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These lemon bars are a tart, yummy dessert with a tangy lemon layer, cookie crust, and dusting of powdered sugar. My favorite summer treat!
When life gives you lemons, save a couple for this delicious lemon bar recipe! These lemon bars are one of my very favorite dishes to bring for summer potlucks. People are always asking me for the recipe because they are just that good! They are sweet and tart and taste like summer in every bite.
Lemon Bars Ingredients
This recipe provides the perfect ratio of buttery crust to a bright, lemony filling. Make sure to press the crust down firmly so it doesn’t overpower the lemon flavor. It is the perfect combination and a classic dessert that brings a fruity flavor.
- All-Purpose Flour – Use flour for the base to create a bottom-like shortbread texture and the filling to keep it thick.
- Butter – The butter is melted to hold together the bottom crust and give it a buttery flavoring.
- Powdered sugar – Sprinkled over top of the lemon bars as well as added to the lemon filling for a thicker and sweeter taste.
- Eggs – This is the binder that helps create the lemon layer.
- Sugar – Adds sweetness and balances out the flavors.
- Lemon juice and lemon zest – Try to use fresh lemons for this recipe. Not only will you be able to grate some fresh lemon zest from the rind, but fresh lemon juice tastes so much better and brighter than the bottled stuff.
- Baking powder – Helps build the lemon bars up and lifts them while setting up over the stovetop.
How to Make Lemon Bars
Lemon bars are always a popular and favorite dessert that everyone loves! These are so simple to make and layered perfectly. Create the crust, bake, then slice to serve. It is simple but is a delicious and decadent dessert to serve!
- Making crust – Mix crust ingredients with a pastry blender or a stand mixer with a paddle attachment until crumbly. Then, press into the bottom of a 9×13 pan lined with cooking spray. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes or until slightly brown.
- Bake – Whisk lemon filling ingredients together and pour the mixture over the pre-baked crust. Bake for 20 minutes at 350.
- Serve – Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Allow bars to cool or chill before cutting and serving.
Tips for the Perfect Lemon Bars
Try these tips to help make the best lemon bars ever! This recipe is so simple to follow and comes together quick and easy. These helpful tips are here to make this lemon bar recipe even better!
- Cold butter – Use very cold margarine or butter when making the crust, then use a pastry cutter or fork to blend it in with the flour. Cold butter makes light layers of crust that taste airy and just the perfect amount of crisp yet tender.
- Glass pan – Bake lemon bars in a glass pan, as metal pans, can give the bar cookies a slightly metallic taste.
- Cooking spray – Use a good quality cooking spray or parchment paper to line the bottom of the glass baking pan. They’ll come out easily without breaking. Part of a good lemon bar is the presentation, after all.
- Fresh lemons – To get the maximum juice out of the lemons, roll them on the counter with your hand for a few seconds or microwave them for about ten seconds. You will be amazed at how juicy those lemons can be!
- Cutting lemons – When cutting lemon bars, rinse your knife with warm water between each cut. This will make pretty, square bars and make the bars easier to remove from the pan.
- Extra powdered sugar – Don’t forget a generous dusting of powdered sugar on top. The sugar kind of melts into the lemon filling, making a golden, sweet crust on top that complements the tangy lemon. These are so delicious!
Serving and Storing Lemon Bars
These bars can be served warm, at room temperature, or cold. If lemon bars aren’t consumed within the first couple hours of baking, it is best to refrigerate them. I actually like them the best when they are served chilled. They hold their shape after being chilled and the flavors have more of a chance to meld together. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container or in a baking dish covered with plastic wrap for up to a week for maximum freshness.
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How to Make Lemon Bars
The Very Best Lemon Bars
Equipment
- 9 X 13 inch Pan
Ingredients
CRUST:
- 2 cups flour
- 1 cup butter
- ½ cup powdered sugar
LEMON FILLING:
- 4 eggs
- 1½ cup sugar
- ¼ cup flour
- 6 tablespoons lemon juice freshly squeezed is best
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
Instructions
FOR THE CRUST:
- In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients together with pastry blender until crumbly.
- Press into the bottom of a 9×13 pan lined with cooking spray. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes or until slightly brown.
FOR THE LEMON FILLING:
- In a large bowl, whisk together all the ingredients.
- Pour over pre-baked hot crust.
- Bake 20 minutes at 350℉. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Allow bars to cool before cutting and serving.
Video
Notes
Recipe Tips:
- This recipe provides the perfect ratio of buttery crust to bright, lemony filling. Make sure to press the crust down firmly so it doesn’t overpower the lemon flavor.
- Use very cold margarine or butter when making the crust, then use a pastry cutter or fork to blend it in with the flour. Cold butter makes light layers of crust which tastes airy and just the perfect amount of crisp yet tender.
- Bake lemon bars in a glass pan, as metal pans can give the bar cookies a slightly metallic taste.
- Use a good quality cooking spray or even parchment paper to line the bottom of the glass baking pan. They’ll come out easily without breaking. Part of a good lemon bar is the presentation, after all.
- These bars can be served warm or cold. I love them after they’ve refrigerated for a few hours, which allows them to set up beautifully and let the flavors settle all together.
- Try to use fresh lemons for this recipe. Not only will you be able to grate some fresh lemon zest from the rind, but fresh lemon juice tastes so much better and brighter than the bottled stuff.
- To get the maximum juice out of your lemons, either roll them on the counter with your hand for a few seconds, or microwave them for about ten seconds. You’ll be amazed how juicy those lemons can be!
- Don’t forget a generous dusting of powdered sugar on top. The sugar kind of melts into the lemon filling, making a golden, sweet crust on top that complements the tangy lemon. These are so delicious!
These are so delicious! Followed the recipe to the T and got perfect lemon bars. I highly recommend this recipe, one of the best lemon bars that I have tried.
These were such a delicious and bright addition to a dreary day!! The whole family loved these lemon bars!
This looks so delicious and yummy! My daughter and I are going to love this recipe! So excited to give this a try!
It’s one of the easiest and loveliest recipes I’ve ever seen <3 I've gotta try all your delightful bar recipes for my family! <3 <3
I always google when I need to convert any measure ????.
Self rising or all purpose flour? I’m assuming self rising since no baking powder or baking soda. Thanks 🙂
I use all purpose flour in this recipe and it turns out great every time. Thank you for asking!
I just made these and seem to be very runny…are they due to be wet like that? Help
No, the lemon part should set up, it shouldn’t be runny.
These look so beautiful and seem easy to make thankyou for the lovely recipe
Thank you! They are easy to make and they are delicious. We hope you will give it a try!
Hello, Thanks for this recipe. One question, what means : ” c” in “1 c. margarine” or “2 c. flour” ? is it “cup” ? and for a french girl what does it mean in grams ? thank you for the answer.
c. is cup, you are right. I don’t know what it would convert to in grams though.
It’s sounds so easy Do I pre cook the lemon filling Or just mix it in a bowl then bake it ?
You just mix it and then pour it over the crust to bake it!
Google ‘cups to grams’, it will give you the conversion
Please, What is a pastry blender? And what to do if you don’t have one!!!!!
You can use a fork if you don’t have a pastry blender.