Thick and gooey Lemon Bars with shortbread crust and vibrant lemon flavor are the perfect dessert. Watch the video tutorial and see how easy it is to bake homemade lemon bars.
We love dessert bar recipes from Pecan Pie Bars to Baklava and Strawberry Pretzel Salad, because they are easy to make and crowd-pleasing desserts. These lemon bars are no exception.
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Fresh lemons make everything better from Lemon Blueberry Cake to Homemade Lemonade. If you are a fan of lemon, this recipe for Lemon Bars is a must-try!
Lemon Bar Video
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Classic Lemon Bar Recipe
Take one bite and you will fall in love with these lemon bars. The lemon custard filling is similar to our Lemon Curd Recipe and is brimming with satisfying tangy lemon flavor, and it’s balanced in sweetness.
I learned how to make Lemon Bars years ago from one of Ina Garten’s early cookbooks, Barefoot Contessa Parties (I literally have all 12 of her cookbooks because I admire her very much and her recipes are sound). This is very close to the original recipe except we add vanilla to the crust and you’ll love the tip for making the crust even easier to mold.
Ingredients for Lemon Bars
- Eggs – Add richness and help the custard thicken. We use large eggs.
- Granulated sugar – it may seem like a lot of sugar, but it’s needed to combat the tanginess of the lemon juice. You can adjust it depending on the type of lemons used (see next section).
- Lemons – you’ll need the lemon zest and juice so be sure to zest the lemon before juicing it.
- All-purpose flour– helps to thicken up the lemon custard filling.
- Confectioners sugar – to dust the top for serving.
- For the Shortbread Crust – this easy cookie crust is made with butter, sugar, vanilla extract, flour, and salt. It creates a buttery crust that is crisp on the edges and tender to the bite.
What are the best lemons for Lemon Bars?
I always use regular lemons because they have tons of tang and lemon flavor. Since lemons are the star ingredient, you should avoid using bottled lemon juice or concentrate. Also, use no more than 1 cup of lemon juice or the custard won’t set properly. If your lemons are refrigerated, bring them to room temperature first. P.S. Here’s my favorite citrus squeezer.
Can I use Meyer Lemons? Meyer lemons aren’t quite as tart as regular lemons so you’ll want to reduce the sugar in the filling to about 2 cups.
How to Make Lemon Bars
- Crust – Cream butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer, then add vanilla extract, flour, and salt and mix until crumbly. Press the mixture into a parchment-lined 9×13 casserole dish. Bake at 350˚F for 18-20 minutes. Cool slightly on a rack.
- Lemon Filling – In a mixing bowl, whisk together eggs and sugar. Whisk in lemon juice and zest. Add flour and whisk until completely blended.
- Add filling and Bake – pour filling over the warm crust and bake at 350˚F for 30-35 minutes until the center is set and no longer wobbly.
- Chill– cool at room temperature on a wire rack for at least 1 hour then refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- Serve – Cut into squares and dust with powdered sugar to serve.
Pro Slicing Tip: Just like with a Cheesecake, for clean and pretty slices, wipe the knife blade clean with a damp paper towel between slices.
Common Questions
The center of the lemon bars should be fully set. If you give the pan a jolt, it should not wobble in the center.
Lemon bars can be kept at room temperature for a few hours but should be refrigerated after that. Refrigerate up to a week or freeze for 3-4 months (see make-ahead instructions below).
The air bubbles that rise to the surface while baking is normal. These are bubbles from whisking the eggs. Since the bubbles rise above the surface, they tend to brown which causes the brown spots. They are easy to cover up with powdered sugar.
You can substitute with grapefruit, orange juice, or lime to change up the flavor of your bars, but use less sugar when using sweeter citrus.
A glass or ceramic 9×13 pan works great for lemon bars. Note that a glass pan will bake faster and darker than a metal pan so check for doneness a little earlier.
Make-Ahead Lemon Squares
Lemon bars keep really well in the refrigerator and in the freezer, making them one of my favorite make-ahead desserts.
- Refrigerating: If baking the bars ahead, cool to room temperature then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Dust with powdered sugar just before serving.
