yet but Iโm not getting my hopes up