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.
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.
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
If you enjoyed this Lemon Bars video tutorial, please (P.S. Click the BELL icon to get notifications when we post a new video). Thank you for subscribing!
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
OHHHH MYYYYY GEERRRDDD!!!!!!!! I haven’t made lemon bars in years and was searching for a recipe – these are hands down the BEST lemon bars! I thought the 3 cups of sugar was going to be way too much but it was truly AMAZING! Tart and the crust even better! Everyone at work was drooling! Thank you this is most definatley a keeper!!!!!
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite, Coleen! I’m smiling big reading your excellent review!
I tried many of Natasha’s recipes and usually liked the result. This one has great potential as my family loves lemons, but these lemon bars are extremely (really really!!!) sweet. I am scared of getting diabetes after this treat. Sugar needs to be cut at least in half, which will require other adjustments to get bars that can bake through.
You clearly used Meyers lemons, which she explicitly says not to do. If you use regular (tart) lemons like it calls for and you cut the sugar in half, the bars will not be edible. The bitterness would be overwhelming.
I have chickens that are laying small eggs so how many eggs should I use for this lemon bar recipe?
Thank You,
I love all you recipes
Hi Linda, 7 large eggs, room temperature. You may click Jump to recipe to go to the recipe card.
Your recipes look like the ones my Mom and my Gramma’s used! And the church ladies! thank you! for using lots of butter, ‘real’ real lemons, and
making steps a little easier!
You’re welcome, Sandi! Thank you for the feedback.
These lemon bars were amazing! I made them for the first time for a family get together and everyone loved them! Thanks for the recipe and for the video which helped a ton!
You’re welcome, Laura! I’m so glad they were a hit.
Hello,
Made these tonight. Finally bought a stand mixer and was so excited to use one of your recipes. Overall they came out great. They weren’t however as golden brown out of the oven, but I didn’t want to overcook as there was no jiggle. I let them cool to room temp, placed in fridge for 30 min. Kids were too eager to taste so gave them a sample. All approved. My pan might have been on the thicker side and different dimensions. I’ll try again as I have plenty lemons and perfect for thanksgiving dessert.
Thank you so much for your blog.
That’s wonderful, Otilia! I’m so glad they were enjoyed. Thank you.
I make these and get nothing but rave reviews. Simply the best.
That’s wonderful, Trisha! So glad to hear that. They seriously are the best!
I’ve made these amazing lemon bars today. They are absolutely the best I have ever had. Natasha, thank you! They were the tastiest and not hard to make. After cutting them as squares, I froze them for Christmas.
That’s great! I’m so glad you loved them.
Thank you for another winner, Natasha! These are scrumptious!
You’re welcome, Roxi. We’re glad you like this!
I’m making them for the second time (they were delicious the first time) but the crust did not end up being crumbly either time (current crust is in the oven). What am I doing wrong? I’m following your recipe to a T. I would imagine it would easier to spread more evenly if I were able to distribute it a little easier if crumbled. Thanks.
I will make sure not to change any of the proportions of ingredients for the right blend of wet to dry ingredients that form the dough.
Hi Natasha,
Could I halve or reduce the sugar by 1/4 in the lemon filling? 600gm just seems way too much. I am making these for a work baking competition
Hello Kim, I haven’t tried it that way. If you do an experiment, please share with us how it goes!
Hi – I did use scant half the sugar and it was fine – I don’t like the filling too sweet; with the powdered sugar dusting it is plenty sweet and so delicious!
I’ve made these twice now. The first time I rated them 4 stars, but after a tweak or two, they are outa the park home runs!
So the first tweak was to add the zest to the sugar and pulse it well in a food processor. The result is a wonderful pale yellow sugar that smells and tastes outstanding. I do believe that it made a difference in the final outcome.
Additionally, I didn’t bake quite as long the second time around. The first time thorough I baked 34 minutes, and while very, very good, the “gooey” part turned out just a bit overcooked in my opinion, based on the both how it looked and tasted. It was a muted yellow and tasted just a tiny bitter. The second time I cooked about 31 minutes, until there was just a bit of a “jiggle” left in the center. It firmed up just fine after cooling, and the filling was bright yellow and very lemony!
Hi Bill, I’m happy to know that it was a huge success after trying again. Thanks for sharing that with us, that is helpful!
Hi Bill – I also like to use some zest in the crust – it helps carries the lemon flavor through. I rarely have more than 2 lemons on hand and I zest and juice everything out of those two lemons I can get then I add a bit of water to the strainer after I’ve strained out the seeds and pulp just to get all the juice. If I still don’t have enough juice I add some bottled lemon juice or lime juice and the result is amazing! The citrus flavor is lovely with the dominate lemon flavor but then the finishing taste of the mixed citrus is wonderful.
Excellent dessert! My husband said this was the best dessert I’ve ever made and I bake a lot. Next time I’ll make sure I have help with the clean up, there were a lot of dirty bowls etc. 🙂 Thank you for the yummy recipe!
You’re so welcome! I’m glad ti was enjoyed. 🙂
Dear Natasha, I’ve been staring T your recipe for Lemon Bars. I’m gonna give them a try. Church Picnic coming up so wish me luck!! Looking forward to more recipes from you.
Thank You!’
Mariana
I hope it becomes your new favorite!
I have made lemon bars for years using the same recipe but these bars are amazing!
Love it! Thanks a lot for your wonderful comment and feedback, Judy.
These lemon bars are delightful 🍋 They turned out perfect! I will definitely be making these again.
So glad to hear that, Amber! 🙂
OMG Natasha! Thank you! I have been searching for the ultimate recipe for lemon bars forever and after trying yours, I can honestly say the hunt is finally over! The gooey center and beautiful crust makes this a homerun. Oh and the dusting of powdered sugar too. Every other recipe I tried before always came out either with rubbery centers, rock hard crusts or just tasted bland. Not anymore, this recipe is a keeper. Will be checking out more of your recipes in the future.
Hi Sandra! That’s great. So glad you enjoyed this recipe. Thank you for the review and I hope you find many more recipes to enjoy on my blog.
Hi Natasha.
I would love to make these but as many of your other recipes you use a “stand mixer”. I don’t have one and will not be purchasing one ant any time soon. Can I use a hand held mixer?
Love the recipe.
Hi Diana. You could use a handheld mixer for this. It may take a little longer to cream but it should be just fine. 🙂
I made 5 batches of these for a friend’s celebration of life gathering. I followed the recipe exactly as written. I made these two days before the event, cooled them, chilled them and cut them in bars and stored them in the fridge. HUGE HIT. Had a few dozen left over so put them in the freezer and weeks later I am still enjoying them. CRAZY GOOD. Thank you.
That’s great! I’m so glad they were a hit.
First if all thank you Natasha for sharing the recipe. I’ve made these many times, and wanted to share what I learned. So if you have a convection oven, then don’t use the fan for these lemon bars. When I first made these I used my normal setting which is with the fan turned on, but it made the top brown WAY to quickly but the inside was WAY to wobbly so I would end up burning them, they still tasted good but didn’t look good at all. So I tried without the fan and they turned out perfect, looked exactly the same as yours in the picture and the bake time was the same as yours.
Hi Nat, thank you for sharing that with us. We use regular bake mode over here, so if using a convection oven, you may need to make some adjustments! I’m so glad you found a way to make this work!
Can I use foil to line with instead of parchment for lemon bars?
Parchment paper is best.