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This really is the BEST Lemon Bar recipe! With a classic with shortbread crust and a creamy sweet and tart lemon filling, this dessert is going to make all the lemon lovers so happy. The zing from the filling pairs so well with the thick crust – you won’t be able to get enough.
Oh, how I love a shortbread crust topped with tart lemon filling. My lemon squares recipe is one of my favorite lemon desserts! This recipe is better than Ina Garten’s lemon bars, pinky swear. My recipe is easier to make and the balance of crust to filling is perfect. The filling sets up every single time!
Ingredient Notes
- Butter: Use unsalted butter for the crust, make sure it’s softened. You can reduce added salt if using salted butter.
- Sugar: I love using powdered sugar in shortbread and granulated sugar in the lemon square filling.
- Lemon: You’ll need FRESH lemon juice and lemon zest! The lemon zest is where most of that lemon flavor comes from!
How to Make Lemon Bars
- The first thing that sets these bars apart is the crust. It’s a simple buttery shortbread crust that is easy to make. Many recipes have you bake the crust in a large baking dish, but I prefer a smaller 9×9” square one. That way you get thick lemon bars.
- You don’t have to chill the dough – just mix it up, press it into the pan and bake it. No waiting! The crust is ready for the pan when the dough is crumbly but sticks together when you squeeze it.
- I partially bake the crust so that it’s soft and buttery and crunchy once the bars are all done.
- The filling is so easy to make by just whisking all the ingredients together.
- Lemon bars are done baking when the lemon filling is no longer liquid in the center and the bars are lightly golden on top.
- Cool the bars completely before slicing and serving. I like to dust them with powdered sugar!
Expert Tips for Lemon Bars
- I recommend whisking your eggs to break up the yolks and incorporate the whites before adding the other ingredients.
- Keep an eye on the bars while they bake. You want to pull them out of the oven when they are set in the middle and just lightly golden on top.
- Don’t skip lining the baking dish with parchment paper or foil. This will make it really easy to lift the bars out in one piece before you slice them.
- You can also use a food processor to make the curst – just pulse all the ingredients together until crumbly.
- It is best to make lemon bars in a metal pan so the crust cooks and the filling sets. Glass pans do not conduct heat as well as metal.
Lemon Bars FAQ
How do you cut lemon squares?
The best way to cut them cleanly is to remove the entire slab from the pan using the parchment or foil. Then spray the knife with some nonstick cooking spray, and wipe it clean between cuts.
Can I substitute lime?
Yes! It’s really easy to make lime bars with this recipe – same recipe, but use lime or key lime juice and zest.
Lemon Bars Recipe
These are not the flimsy, thin lemon bars you see all over the internet! My recipe makes the best lemon bars ever – thick shortbread crust with that creamy tart lemon filling! If you’ve been disappointed with other recipes you have to give my recipe a try – I know you will love it.
Recipe Video
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Ingredients
Crust:
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- ½ cup (57g) powdered sugar
- 2 cups (248g) all purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Filling:
- 4 large eggs
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- Zest of 1 medium lemon
- Pinch of salt
- ½ cup (118ml) fresh lemon juice from about 4 medium lemons
- Powdered sugar for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9×9 or an 8×8 pan with foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- Make the crust by creaming the butter with a hand or a stand mixer (fitted with the paddle attachment) until smooth. Add powdered sugar, flour, and salt and mix slowly until the mixture is crumbly but sticks together when you press it between your fingers. Press the crust into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for about 13 minutes, or until it just starts to get a light golden brown around the edges.
- While the crust is baking, whisk the eggs until beaten. Whisk in the sugar, lemon zest, salt, and lemon juice. Pour over hot crust, then continue to bake for 15-18 minutes, or until the mixture is no longer liquid in the center and it’s lightly golden brown on top.
- Cool completely before removing from pan. Remove foil, then dust with powdered sugar. Slice and serve, dusting with more powdered sugar as desired.
Recipe Notes
- I recommend a stand mixer for the crust if you have one, if not, a hand mixer will work but it will take a bit of time to get it mixed. Make sure the mixture sticks together when you press it into the pan – and make sure it’s pressed very well into a solid crust so there are no holes.
- Keep an eye on the bars while they bake. You want to pull them out of the oven when they are set in the middle and just lightly golden on top.
- If your kitchen is warm, you can place the cooled bars (in the baking dish) in the refrigerator so they firm up. This will make it easier to get clean slices.
- Store them in the refrigerator for up to four days in the refrigerator or you can freeze them for up to a month.
Recipe Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 468kcal | Carbohydrates: 62g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 127mg | Sodium: 96mg | Potassium: 77mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 40g | Vitamin A: 736IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 2mg
Nutritional information not guaranteed to be accurate
Favorite Lemon Bar Recipes
The BEST Lemon Bars have a creamy, sweet and tart lemon filling with a thicker than usual shortbread crust. It makes the perfect ratio and texture!
After reading the comments and replies, I was very careful to make sure there were no holes in the crust. But when I baked the crust as noted, it shrunk towards the inside. So when I poured the filling in, it ran around the outside of the crust, and I ended up with delicious but upside-down lemon bars. As you can imagine, they were messy to cut and serve. Did this happen to anyone else? Suggestions?
I’m sorry that happened – I’ve made this recipe so many times without that happening – I’ll have to try again to see if I can replicate the issue.
After cooking filling for 30 extra minutes the filling still didn’t set and the edges started to burn so I just took it out and figured it may set in the fridge.
Fail still but the crust is Devine. On to the next attempt I guess
I’m so sorry that happened! It definitely should have set by then. Did you make any changes or substituions?
I always use my Mom’s recipe, which calls for a couple tablespoons of flour and 1/2 tsp. baking powder in the FILLING. This might help set the filling. Also, the ingredients are almost half of what this recipe says for an 8 x 8 pan.
Can I use salted butter? Does it make a big difference in taste?
Yes you can – just omit added salt.
Can this recipe be doubled for a 9×13 pan?
Yes but it’ll be a bit thicker – so your bake time might be a bit more.
Years ago, I had a lemon bar recipe that used only egg to thicken the filling, no flour, and it was the best. The flour ones taste chalky in comparison. After I lost the recipe, I searched all over the internet for something similar and conducted numerous taste tests and experiments trying to replicate it. Finally, this is it! Or close enough, anyway. It even has that silky shortbread crust that you only get with confectioners sugar.
Thank you!
I always roll my eyes when I see people commenting on recipe blogs that they made the recipe but changed this, eliminated that, etc. and essentially didn’t even make your recipe at all. So, forgive me for this, but… I did change one thing. I added a brick of cream cheese to the filling mix and beat it until it was nice and creamy and smooth. It makes the lemon just that little touch less tart. Delicious!
Again, thank you!
I am so glad you enjoyed them!! Thank you
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