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–+ servings
Stack of three orange dream bars with powdered sugar on top
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4 from 158 votes

Orange Dream Bars

Orange Dream Bars - this easy recipe is like a lemon bar but using orange! The perfect citrus recipe, tart and sweet with a shortbread crust.
Prep Time40 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 40 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 24 bars
Calories: 189kcal
Author: Dorothy Kern
Cost: $8

Ingredients

Crust:

  • 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter
  • 2 cups (248g) all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

Filling:

  • ½ cup (119ml) fresh squeezed orange juice
  • Zest of 1 orange
  • 1 teaspoon orange extract 
  • 1 ½ cups (150g) granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup (31g) all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • 4 large eggs
  • Powdered sugar for topping

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 9x13” pan with foil or parchment paper and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
  • Beat butter with a hand or a stand mixer until creamy, then add the flour, sugar, and salt and beat until a dough forms. (If you’re using a hand mixer it will take extra time.) Press the crust into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 18 minutes.
  • A few minutes before the crust comes out of the oven, prepare the filling. Place all filling ingredients into a blender jar and blend until smooth, a few seconds to almost a minute, depending on your blender. You can also do this with a whisk in a large bowl.
  • Carefully pour filling over evenly over hot crust. Return to oven and bake until the top is no longer jiggly, about 20-23 minutes. Cool completely before dusting with powdered sugar and slicing into bars.

Video

Notes

  • Don't strain the fresh squeezed juice - that pulp adds flavor!
  • The orange extract is essential here to amp up the orange flavor.
  • Use your favorite oranges! For the zest be sure to use at least 1 tablespoon (or more if your orange is larger).
  • Make sure your crust is compacted firmly. Any holes in the bottom can cause the filling to leak through, ending in upside down bars. This is not usually a problem with shortbread crusts like this one (it happens more if you're using a cookie crust) but just in case it happens, that's why.
  • Want a crunchier crust? Bake it for 22 minutes before topping.

Nutrition

Serving: 1bar | Calories: 189kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 51mg | Sodium: 38mg | Potassium: 45mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 292IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 13mg | Iron: 1mg