Lemon Bars

Easy to make, and in my opinion, these are the best Lemon Bars ever. A light buttery shortbread crust covered with tangy sweet lemon curd, and simply topped with powdered sugar.

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These are the classic, from scratch, homemade, Lemon Bars that you’ll love. And they’re perfect for a crowd!

I’ve been making this recipe for years. In fact, I originally post it back in April, 2010. You’ll find that post here.

But I decided it needed it’s own home. I mean, it’s so good. And I get requests all the time for the recipe. So I’ve pulled the recipe out from that post from 2010 and placed it here. I hope you love them as much as I do. They are truly one of my favorite old-fashioned treats!

Lemon bars with a crumbly crust topped with a sweet-tangy lemony topping. Not too sweet, and not too tart. These are just right.

Perfect party food

Recently, I decided I needed to remake these Lemon Bars and take them to the Easter celebration.

Cut them how big or small you prefer

Normally I would cut them into larger slices. The size you see in the pictures.

I cut them into small pieces and took them in one of those disposable foil trays with a lid. That was perfect. The small slices allowed everyone to take a little bite. And, well, I saw several people (myself included) go back for several small bites.

How to make

These bars start off with an easy to make shortbread crust. It’s just a simple mixture of flour, sugar, salt, and butter. It makes a great buttery crust with just the right texture for these lemon bars. Not too crunchy or too crumbly.

Bake the shortbread, and while that’s baking, mix up the quick lemon topping, or lemon curd.

The lemon topping is a quick to mix up in the same bowl that you used for the crust. Just drop in the sugar, flour, eggs, and lemon juice. Mix that up, and you don’t even need a mixer to do so, just a quick mix with a whisk or sturdy fork.

Pour the lemon filling on the freshly baked shortbread, and pop back in the oven.

Once the lemon bars are cooked and cooled, sprinkle powdered sugar over the top, and you’re good to go!

Recipe tips

Don’t skip the aluminum foil or parchment step. Lining the pan with the foil or paper makes it so easy to remove the lemon bars from the pan.

Just take the whole tray out of the pan, and place it on a cutting board. Then it’s easy to slice them up into large bars or small bites.

Use fresh lemon juice, not the bottled kind. The little extra step of squeezing your own lemons will pay off big time.

Sometimes I’ll add a little lemon zest to the lemon filling. Or garnish the top of the lemon bars with lemon zest, after the powdered sugar topping. This is totally optional though.

If you can find them, Meyer lemons rock this recipe. Meyer lemons are sweet-tart, and have a delicious flavor. I have a little dwarf tree in my backyard that produces these juicy jewels year-round. So I typically use them for all my lemon desserts. But again, no need to fret about Meyers, regular lemons are great in this as well.

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Lemon desserts you’ll love!

• Grandma’s Lemon Custard Pie with Lemon Curd Topping
• Lemon Soufflé Cheesecake
• Lemon Ice Cream
• Meyer Lemon Brûlée Tart

Lemon Bars Recipe

5 from 8 votes

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Lemon Bars

Lemon bars with a crumbly crust topped with a sweet-tangy lemony topping. Not too sweet, and not too tart. These are just right.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword bars, lemon

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Resting time 1 hour

Total Time 55 minutes

Servings 24 bars

Calories 196 kcal

Author Debi

Ingredients

CRUST

• 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature (2 sticks)
• ½ cup powdered sugar
• Pinch salt
• 2 cups all-purpose flour

FILLING

• 2 cups granulated sugar
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 4 eggs
• 6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Instructions

1. Line 13 x 9-inch baking pan with foil, and coat with cooking spray.
2. Preheat oven to 350° F.
3. To make crust: blend butter, sugar, and salt in large bowl until smooth. Stir in flour. Scrape into pan, pressing level. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden.
4. To make filling: beat sugar, flour, eggs, and lemon juice in bowl until smooth. Pour over baked crust. Place back in 350° F oven for 25 minutes, until no imprint remains when lightly touched in center. Cool on rack.
5. Remove from pan, and cut into squares. Dust with powdered sugar.

Recipe Notes

Lemon bars may be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days

Nutrition Facts

Lemon Bars

Amount Per Serving

Calories 196 Calories from Fat 72

% Daily Value*

Fat 8g12%

Saturated Fat 5g31%

Cholesterol 47mg16%

Sodium 11mg0%

Potassium 27mg1%

Carbohydrates 28g9%

Sugar 19g21%

Protein 2g4%

Vitamin A 275IU6%

Vitamin C 1.5mg2%

Calcium 8mg1%

Iron 0.7mg4%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.