- To Freeze: Once lemon bars are fully chilled in the refrigerator, cover the baking dish with a couple of layers of plastic wrap and freeze for 3-4 months. You can also transfer leftover pieces to a freezer-safe zip bag for easier storage. The lemon custard doesn’t fully solidify in the freezer so there’s no need to thaw. They’re so good right out of the freezer.
When life gives you lemons, put them in lemon bars! This recipe will become your go-to for potlucks, parties, and holidays like Easter or Christmas. It’s a keeper of a recipe.
More Recipes with Lemon
If you end up with a bumper crop of lemons or just a big bag from the grocery store, we have you covered. Check out our post on all the genius Ways to use Lemons, from zesting to juicing and freezing then try some of our favorite lemony recipes.
- Strawberry Lemonade
- Lemon Curd
- Lemon Ricotta Pancakes
- Blueberry Muffins with Lemon Glaze
- Lemonade Recipe
- Winter Fruit Salad
- Lemon Posset (3-ingredient dessert)
Classic Lemon Bars Recipe
Ingredients
For the Shortbread Crust:
- 1/2 lb unsalted butter, (16 Tbsp) room temperature
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
For the Lemon Filling:
- 7 large eggs, room temperature
- 3 cups granulated sugar, *
- 2 Tbsp lemon zest, from 4 to 5 lemons
- 1 cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed (from 5 large or 8 medium lemons)**
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- Confectioners sugar, to dust
Instructions
- PREP: Preheat oven to 350˚F. Line a 13x9x2” baking pan with parchment paper (it should go most of the way up the sides so filling doesn’t spill over.
- CRUST: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together softened butter and 1/2 cup sugar. Add 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, 2 cups flour and 1/4 tsp salt. Continue mixing until mixture is crumbly and no dry flour remains. Spread the dough evenly into the bottom of your prepared pan. Press it with your fingertips to flatten and even out the dough. Bake crust at 350˚F for 18-20 minutes or until lightly golden at the edges. Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly.
- FILLING: While the crust is baking, zest then squeeze the lemons and prepare your filling. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs and sugar until blended. Add Lemon juice and lemon zest and whisk to combine. Add 1 cup flour and whisk until smooth and very well blended and no traces of flour remain.
- BAKING: Pour filling over the warm crust and bake in the center of a preheated oven at 350˚F for 30-35 minutes or until the filling is set. As soon as the filling is no longer wobbly in the center, remove from the oven so you don’t over-bake. Cool in the pan at room temperature for at least 1 hour then refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.
- TO SERVE: Pull the parchment paper up slightly to loosen from the pan then transfer to a cutting board and cut into 18-20 squares then dust the tops with powdered sugar.
Notes
**Avoid using more lemon juice than what is called for or the filling won’t set properly.
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
I am wondering if I can prebake the crust and then add the curd the next day and then bake?
Hi there! It will be fine to pre-bake the crust for your lemon bars and add the lemon curd the next day before baking. We’d love to know how it goes!
Can you also bake these lemon bars in a glass baking pan?
Hi Allison, that may work, but you’ll likely need to make a few adjustments. Here’s what one of my readers wrote “Made it, delicious! 1st time making this dessert buy not the last. My cookie, 1st bake, took 30 in glass baking dish. Using parchment paper all the way to the top of the pan was a must great tip. Enjoy!” I hope that helps.
Yup, the curd went under my shortbread too and yes I cooked the shortbread ahead of time followed the recipe to a T. It just looked like there was too much curd in the recipe. They still tasted good, just tasted like too much curd. I was disappointed they really didn’t look pretty for Easter dessert. This is the first Natasha recipe I have used that really didn’t come out well.
Hi Joy, I haven’t had that happen but I’m happy to help troubleshoot. Did you pre-bake the shortbread (without over-baking it which can cause cracks and shrinking)? Also, it sounds like your filling may have been too thin – did you make any modifications to the filling ingredients?
I made these for taking to Easter dinner for 10 adults. They came out beautifully and tasted so good. The pro tips by Natasha are so worth it. It helps to give guidelines to understand when the lemon part is done but also how I didn’t want them overdone. Even using the parchment paper and then taking completely out of the pan, pulling down the parchment paper and putting on a level cutting surface, all these tips helped to make a nice, clean cut of the squares. These things all made a difference for an attractive presentation. Also, since they are already cut, it made it easier for people to serve themselves, as in a buffet setting. Thank you, Natasha, for all the additional tips that can make such a difference!
