Make your own Easy Lemon Bars with this classic recipe made from scratch. Whether it's a fancy outing or just family fun, this simple tart lemon dessert on shortbread crust hits the spot!
You don't want to miss this homemade recipe during the spring and summer seasons. This ooey gooey dessert is especially good during Easter! Made with a shortbread crust, our family can't get enough of this lemon curd goodness!
How do you know when lemon bars are done? Lemon bars can be tricky, but you know they are done when the filling is set and has a slight jiggle in the center when you gently shake the pan. The edges will look firm, and the top may be slightly golden. Don't overbake or you'll lose that creamy and smooth filling!
It's no secret that we love lemon! Try our other delicious lemon desserts! Some of our favorites include Lemon Ice Box Pie, Lemon Simple Syrup, and Lemon Blueberry Cookies. You'll also love our lemon poppyseed muffins and our tart lemon cookies.
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What's in Lemon Bars?
We've made this recipe easy to follow and it uses simple ingredients. For the best results, use the ingredients listed below!
- Lemon- The main ingredient in this dessert is, of course, lemons! You will need both the juice of lemons and then the lemon zest to get that tart flavor you love. You can certainly make this with lemon juice but for that extra strong flavor, try using fresh lemons! Use Meyers lemon juice as the second best alternative.
- Sugar- You will need both granulated sugar and powdered sugar. Powdered sugar gives that old-fashioned lemon bar look.
- Flour- Use all-purpose flour for the shortbread crust.
- Corn Starch- To help thicken the curd and to get that smooth and luscious texture.
- Eggs- When baking, it's best practice to use room-temperature eggs. Set the eggs out 30 minutes before mixing the ingredients.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to make Lemon Bars
Learn how to bake lemon bars with these easy-to-follow step-by-step process photos.
- In a food processor, add flour, corn starch, and powdered sugar into a food processor and pulse a few times to combine. Add cubed butter and pulse 30 more times until a nice crumble forms.
- Press the crumble into a 8x8" parchment paper line pan. Bake for 22 minutes at 350° F. When it's done, poke holes in it with a toothpick, about ¼ of the way down. Next, mmediately pour in the prepared lemon mixture.
- While the crust bakes, zest and juice the lemons. Make sure to zest the lemon first before juicing.
- Place sugar, flour and lemon zest together into a medium mixing bowl. Whisk to combine. Add the eggs and lemon juice and whisk until smooth.
- Pour the mixture onto the hot crust. Bake for 22-25 minutes at 350° F. The lemon bars are done when the filling is set and has a slight jiggle with the shake of the pan. Place on the counter for about 2 hours to fully set. Then refrigerate an additional 2 hours before serving.
Hint: If you don't have a food processor, combine flour, corn starch, and powdered sugar in a bowl with a fork. Add cold butter chunks and press together with a pastry cutter, a fork, or your fingers.
Substitutions and Variations
Try some of our favorite substitutions and variations for different fun flavors!
- Coconut- For a fun coconut flavor, add ¼ cup of shredded coconut to the crust mixture, or sprinkle on top while the lemon bars are cooling.
- Lime- Make this a fun lemon lime dessert by adding 2 tablespoons of lime juice in substitution for 2 tablespoons of lemon juice.
- Pecan crust- If you prefer a pecan crust try this crust recipe.
- Sweeter- This recipe is really tart, just the way we like our lemon desserts. For a sweeter taste reduce the lemon juice by 2 tablespoons.
How to cut lemon bars
Cutting a lemon bar can be tricky business. You don't want to drag a knife or you will easily disrupt the delicate filling! We like to use a sharp knife that's been dipped in hot water. Wipe it clean in between each cut.
Learn from us
While testing this recipe I did an experiment and used bottled lemon juice and a few drops of food-grade essential oil (to replace the zest) to make these lemon bars. The same day I made lemon bars with fresh lemon zest and freshly squeezed lemon zest and the flavor difference was extreme. The bars that used fresh squeezed were so much more lemony and also had a better texture. We highly recommend using fresh lemons whenever possible with this recipe.
