Best Lemon Bar Recipe

This old-fashioned lemon bars recipe is a classic family favorite with plenty of sweet citrusy goodness and bright lemon color.

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These bright and citrusy lemon bars are old-fashioned desserts made with simple ingredients. Our made-from-scratch buttery shortbread crust is layered with a luscious lemon filling and finished with a light dusting of powdered sugar that will delight your taste buds.

What are Lemon Bars?

Part crust, part curd, 100% delicious!

What do lemon bars taste like?

Lemon bars have a perfect tangy citrus flavor that is balanced by the sweetness from the shortbread crust.

Easy Lemon Bars Ingredients

How to Make Lemon Bars

STEP ONE: Preheat the oven to 350°F. For the shortbread base, mix the melted butter, sugar, and vanilla together in a medium bowl. Add the flour and stir to combine.

STEP TWO: Press the crust mixture firmly into a 9×13 glass baking pan lined with parchment paper. Bake crust for 15 to 20 minutes or until the edges are light golden brown. Set warm crust aside.

STEP THREE: To make the lemon layer, add the sugar and flour to a large bowl and use a whisk to get out any lumps. Add the eggs, lemon juice, and lemon zest and whisk until combined.

STEP FOUR: Pour the filling over the top of the crust. The lemon mixture will be a little runny. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the center is set and no longer jiggles. It’s normal to see air bubbles on the top of your lemon bars after baking. You can’t even tell they’re there once you dust them with powdered sugar.

STEP FIVE: Remove from the oven and cool completely at room temperature, then refrigerate. These actually taste amazing after chilling for several hours or overnight. Dust cooled bars with powdered sugar before serving.

How do you cut the perfect lemon bars?

To make perfect cuts in your lemon bars, have a bowl of warm water nearby. Wet the knife in the warm water, wipe it clean with a dry dish towel, and make one cut from one edge to the other.

Serving this Recipe for Lemon bars

Serve these perfect lemon bars with a warm cup of tea or a refreshing cold drink, such as our raspberry iced tea or homemade raspberry lemonade, which would blend beautifully with the flavor of the lemon.

You’ll want to try our easy blueberry dump cake and our lemon poke cake as well for more quick and simple desserts.

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Lemon Bars Recipe Storage

How long do lemon bars last in the fridge? Lemon bars will keep in the fridge for up to four days.

Can you store lemon bars at room temperature? If you are planning to enjoy the lemon bars within a day or two, they can be kept at room temperature. Any longer and it is best to store them in the fridge.

Can you freeze lemon bars successfully? Wrap each lemon bar individually in wax paper and store it in an airtight container. Stored this way, they will keep in the freezer for up to four months.

Sweet, tart, and delicious, these classic lemon bars are the perfect easy dessert. You’ll love the simple shortbread crust and fresh lemon filling. Whip up a batch for sharing, or keeping all to yourself (we won’t judge!).

More Classic Dessert Recipes You’ll Love

• Lemon Sugar Cookies 
• Blueberry Hand Pies
• Key Lime Pie
• Banana Pudding
• Lemon Curd
• Lemon Cheesecake Bars
• Lemon Brownies
• Lemon Raspberry Cookies
• Lemon Curd

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Easy Lemon Bars

5 from 11 votes

This old-fashioned lemon bars recipe is a classic family favorite with plenty of sweet citrusy goodness and bright lemon color.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Servings 24

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Ingredients

  

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Crust

• 1 cup butter, melted
• ½ cup sugar
• 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups flour

Filling

• 3 cups sugar
• 1 cup flour
• 6 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 cup lemon juice, fresh is best (about 4 lemons)
• 2 tablespoons lemon zest
• Confectioner's sugar, for dusting

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Line a 9×13 pan with parchment paper.
• For the crust, mix the butter, sugar, and vanilla together in a medium bowl.
• Add the flour and stir to combine.
• Press firmly into your prepared pan and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the edges are light brown.
• Add the sugar and flour into a large bowl. Use a whisk to get out any lumps.
• Add the eggs, lemon zest, and lemon juice and whisk until combined.
• Pour the filling over the warm crust. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the center is set and doesn’t jiggle.
• Remove from oven and cool completely at room temperature. Then refrigerate.
• Dust with powdered sugar before serving.

Notes

• Use fresh lemon juice to really enhance the flavor of this recipe, bottled lemon juice will not have the same flavor or texture.
• This is one recipe that I really recommend using a glass baking dish for. I just use a standard 9×13 glass casserole dish that you can pick up just about anywhere.
• Oven temperatures vary and may need to be recalibrated periodically to ensure they are accurate. Make sure to check your crust at the lower end of the recommended baking time.
• Once your lemon bars are well chilled, take an oiled and very sharp knife and cut. I recommend wiping it off in between cuts just to get those beautiful, clean lines.

Nutrition

Calories: 256kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 61mg | Sodium: 77mg | Potassium: 46mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 30g | Vitamin A: 297IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 1mg

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