You’re very welcome, Barb! I’m so glad it was helpful!
I had the same problem, twice. I gently poured the curd and up pops the shortbread. Still taste good, just looks awful. Maybe carrot cake for Easter?
Hi Janice, are you pre-baking the crust? I’ve never seen that happen before if the crust was pre-baked.
Yes, I did pre-bake the shortbread and it looked beautiful, until I poured the lemon curd over it, when it separated from the pan and floated to the top. Perhaps it was because I doubled the recipe and pan size to 13×20, but the liquid curd was still too heavy. I did save them, and they were a hit for Easter, but I do plan to continue to hone my lemon bar skills to perfect my next batch, as practice make perfect. Thank you!
I tried the lemon bars. They are delicious. But I have a concern. I followed the steps, but after I baked the curd, the crust came on top and the curd on the bottom. Don’t know what went wrong. Thank you
Hi there! On your next try, you can try to firmly press the crust into the pan, and fully pre-bake it until golden on the edges. Let the crust cool just a bit before adding the curd. Mix the curd gently—just until smooth, not fluffy and then you may pour curd gently over the crust to avoid breaking the surface.
Can I use regular lemon curd in a bottle as the filling.?
Hi Maureen! I think it’s possible but you wouldn’t bake it as long since that curd is already cooked. You may try my Tartlets with Lemon Curd and Whipped Cream (Korzinki) recipe instead.
I have been craving anything lemon lately and lemon bars sounded perfect. Tried this recipe and followed the recipe exactly and they are perfect!! I had to taste test (for quality assurance, ya know) while they were still warm and… oh my gosh… delicious!! Can’t wait to try them after they’ve chilled overnight. Thank you for a great (and keeper!) recipe! Spot on ratio of sour and sweet.
These are fantastic!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Loved these! But is there any way to them gluten free?
Hi Rachel, while I haven’t made it with gluten free flour, one of our readers shared this comment “I made these but used gluten free flour. The short bread was a little too crumbly (joys of gf flour) but they were delicious!!!! No one could even tell it was gluten free and they kept coming back for more. I will definitely be making them again but will go a little lighter on the gf flour in the crust. Thanks!” I hope that helps.
Can these lemon bars be frozen? They are delicious and I would love to have some that I can thaw and serve. Thank you for a great dessert treat recipe.
Hi John! They sure can. See my notes above for storage instructions.
Instead of making the filling could you use lemon curd from a jar?
I haven’t tested that. I think it’s possible but you wouldn’t bake it as long since that curd is already cooked. You may try my Tartlets with Lemon Curd and Whipped Cream (Korzinki) recipe instead.
Fabulous!! A real crowd pleasure. Will definitely making again 😊
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review!
Natasha, can I substitute yogurt for some of the eggs??
Hi Linda! The eggs act as a binder which is needed in this recipe. I haven’t tested an alternative.
100% delicious! Did not change a thing and will definitely make this heavenly dessert again and again.
These sounds amazing. Will they last in the refrigerator for 2-3 days? I am having a party and trying to prep food ahead.
Hi Nancy! Yes, they can last up to a week in the refrigerator. I would store them in an airtight container for freshness.
Thank you so much!! These Lemon Bars will be perfect for my party.
I live alone, follow you and make most of your dishes. Lemon bars are my favorite, can I cut the recipe in half ????? Love you !!
This is a big hit at home and work. These lemon bars are sooooooo good. One question though, I made some lemon curd to use with one of my lemon cakes and I have about a cup and a half left over. Can it be used to make lemon bars even though it’s already been cooked?
Hi Frances! I’m glad you love the recipe! I haven’t tested this with premade curd so I’m not sure how to adjust the recipe. But you may enjoy my Tartlets with Lemon Curd and Whipped Cream (Korzinki).
Hi Natasha. Can I substitute yogurt yogurt for some of the eggs??
I imagine that can work. For each egg, you can use ¼ cup of yogurt (preferably plain, unsweetened yogurt).
Made these lemon bars tonight for my brother.they were the perfect finish to tonight’s dinner. Would totally make them again.
So happy to hear that, Joy!