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
The flavour is amazing but they don’t cut cleanly. Mine were very sticky and hard to cut. They didn’t look very presentable like yours. What did I do wrong?
blessings
Sylvia
Hi Sylvia, did you refrigerate them for 2 hrs before cutting? They should be completely chilled, you can even put them in the freezer and then cut them. If they are still sticking, you can run the knife through warm water, wipe it dry with a clean dish towel/paper towel, and make the cut. Repeat this for every cut. I hope that helps.
Hi Natasha.
I’m from the Philippines and I’m planning to make lemon bars. Instead of using butter, can I use crisco vegetable shortening instead?
Hi Ana! The butter is an important ingredient in the texture of the crust. I have not tested shortening to advise what the outcome would be.
You are such a good and beautiful,funny cook and love and tried your recipes.
That is very kind, Betty. Thank you.
I am making the lemon bars for a luncheon but will not have enough time to make them in the morning. If I make them the day before, should I put them in the refrigerator then or leave on the counter. Dust with powdered sugar before serving?
Hi Carol! you can reference the make-ahead note in the recipe. “Refrigerating: If baking the bars ahead, cool to room temperature then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Dust with powdered sugar just before serving.” I hope that helps!
Hi! Can this recipe be halved? I followed this recipe and while they were so delicious, it was a little too much for me. Especially now since eggs are so expensive! Thanks!
Hi Grace, yes, you can but you’ll have to change the size pan. Also, these can be frozen for 3-4 months (see make-ahead instructions in the recipe notes).
Love your videos and recipes. I have been making lemon bars for years. Similar recipe but my crust contains baker’s shredded coconut and less flour. I also use less flour in the lemon curd. In a pinch, bottled lemon juice works fine but as you said, nothing compare to fresh squeezed.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Anne!
Love all your recipes! Always check yours first.
My husband doesn’t like lemons but this recipe, he likes it!!
Thank you and more power to you! God bless!
You’re welcome, Joy. Thank you for trusting in my recipes, I hope you’ll love the recipes that you will try!
I made these but used gluten free flour. The short bread was a little too crumbly (joys of gf flour) but they where 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!!!
Thank you for sharing with us, Nylia!
Best…best…best ever…I’ve made these so many times and it’s the one dessert everyone always asks for
So glad you enjoy this recipe! Thank you for sharing.
I tried this recipe twice. I found that the crust is too thick, hard and difficult to cut. It did not brown up well and I baked it longer than the suggested time and there seemed to be a doughy layer between the crust and filling. Anyone else have this problem??
Hi Kate, I haven’t had that experience and it turns out as it shows in the photos and video. I highly recommend watching the video to see where yours started to look different which might give a clue as to what happened. Did you possibly change any of the proportions in the ingredient list?
hi can i skip the powdered sugar at the end? will the bars taste different?
Hi Amira! That would be fine. They will be a little less sweet but still delicious!
Hi Natasha. You mentioned in the video that you can freeze the Lemon Bars. What do you recommend doing to freeze them?
Hi Jane, please check the “Make Ahead” section in the recipe as I have given some tips on freezing them.
Made lemon bars they were a flop. I followed instructions step by step. They stuck to the parchment paper I couldn’t pull it out of my baking dish.also they are way to sweet…I wasted 7 eggs and 2 cup of sugar all my fresh squeezed lemons 🍋 don’t know what went wrong. HELP PLEASE I WOULD LOVE TO MAKE THEM…
Hi Emilie, were you possibly using wax paper instead of parchment? wax paper would stick badly. Also, make sure you are using regular lemons as meyer lemons are more mild and would make the mixture sweeter. Normally this is a great balance of sweet and tangy and we don’t love overly sweet desserts either.
Please put your recipes in a cookbook. You make me feel good everytime I see one of your recipes. Cooking should be fun and you and your husband make it fun.your food is so good ,I would buy 5 of your cookbooks.please.
Hi Rick! Thank you, I’m glad you enjoy our recipes and videos. I am currently working on a cookbook. No release date yet, but please stay tuned for when we announce this.
QUESTION:
Can I double the crust and put it into a jelly roll pan?
I haven’t tested that. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
Can this recipe be cut in half to bake in a 9×9 inch pan? If so should I use 3 or 4 eggs? Love all your recipes I’ve tried. Thank you, Julie
Hi Julie, if you cut the recipe in half, you can use 3.5 eggs. You need to whisk it up and then divide it into two by taking two tablespoons out. I hope that helps.
wow just made these yummy lemon bars they are so good and easy thank you so much for sharing this very yummy treat and fun to make with fresh lemons i used some oranges perfect sweet and sour treat to eat thanks again for all your hard work and great recipes
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Griff! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
Hello Natasha. Thank you for sharing your lovely recipes. I noticed some of your commenters are unhappy with their results and believe they might benefit from this article about humidity considerations. You have fans all over the world living in vastly different climates. Perhaps this article will provide additional thought. https://www.bakingkneads.com/baking-in-high-humidity/
Hi Heather, thank you for sharing this. Hopefully, it will help.
Wow. These turned out so perfect, and absolutely divine! Best lemon bar I have ever had. Thank you for another amazing recipe.
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Elizabeth!
Hi Natasha
Love your videos and instructions.
I have never tuned in to baking how’s but yours was so easy to watch and the recipes are so suited for a family
So grateful
❤️🌹
Hello Louise, thank you for your kind words. I really appreciate it.
my recipe is so similar to this but I add a cup of coconut and 1/2 tsp of citric acid and 1/2 tsp baking powder to filling everything else the same great recipe.
Sounds good, thank you for sharing that with us!
Would love to try these. Could GF cup for cup flour be substituted for flour in this recipe?
Hi Kim, I have not tested this but one of my other readers said this, “Thank you so much for another wonderful recipe! I am happy to report I subbed gluten-free flour (Cup4Cup brand) and dairy-free butter sticks with great success.” I hope this helps.