Classic Lemon Bars

Classic Lemon Bars begin with a buttery shortbread crust and have a sweet and tangy lemon curd filling. As a lemon lover, these are not only the best lemon bars but the best lemon dessert for the spring and summer months.

Best Lemon Bars

Back in the days when strawberry ruled all and the only desserts to exist were strawberry ice cream and strawberry birthday cake, I was introduced to a lemon dessert bar that ultimately changed the course of my dessert life for years to come. 

A tad dramatic? Perhaps, but the truth is that first introduction to the tangy lemon bar left an indelible impression. I was 8 or 9 years old, and I went to a teahouse with my mom and some of our friends. I’d enjoyed the tea sandwiches, had mostly choked down my tea, and was anticipating the dessert tray that I knew was coming. 

It was full of mini desserts, including tiny petit fours, mini muffins, shortbread cookies, and bite-sized squares of lemon bars. The first bite of tangy lemon with the buttery shortbread crust was incredible. In that moment, it blew all other desserts out of the water. 

Still to this day, a classic lemon bar with silky smooth lemon curd and a sandy shortbread cookie crust, is one of the best lemon desserts to exist, in my opinion. There is nothing like the lip-puckering tangy lemon flavor paired with the sweet crust and powdered sugar topping. 

What Makes These Easy Lemon Bars A Fan Fav?

1. Simple Ingredients: Homemade lemon bars require very few ingredients, and most of them are repeated ingredients in the shortbread crust and in the lemon filling.

2. Easy Recipe: Similarly to the ingredients, this is a very easy lemon bar recipe with a shortbread crust (a very buttery, very melt-in-your-mouth shortbread crust). The hardest part is waiting for the bars to cool. 

3. Perfect Texture & Flavor: Lemon squares can be very, very sweet, and they can also be very, very tangy. This lemon bar recipe has the perfect flavor and texture. My secret ingredient? Lemon zest! Many homemade lemon square recipes call for lemon juice only. The zest adds so much flavor without adding too much liquid or tang! 

As a shortbread lover, these Strawberry Jam Shortbread Bars are a must bake, and if you’re still hung up on all things lemon, try these Lemon Blueberry Shortbread Bars.

Let’s Talk Ingredients:

• Melted Unsalted Butter: Unsalted butter is important in this recipe because there is salt already in the recipe. If you use salted butter, the recipe will be too salty. 
• All Purpose Flour
• Powdered Sugar: Granulated sugar will make the crust a little bit grainy. Powdered sugar is finer so it makes the perfect buttery, sandy shortbread crust. 
• Salt
• Lemon Zest: It’s a subtle hint of lemon, but adding lemon to the shortbread crust enhances the flavor of both the crust and the filling. 
• Eggs
• Granulated Sugar
• Lemon Juice: Make sure you use fresh lemon juice, as it has the best flavor. Bottled lemon juice differs slightly in flavor than fresh lemon juice.

How To Make Lemon Bars From Scratch:

1. Shortbread Crust: Mix flour, powdered sugar, salt, and lemon zest together. Drizzle in melted butter. Mix until all ingredients are combined. 
2. Bake: Line a 9×9 baking pan with non-stick foil or parchment paper (or grease it with baking spray). Press the crust into the bottom of the pan. Bake. Cool.
3. Lemon Filling: Whisk eggs, lemon zest, and lemon juice together. Add in granulated sugar and flour, and whisk until smooth (a small lump here and there is fine).
4. Bake: Pour filling on top of par-baked shortbread crust. Bake. 
5. Cool: Allow the lemon bars to cool before adding powdered sugar. You can cool them to room temperature and serve, or chill them in the fridge. 

Storage Tips:

Refrigerate your lemon bars. Not only do they taste better when they’re nice and cold, because of the custard/curd filling (made with eggs), they do need to remain refrigerated until you’re ready to serve.

Freezer Tips:

• Can you freeze lemon bars? Yes. Freeze them before adding powdered sugar (add that whenever you serve the bars). 
• Pro Tips:
  • Let the bars cool to room temperature before cutting into squares. Then, flash freeze them by putting them evenly spaced out on a baking tray. Freeze for 1-2 hours.
  • After flash freezing them, wrap each bar individually in plastic wrap, then store them in a freezer safe container. (Flash freezing them keeps them from getting too messy when you wrap them in plastic wrap, and it prevents the bars from sticking too much to the plastic wrap.)
  • When you are ready to serve, you can unwrap them and place them on a serving tray. It takes about 30-45 minutes to thaw to room temperature. Or, you can thaw them overnight.
  • Top with powdered sugar before serving. 

Final Classic Lemon Bars Tips and Tricks:

1. Powdered Sugar and Granulated Sugar: We make this shortbread crust with powdered sugar and the lemon curd filling with granulated sugar. It’s really, really important that you don’t make your shortbread with granulated sugar, otherwise is will be too grainy.
2. Par Bake Shortbread Crust: The crust needs to be baked a little bit first. The crust is done as soon as it starts to turn a light golden brown. If it goes too long, the crust might be overdone when you bake the lemon bars later.  
3. Fresh Lemon Juice & Zest: This recipe calls for both lemon juice and lemon zest. Definitely use fresh lemon juice in this recipe, and make sure you don’t use overripe lemons (ones that are squishy and turning a brown/yellow). Overripe lemons are difficult to zest, and they often have a very bitter lemon juice flavor rather than a fresh lemon flavor.

4.91 from 10 votes

Classic Lemon Bars

Prep: 20 minutes mins

Cook: 35 minutes mins

Total: 55 minutes mins

These Classic Lemon Bars have a sweet yet tangy lemon filling, a buttery shortbread crust, and plenty of powdered sugar dusted on top. Homemade lemon bars make an easy dessert recipe for the spring and summer months.

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Ingredients

 

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Crust

• ▢ 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
• ▢ 1 2/3 cup all purpose flour
• ▢ 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• ▢ 1/4 tsp salt
• ▢ 2 tsp lemon zest

Filling

• ▢ 4 eggs
• ▢ 1 1/2 cups sugar
• ▢ 1 Tbsp lemon zest
• ▢ 1/2 cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• ▢ 1/2 cup flour

Topping

• ▢ Powdered sugar for dusting, optional

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x9 baking pan, or line it with parchment paper (or non stick foil).

Shortbread Crust

• Mix all purpose flour, powdered sugar, salt, and lemon zest together.
• Add in melted butter. Mix until the shortbread dough is well combined.
• Using a rubber spatula, press the dough into the baking dish in an even layer.
• Bake the crust for 12-15 minutes, or until just barely turning golden brown. (Allow to cool at least 10 minutes before adding the lemon filling.)

Lemon Filling

• In a medium bowl, whisk eggs, lemon juice, and lemon zest together.
• Next, add in granulated sugar and all purpose flour and whisk until smooth and combined.
• Pour the filling over the cooled crust and bake for 22-25 minutes, or until the filling is set and no longer jiggles when gently shaken.
• Allow to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until ready to eat. (Leftovers should be stored in the fridge too.)
• Cut into squares. Dust with powdered sugar, if desired.
• Enjoy!

The nutrition facts provided are calculated using a third-party tool and are estimates only. Actual nutritional content may vary based on the ingredients and brands you use, as well as portion sizes. For accurate results, please consult a registered dietitian or nutritionist.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

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