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 the 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.
- Lemon 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 of flour and whisk until smooth and very well blended, and no traces of flour remain.
- Bake: 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 overbake.
- Chill: Cool in the pan at room temperature for at least 1 hour, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.
- 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
**Carefully measure the lemon juice so the filling sets up properly. Storage and Make-Ahead:
- Refrigerating: Cool to room temperature within 2 hours of baking, and 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. When ready to eat, dust with powdered sugar, since they’re good right out of the freezer.
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
I made these lemon bars and I was so excited because I’ve only had really good lemon bars at very fancy restaurants or bakeries. And I really love lemon bars and I was so disappointed. I followed the video to a T, I watched it many times, I read the recipe over and over and over again and the curd came out so hard and not gooey. Ended up in the trash
Hi Susan, that is really unusual and I have never had that issue. It sounds like either the filling was overcooked or not enough lemon juice was used? I recommend watching the video tutorial to see where yours started to look different from mine. I hope that helps.
I tried it again and there is no cooking of Curd except in the oven to back. I baked it in a tested 350oven for 30 min and not wobbly so took it out and cooled it for 1 hour. This time I tried tasting it before putting it in the fridge and it was still so dry. bummed. But I will still continue making food from your site. All my family and friends say all I talk about is my new crack Natashaskitchen
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!
Hello, I made these the other day. Delouse! It is true these get better the longer they are in the refrigerator. My only bad thing is that I found the crust to be to think. I did use a 9X13 glass pan so my question is should I have poked holes in the crust or did I not push it down hard enough. Or do I bring it up the sides? The crust it self was 1/4″ thick and the whole bar was 1″. I thought about a bigger pan but don’t want to loose the filling thickness which I found to be perfect. I have read all of the review and notice you state that it is important to use a 9X13 pan. So my question is do you have any suggestions for the crust or is it supposed to be that thick.
Hi Katherine, that sounds correct and is about the same proportion of the lemon bars in the photos for crust to filling. If the crust gets too thin, they are difficult to hold and eat and you’d have to just use a fork to enjoy it off a plate.
I love Ina’s recipe too! And I plan to try the vanilla in the crust next time. One improvement I have made is instead of powdered sugar on the top, I make an icing of powdered sugar and lemon juice with a dash of salt ,and put that on top . Then people don’t breath in the powdered sugar and choke. Everyone at my house likes it better!!
THat’s great to know, Sue. Thank you for sharing that with us and for leaving a review, I’m happy that you enjoyed it!
I baked these on Wednesday to take to brunch on Sunday morning. I had a couple fresh duck eggs from my friend’s yard which I used along with his fresh chicken eggs. The duck eggs are wonderful for baking but larger than the others and I didn’t use fewer eggs over all, so my center took a little more time in the oven to set. But they look great! I can’t wait to try. I’m also baking for my niece’s wedding reception cookie table this summer and will definitely be representing natashaskitchen.com there. Thank you! And Happy Resurrection Day!
Thanks for sharing that with us, Judy. Glad it was a hit! I hope the guests will love these lemon bars too.
These turned out delicious! Followed the recipe and turned out perfect!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
Hi Natasha, thanks for the lemon bar recipe, every recipe of yours came out perfect for 1st time making specially tiramisu, I followed up exactly every step for lemon bar recipe, but unfortunately the parchment paper sticks to the cake-bar in the pan. I wasn’t sure if it’s cooked or not so cooked another 15 minutes more, could this be the reason?
Thanks
Hi Vartan, it’s hard to say without being there. I recommend ensuring there were no substitutions or changes made. The parchment paper should help prevent the sticking.
Hi Natasha, thanks for the response, how about if I butter the parchment paper?
Thanks
I just made these delicious Lemons Bars this morning using lemons from my tree! Oh my gosh…perfection! A little extra cooking time for my oven, but just watch them carefully and see what works best for yours! I sent them as a treat for my daughter’s office and they were a hit! This is the best recipe I’ve tried for Lemon Bars.
I bet this was so good with home-fresh-grown lemons! Thank you for sharing your lovely review with me, Janice!
I followed the recipe perfectly including the pan size & they just would not set. Will try again next weekend to see if same happens, again. I ended up eating the filling like pudding (so it was definitely tasty! LOL)
Hi Em, if there is too much lemon juice, that can happen or under-baking. Was your oven fully preheated? Some ovens don’t preheat properly (like my own) and I highly recommend getting an in-oven thermometer to hang in the center of your oven to track accuracy of the oven.
I had the SAME problem. Middle is not set. Runny lemon bars and company coming in 1.5 hours! My oven was heated for over an hour. I followed recipe exactly. Additionally the bottomdough was never crumbly before baking that. And I cooked the middle with 1 cup exactly of lemon juice. Not too much. Bars are ruined and I have no back up dessert.