Do lemon bars need to be refrigerated
The answer is yes! Lemon bars need to be refrigerated. So how long do lemon bars last in the fridge? They last up to 4-5 days. Make sure to store them in an air tight container.
Make sure to bring the lemon bars to room temperature before placing in the refrigerator or they won't set properly and you could ruin the texture of the bars. Give yourself enough time to cool and refrigerate completely!
Can lemon bars be frozen?
Yes, you can freeze lemon bars. Wrap individual bars tightly in plastic wrap and place them in a freezer friendly container for up to 3 months. When ready to enjoy, thaw in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature for a few hours.
How to cool lemon bars quickly
If you're in a pinch and need to cool lemon bars quickly we have a few tips and tricks. Place the pan on a cooling rack and place ice packs under the rack. This helps them cool faster than just sitting on the counter without comprising their texture.
If you rush the process too much, you won't have a set bar, just a big mess once you cut into them! I've done this before, and it was a sad mess when I tried to serve them.
Top tip
When it comes to lemon recipes, we like that tart taste! For a sweeter lemon bar, reduce the lemon juice by 2 Tablespoons.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Recipe
Easy Lemon Bars
Ingredients
For the Shortbread Crust:
- ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
- 3 Tablespoons corn starch see note 1
- 6 Tablespoons powdered sugar
- 7 Tablespoons salted butter cold, see note 2
For the Lemon Filling:
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 Tablespoon lemon zest see note 3
- 3 large eggs
- ½ cup + 1 Tablespoon lemon juice from fresh squeezed lemons
- powdered sugar optional, for sprinkling on top
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F and line an 8x8" pan with parchment paper, having it go up the sides of the pan.
For the Shortbread Crust:
- Place flour, corn starch and powdered sugar into a food processor and pulse a few times to combine (see note 4 for directions without a food processor). Cut up cold butter into cubes and add to the food processor. Pulse 30 or so times until it reaches a fine crumb texture and no butter chunks remain.
- Press evenly into the parchment lined baking pan, then bake for 22 minutes or until the edges start to turn golden and the top is matte. Poke a few fork holes about ¼ of the way down into the crust, then immediately pour the lemon mixture on top.
For the Lemon Filling (make while the crust bakes):
- Place sugar, flour and lemon zest together into a medium mixing bowl. Whisk to combine, then use your fingers to press the zest into the sugar/flour for about 30 seconds. It should become aromatic. Add the eggs and lemon juice and whisk until smooth.
- Pour the lemon mixture onto the hot crust, fresh from the oven. Return to the oven and bake 22-25 minutes, until it is set and no longer jiggly. Place on the counter until about room temperature (around 2 hours). Then refrigerate an additional 2 hours before serving.
Notes
- You can use rice flour here for more of a traditional crumbly texture. We love the melt-in-your-mouth feeling that comes from using corn starch so use it in this recipe!
- If you don't have salted butter, just add about ¼ teaspoon salt at the same time as the dry ingredients.
- Make sure to zest your lemons before juicing them! I like to use a microplane. I find it is faster, easier and does a much better job.
- Without a food processor: Combine flour, corn starch and powdered sugar in a bowl with a fork. Add cold butter chunks and press together with a pastry cutter, a fork or your fingers.
- Poking it with a fork ensures that the 2 layers seal together nicely. This will keep them from separating at all.
- These lemon bars are nice and tart. For a less tart, more sweet lemon bar, reduce the lemon juice by 2 Tablespoons.
- Make sure to bring the lemon bars to room temperature before placing in the refrigerator or they won't set properly and you could destroy the texture of the bars.
- For a double batch, simply double everything and place in a 9x13 pan.
Andrea says
These lemon bars are so easy to make and I love how tart they are! They turn out great every time!