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    Home - Bars

    Published: Apr 10, 2020 · Modified: Dec 20, 2022 by Amanda Powell · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Lemon Bars

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Nothing beats lemon bars that are as bright and memorable as the sun on a perfect spring day! These bars are buttery, sweet, tart, and everything you could ever want from your favorite lemony dessert. 

    close up of bars on palte with glass of milk

    Lemon desserts are a personal favorite of my daughter's and me. There is nothing better than biting into a treat that tastes basically like liquid sunshine. When I saw pink lemons in the grocery store, I knew I needed to put them into something good. The pink color doesn't show up in the bars, but was still fun to use! 

    lemon bars topped with powdered sugar and lemons

    Ingredients

    ingredients to make lemon bars
    • Flour - This is the bulk of the shortbread, but is also in the filling to help set the bars. You can use almost any type of flour in this recipe, but I recommend not using cake flour as it is too tender to hold up to the heavy lemon filling. 
    • Butter - This adds flavor to the shortbread and also helps keep it together. 
    • Sugar - The sugar adds sweetness, enhances the other flavors, and tapers down the tartness of the lemon. 
    • Salt - Salt brings out and enhances the flavors of everything else. 
    • Lemon - The main star of the bar. It brings an unmistakable bright, tart flavor that we all love. I used pink lemons, but any lemon works in this bar. You can also substitute it with limes or grapefruit for other fun citrusy twists. 
    • Eggs - We use the eggs to set and bind the filling of the bars. 
    finished baked crust

    How to bake

    1. Line a 9 x 13 baking pan with parchment paper. This prevents your bars from sticking and makes it easier to remove.
    2. Stir together the dry ingredients for the shortbread, then cut in the butter until the mixture looks like crumbs. 
    3. Press the shortbread mixture into the pan and bake until a very light golden brown. 
    4. Stir together the mixture for the lemon filling and pour over the hot shortbread. 
    5. Bake until the lemon filling is set. Cool until it's at room temperature, then chill in the refrigerator. Cut once chilled 
    steps to make lemon bar filling

    How do they taste

    These bars are a mix of crisp buttery goodness from the shortbread crust and liquid sunshine from the bright lemon filling. It is sweet, tart, and almost melts in your mouth. If you love lemon, you will love these lemon bars. 

    lemon bars on parchment paper dusted with powdered sugar

    Troubleshooting tips

    • Runny lemon bars - This is a common issue for people who are making lemon bars for the first time. Usually, it just means that you need to bake your bars longer. If your bars seem to brown at the edges, you can cover them with aluminum foil and turn down the heat. The bars should be set at the edges and jiggly without being runny in the middle. They will set fully as they cool. 
    • Cracks - Cracks happen a lot when either when the lemon mixture if beaten a lot or you bake your bars at too high of a temperature and take them out of the oven. The dramatic change in temperature will sometimes create these cracks. They do not affect the taste, and you can cover it with powdered sugar. 
    • Upside down bars - On rare occasions, bars can come out looking upside down as though the crust is on the top and most of the filling is at the bottom. Usually, this happens either when there is a big space between the crust and the sides of the pan and/or the crust is cooled down too much before you add the filling. The hot crust and pan help to quickly cool the filling on top of the crust and sides to prevent it from sinking below the crust. 
    close up of lemon bars topped with whipped cream and sliced lemons

    Storage tips

    Once the bars are completely cooled and chilled, you can store your lemon bars. You should keep your bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator. If you need to layer them, I recommend placing a sheet of parchment paper between them.

    You can also freeze your bars. First, cut the bars and freeze them on a sheet. Once frozen, place them in an airtight container. To thaw, place your bars in the refrigerator for a few hours before bringing to room temperature. 

    bars stacked together on plate showing lemon slices

    Other recipes you may enjoy

    If you love lemon treats like this, you may want to try my lemon curd recipe and my shortbread crust. My lemon meringue cheesecake and lemon meringue popsicles are just amazing. If you want a little twist on these classic lemon bars, you'll love these bruleed lemon bars. 

    lemon bars on parchment paper dusted with powdered sugar

    Lemon Bars

    Amanda Powell
    Bright, sweet, and tart lemon bars. The best way to celebrate the season!
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Cook Time 50 mins
    Total Time 1 hr 5 mins
    Course Bars
    Cuisine American
    Servings 15
    Calories 360 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    For the Shortbread

    • 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
    • 1 cup powdered sugar
    • ½ teaspoon sea salt
    • 1 cup unsalted butter cut in cubes

    For the Lemon Filling

    • 2 cups granulated sugar
    • 6 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
    • 6 beaten large eggs room temperature
    • 1 cup fresh lemon juice
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract optional

    Instructions
     

    For the Shortbread

    • Preheat the oven to 350 °F. Line a 9 x 13 baking pan with parchment paper.
    • Mix the flour, sugar, and salt together until combined.
    • Add in your cubed butter and cut it into the flour.*
    • Pour the mixture into the baking pan and press down firmly.
    • Bake for 25 minutes.

    • For the Lemon Filling
    • Reduce the oven temperature to 325 °F. Mix the sugar and flour together.
    • Whisk the sugar mixture with the eggs until well-combined.
    • Whisk in the lemon juice, and vanilla if using.
    • Pour the lemon mixture into the baking pan over the hot shortbread.
    • Bake for 20 - 25 minutes, or until the sides are set and the center is slightly jiggly, but not liquid.
    • Cool to room temperature then chill in the refrigerator.

    Notes

    You can do cut in the butter by pulsing the ingredients in a food processor 4 - 5 times, using a pastry cutter, or rubbing the butter into the flour by hand.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1gCalories: 360kcalCarbohydrates: 54gProtein: 5gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 107mgSodium: 102mgFiber: 1gSugar: 34g
    Keyword lemon, lemon bars, shortbread
    Tried this recipe?Tag me on Instagram! @acookienameddesire #acookienameddesire

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    About Amanda Powell

    Baker, photographer, and sometimes world traveler behind A Cookie Named Desire. Obsessed with helping people live life sweetly with delicious food to share with the special people in your life and creating lasting memories.

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    Hi, I'm Amanda! I am the baker and photographer behind A Cookie Named Desire. I'm a world traveler (sometimes) with a major weakness for cookies and cheese. While I'm mostly self-taught, I recently received a degree in Food Science!

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