Quick & Easy Lemon Bar Recipe
Let’s be honest, lemon bars are hands down the best lemon dessert in existence. These bars have a sweet zesty lemon filling layered on top of a buttery shortbread crust. Even though some might consider these a springtime dessert, I enjoy lemon bars all year round. And why shouldn’t I? Not only are they delicious, but they are so easy to make! I have been making this easy lemon bar recipe for years and trust me, it’s a major crowd-pleaser.
The great thing about this recipe for lemon bars is that the entire thing is only 7 ingredients, most of which you probably already have in your kitchen! But before we get ahead of ourselves, here are a few tips to make sure your lemon bars reach their full potential.
- Use a glass pan. I’ve tried this recipe with metal, ceramic and glass pans. For some reason, I consistently get the best texture and flavor from a glass pan. I use a 9×13 pan for this recipe, but you could swap this out for an 8×10 if you like even thicker lemon bars. (Keep in mind that the bake time may vary with a smaller pan). Snag the perfect glass pan here.
- Sift the flour and sugar. I will always stress the importance of sifting! It gets out the lumps and prevents your bars from being too dense.
- Juice your own lemons. Of course this is optional and you will still get great flavor with store-bought lemon juice. In my personal opinion, the added flavor of the fresh-squeezed juice is well-worth the extra effort!
- Don’t stress over bubbles. When you take your finished lemon bars out of the oven, you may see some white air bubbles on top. This is totally normal and won’t affect the flavor at all. Just dust some powdered sugar on top and no one will know!
- Cool before serving. Let your lemon bars cool for about an hour before serving so they can fully set up. I recommend sticking them in the fridge for an additional hour or two if you have time. This will keep everything together and give you nice clean cuts when it’s time to serve them.
Lemon Bars
Savor the taste of summer with these sweet and gooey lemon bars with a buttery shortread crust, dusted with powdered sugar.
Prep Time: 25 min / Cook Time: 40 min / Cooling Time: 1 hr 5 min / Total Time: 2.5 hrs
What You’ll Need
FOR THE SHORTBREAD CRUST
- 1 c butter (2 sticks), softened
- ½ c powdered sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 c flour, sifted
FOR THE LEMON FILLING
- 4 eggs, beaten
- ¼ c flour
- 2 c granulated sugar
- ⅓ c lemon juice
**Additional powdered sugar for dusting
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- For the crust, combine the butter, sugar, salt and flour in a medium mixing bowl. Mix until fully combined. The consistency should be crumbly.
- Press the dough into a greased 9×13-inch pan. Bake for 15 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes.
- For the lemon filling, combine the eggs, flour, sugar, and lemon juice in a medium mixing bowl. Mix until fully incorporated.
- Pour the lemon filling mixture over the crust and bake for 25 minutes at 350°F.
- Let cool for at least an hour. Dust the top with powdered sugar and serve.
Tried Out The Recipe?
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