Hi Jennifer, make sure to use the same size pan as recommended and also make sure to use the same measurements of the remaining filling ingredients (i.e. large sized eggs, accurate flour and sugar measurements without ingredient substitutions). Also, I highly recommend using an in-oven thermometer to check your ovens temperature settings. Some ovens can be off 25 degrees or more (like my own)
I’m so sad…I have made this twice. Read and followed the directions to a T. And both times, there is too much filling. It takes longer than 45 minutes to bake. I had to leave the house today and left it in the oven at a lower temperature and it was finally not jiggly when I returned 30 minutes later. I dont even think they’re going to be edible. The photos you show are a pretty 1/2 inch thick treat and my filling is easily 2 times that! Going to search for a different recipe since I’ve wasted enough time, energy and money on this one. Glad it works for other people…but not for me.
Hi Stephanie, make sure you are using the same size pan. It sounds like yours was maybe too small of a pan. If yours was significantly thicker, it would take much longer to bake through.
Hi Natasha, if I want to freeze the lemon bars, would I sprinkle them with the icing sugar AFTER I’ve taken them out of the freezer and plate them?
Hi Clori, I bet that would be best!
Hey Natasha !
Was planning on making these lemon cars, but my oven is too small and a 9*13 inch pan won’t fit.. So what changes should i make if I bake them in a 8/9/10 inch square cake pan
Hi Divya, The lemon bars can be halved but you would want to use a half size of the pan to keep the same thickness of the bars without modifying the bake time.
I made these bars, LOVED THEM.. quick question though.. if I wanted to use the crust and do something entirely different that needs no baking.. how long would I have to bake the crust to get a nice golden crust.. 18-20 min is the pre bake time then you have 30-35 min.. again what would you suggest for just baking the crust, I want to add my one peanut butter spread and chocolate ganache on top, because I LOVE the crust!! Thank you!!
Hi Elvira, It’s hard to say what the outcome will be with other recipes. If you happen to experiment, I’d love to know how you like it!
Guess i’ll start off with 20 min and go in increments of 8 min to see what good baking time would be.. thanks for responding.. I actually made them and posted on your site, family loved them.. Almost makes me a lemon lover too!! 🙂
Another absolutely delicious and easy to make recipe, thank you so much!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Anna!
These are my favorite dessert bars to take to any outing or party. They are always a hit!
I’m so happy to hear that, I agree these are always a hit!
Hi Natasha! I tried you chocolate cake and was a blast! Came here to recreate your recipe again! So, can I halve this recipe? And also I want to substitute the lemon with lime, so what exceptions will I have to make? Thanks in advance.
Hi Zabin, I’m so glad you loved the chocolate cake. The lemon bars can be halved but you would want to use a half size of the pan to keep the same thickness of the bars without modifying the bake time.
Natasha!
My 15 year old daughter made a batch of these and they are to die for!!
We actually froze most of the bars in small batches and when we have a lemon craving… walah! We grab a few bars out of the freezer and they still taste incredible 🙂
Thanks for such a simple recipe that’s so easy to follow.
Isn’t it the best that they freeze well?! I’m so glad you all enjoyed these! They really are the perfect treat!
Since discovering you I find myself watching as often as I can…you are just so much fun! And so easy to follow. When a recipe of yours is posted and it’s only the recipe and not your demo I’m disappointed. Will very much look forward to holiday demos in the next few months. Thanks for being a bright light!
Hi Jan, great to hear from you and thank you so much for your good comments and feedback. I only post 1 video recipe per week as I focus on creating quality videos more than quantity. But thanks for your feedback, hope we can do more videos in the future.
Hi Natasha! I always love your giggle! I haven’t tried this yet but I always watch your videos.
Thanks for always watching! Hope you’ll be able to try my recipes too.
I made these lemon bars with my girlfriend last weekend, as they were a present for her mom. She loved them, and so did we! I’ve been wanting to learn how to make lemon bars for a while, so when I saw this video I was just so excited! I was surprised at how easy it was, and wow the fresh lemons and lemon sugar make a huge difference! So amazing. Thank you so much for sharing!
You’re welcome, glad you and the others loved it! Thank you for sharing this review with us, Mark.
Hi there.
They are delicious, however, mine come out completely brown on top and the lemon part is almost 2 different layers. Gooey at the bottom and Cakey on the top. What could be wrong?
Hi Lisa, I would make sure your oven is calibrated to the right temperature. Make sure you have it at the center of the oven and not towards the top. Also, make sure you are using regular bake mode. not convection or broil
Hi Natasha! I made this today and these lemon bars are really good. I just find it a little sweet. Is it possible to use 2 cups of sugar instead of 3 cups as the recipe stated?
Thanks🙂
Glad you loved it, Ellen. I saw someone else shared this comment “, I am now a big fan of lemon squares! Made these for the 2nd time with 2 cups sugar instead and I may have added a little bit more zest. The lemon flavor is awesome! I’m looking forward to trying your other lemony recipes” Hope that helps
Yes, I reduced the sugar to 2.5 cups and it worked just fine. My sister reduced it to 2 cups and again it was perfect.