Let me show you how to make these tart lemon squares baked over a sweet shortbread crust! They are so easy and completely from scratch! Every lemon lover knows this old-fashioned lemon dessert is never outdated. Luscious lemon filling with the perfect balance of sweet and tart makes the best dessert bar for any get-together!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Authentic, always bold lemon flavor with a buttery shortbread crust!
- These homemade lemon bars are easy and from scratch!
- Perfect use for excess lemons!
- This recipe uses whole eggs, not just egg yolks.
Ingredient Notes
- Fresh Lemon Juice/Zest - If you want lemon bars that are bursting with lemon flavor every time, you must use FRESH lemon juice and fresh lemon zest. Not bottled. That's the secret. A lot of people want to use bottled lemon juice or dried zest for convenience, but you will be disappointed with the results every time.
- Butter - both salted butter and unsalted butter are fine, but you must use butter. Butter gives the shortbread crust its flavor, so if you use a butter substitute, your crust may not turn out will taste weird or off.
- Powdered Sugar - Just note that powdered sugar is used for dusting but also in the crust. If you use granulated sugar in the crust, it will be tough and grainy.
- Flour - All-purpose flour.
- Variations: Add a tablespoon of fresh lemon zest and 2 teaspoons of poppy seeds to the crust for a lemon poppy seed twist.
Couple Things You'll Need
Step by Step Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- NOTE: You're going to want to use a glass baking dish. A metal pan can be reactive to the acidity of the lemon juice, causing metallic-tasting lemon bars. Using aluminum foil will cause the same thing.
- Prep your baking pan by doing one of two things because these bars can really stick. Butter the bottom of a 9 x 13 glass pan really WELL. Do not use pan spray. OR, if you have parchment paper, line the baking dish with parchment paper with an overhang on the edges that will allow you to lift the dessert right out of the pan. I use office clips to secure the parchment paper along the edges of the pan.
- Prepare the crust by whisking the 2 cups flour and ½ cup powdered sugar together.
- Cut in the butter until it is well combined and crumbly. I love to use my food processor for this, but you can do it with a fork, too!
- Sprinkle the crust crumbs evenly across the bottom of the buttered baking dish.
- Press the crust down firmly with your fingers.
- Bake the crust for 15 minutes.
- The crust will be lightly browned, which is what you want. If the crust is undercooked when you pour the filling over it, the filling with not set up properly, and the shortbread crust will be soggy.
- Prepare the lemon layer in a large bowl while the crust bakes.
- Measure the granulated sugar and eggs into a mixing bowl and beat until they are very light in color.
- Zest and juice the fresh lemons. Fresh lemon juice and zest are an absolute must!
- Stir the zest and juice.
- Add the baking powder and flour. Mix well. If there are flour pockets in the filling, it will be grainy. So mix well.
- As soon as the crust is finished baking, pour the lemon filling over the hot crust.
- Bake for 20 minutes.
- You will know they are done when the center of the bars is no longer jiggly.
- The top of the bars should be just barely golden brown and may or may not have white bubbles or crust. This is totally normal. It's just the air bubbles that are released from the eggs while baking.
- Cool completely on a wire rack before sprinkling with powdered sugar. If the bars are still too warm, the powdered sugar will melt into them instead of sitting on top.
- Lift the entire dessert out of the baking dish if you lined it with parchment paper. Cut into squares using a sharp knife and serve.
- Store completely cooled bars in an airtight container or cover with plastic wrap.
Recipe FAQs and Expert Tips
Do lemon bars need to be refrigerated?
No, but you can. I just store them on the countertop covered with a lid or saran wrap.
Can they be overcooked? Undercooked?
Yes, the top of the bars should be just barely golden brown. Cooking longer than that dries them out, and they will be dry and chewy. However, if you undercook them, they will not be set up, and no, you cannot re-bake them to fix them. You'll know they're done when the center is no longer jiggly.
Will this dessert smell eggy because there are so many eggs in it?
Don't worry; I have never smelled eggs from this dessert. The other ingredients balance the eggs well.
Can I freeze these?
Yes, but freeze them without the powdered sugar on the top. After they are completely cool, either pop the entire pan in the freezer or you can cut them into squares, place them spaced a little on a baking sheet, freeze them, then individually wrap each bar in saran wrap and place back in the freezer. Dust thawed lemon bars with powdered sugar.
Related Lemon Recipes
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Best Lemon Bar Recipe
Let me show you how to make these tart, lemony squares baked over a buttery shortbread crust! They are so easy and completely from scratch! This old-fashioned lemon dessert is never outdated. Luscious lemon curd with the perfect balance of sweet and tart makes the best dessert bar for any get-together!
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Butter no substitutes
- 2 Cups Flour
- ½ Cup Powdered Sugar
- 4 Large Eggs
- 2 Cups Granulated Sugar
- 2 Tbs Lemon Zest about 2 medium sized lemons
- ¼ Cup Fresh Lemon Juice
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 5 Tbs Flour
- Additional powdered sugar for sprinkling on the top of baked lemon bars.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- It works best to line a glass baking dish with parchment paper. That way, you can lift the entire dessert out of the pan to cut. OR you can butter the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan WELL. Do not use pan spray.
- Prepare the crust by whisking the 2 cups flour and ½ cup powdered sugar together.
- Cut in the butter until it is well combined and crumbly.
- Press into the bottom of the prepared pan.
- Bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees.
- Prepare the lemon filling while the crust bakes.
- Beat the eggs and sugar together until it is very light yellow in color.
- Beat the lemon zest, lemon juice, baking powder, and flour into the sugar and eggs.
- Pour over the hot crust.
- Bake for 20 minutes. The top should be just barely starting to brown.
- Cool the lemon bars until completely cool.
- Sprinkle with powdered sugar, cut into 20 bars, and enjoy!
Notes
- If you want lemon bars that are bursting with lemon flavor every time, you must use fresh lemon juice and fresh lemon zest. Not bottled. That's the secret. A lot of people want to use bottled lemon juice or dried zest for convenience, but you will be disappointed with the results every time.
- Just note that powdered sugar is used for dusting but also in the crust. If you use granulated sugar in the crust, it will be tough and grainy.
- Variations: Add a tablespoon of fresh lemon zest and 2 teaspoons of poppy seeds to the crust for a lemon poppy seed twist.
Nutrition
Calories: 163kcalCarbohydrates: 37gProtein: 2gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0.4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.2gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.3gTrans Fat: 0.03gCholesterol: 27mgSodium: 101mgPotassium: 21mgFiber: 0.4gSugar: 24gVitamin A: 40IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 53mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Thanks for stopping by! Before you go, be sure to check out a few of my most popular recipes!
Mary Aman
Can this recipe be made with lemon curd I have already made and canned/Jarred?
mindeescookingobsession
No, I wouldn't recommend it. Sorry
JG
We loved this recipe! So yummy! We will be making these again!
mindeescookingobsession
I'm so glad! Thank You!!!
G.T.
Bursting with lemon flavor!!!