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This easy lemon bars recipe is the one I keep coming back to when I want a sweet-tart treat without a fussy ingredient list. You get a crisp, buttery shortbread crust, a bright and tangy lemon filling, and that classic dusting of powdered sugar on top.
I baked pastry professionally before I ever started this blog, and lemon squares were one of those simple things we made on repeat, so I am picky about them! My number one rule: use fresh lemon juice. It is the whole difference between bars that taste like real lemons and ones with that fake, bottled aftertaste (more on that in the FAQs).
This recipe fills a standard 8×8 inch pan and makes 16 classic lemon bars, so it is perfect for a crowd, a bake sale, or a summer potluck. Craving just a couple instead? I have a Small Batch Lemon Bars recipe for that too.
Since you are here and love an easy recipe for lemon desserts, check out this Copycat Starbucks Lemon Cake Loaf, this Quick Lemon Blondies Recipe, or these Mini Lemon Cupcakes with Italian Buttercream and Lemon Curd.
Why You need to make this recipe!
- It comes together with just a handful of simple ingredients you probably already have.
- That creamy, custardy lemon filling on a crisp shortbread base is everything. The texture is what makes people ask for the recipe.
- They are easy enough for a bake sale, baby shower, or bridal shower, and they travel really well.
- They chill beautifully, which makes them the perfect make-ahead summer dessert.
Ingredients for this Easy Lemon Bar Recipe
Here are the ingredients you will need to make this easy lemon bars recipe. Make sure to scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the page for the detailed ingredient measurements.
For the Buttery Shortbread Crust Recipe
- Unsalted Butter: Pull it out of the fridge a little while before starting the recipe so that it softens.
- Powdered Sugar: lightly sweetens the baked crust perfectly.
- All-purpose Flour: combines with the butter to give the crust its structure.
- Pinch of Salt: is added to balance out the sweetness and enhance all of the flavors.
For the Tart Lemon Filling Recipe
- Large Eggs: combine with the juice to create the luscious lemon curd filling.
- Granulated Sugar: adds sweetness to the tartness of the lemon juice.
- Fresh Lemon Juice: made from fresh lemons. Or you can use bottled pure lemon juice if you don’t want to spend the time or energy juicing your own.
- Lemon Zest: adds a rich and deep lemon flavor to these delicious lemon bars.
- All-purpose Flour: A little flour is all you need to stiffen up the curd just enough to keep it together.
- Powdered Sugar: for dusting. It makes it look nice and pretty.
Easy Lemon Bars Recipe Tip
- Use a sieve to pass the flour through to the bowls in filling recipe. This will ensure that you don’t have flour clumps which could alter the texture and smoothness of your filling.
- To do this, simply put the measured amount of flour in the sieve positioned directly over the bowl and swiftly move it from side to side, bumping your off-hand to move the flour through.
How to make this Easy Lemon Bars Recipe
This is how you can make the best lemon bars. Make sure to scroll down to the recipe card at the end of this post for the full step-by-step instructions!
- Preheat your oven and line an 8×8 inch baking pan with parchment paper or wax paper, leaving an overhang for easy removal.
- In a medium bowl, cream together the softened butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Add the flour and salt, and mix the crust ingredients until just combined.
- Press the shortbread crust mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake the crust for about 13-14 minutes, or until the edges are slightly golden brown. Remove the hot crust from the oven.
- While the crust is baking make the filling. In another large bowl or in a bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the eggs, granulated sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, flour, and baking powder until smooth and well combined.
- Pour the lemon mixture over the baked warm crust, spreading it out evenly. Return the pan to the oven and bake for an additional 20-22 minutes, or until the filling is set and the edges are lightly golden brown.
- Remove the baking dish from the oven and let the bars cool completely to room temperature in the pan. Once cooled, dust the top of the bars with powdered sugar. Use the parchment paper overhang to lift the bars out of the pan, then slice into neat squares with a sharp knife. Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions – FAQ
If you plan on eating them within a few days, you can simply put them in an airtight container and place them in the fridge. If you want to keep them fresh for longer or are unsure when you will want them again, wrap them in layers of plastic wrap first.
Then put them in the airtight container and store them in the freezer. They will stay fresh for multiple weeks or a couple months in the freezer as long as you wrap them well with the plastic wrap to prevent freezer burn.
I like to refrigerate my bars before slicing into them so you can get those clean cuts every time.
But when you are planning to serve these bars, they are okay to stay out for a little while depending if you want to serve them at room temperature or cold. But when it comes to storage, definitely keep them in the fridge so they last longer!
Of course! As long as you replace equal parts of the juice and zest, you could definitely use a different citrus fruit besides regular lemons. You could use limes, key limes, oranges, or even grapefruit.
No, try to stay away from bottled lemon juice as much as you can. Because this recipe doesn’t use a lot of ingredients we need the lemon juice to be fresh to give us the best tasting dessert. The concentrate or the bottled version will have a fake after taste so make sure you make these during lemon season!
You’ll know that these lemon bars are baked when the center doesn’t jiggle anymore and the edges are set. As you pull out the lemon bars from the oven, and they cool down they will set even more.
To cool them faster, let the pan sit on the counter for 20 minutes, then pop it in the fridge to finish setting. They slice cleanest fully chilled.
This usually comes down to one of two things. First, your eggs: if they were close to their expiration date, the bars can taste off after a day in the fridge, so always start with fresh eggs. Second, putting the bars in the fridge while they are still warm traps condensation and can make them taste funky and soften the crust. Let them cool completely, store them in an airtight container, and always use fresh lemon juice to keep the flavor clean.
This recipe is built for a standard 8×8 inch pan and makes 16 squares. Want a bigger batch for a party? Double everything and bake it in a 9×13 inch pan, adding a few minutes to the bake time. Just want a couple of bars with no leftovers? Head to my Small Batch Lemon Bars recipe instead.
The Best Lemon Bar Recipe
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- Pinch salt
For the filling:
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup granulated sugar + 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour sifted
- Powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and line an 8×8 inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang for easy removal.
- In a medium bowl, cream together the softened butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Add the flour and salt, and mix until just combined.1/2 cup unsalted butter, 1/4 cup powdered sugar, 1 cup all-purpose flour, Pinch salt
- Press the dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake the crust for about 13-14 minutes, or until the edges are slightly golden brown. Remove from the oven.
- While the crust is baking make the filling. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, granulated sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and flour until smooth and well combined.3 large eggs, 1 cup granulated sugar + 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar, 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice, 1 tablespoon lemon zest, 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- Pour the lemon mixture over the baked crust warm, spreading it out evenly. Return the pan to the oven and bake for an additional 20-22 minutes, or until the filling is set and the edges are lightly golden brown.
- Remove the pan from the oven and let the bars cool completely in the pan. Once cooled completely, dust the top with powdered sugar. Use the parchment paper overhang to lift the bars out of the pan, then slice into squares. Enjoy!Powdered sugar
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I made these tonight using einkorn flour. They’re delicious! The ratio is the ideal sour/sweet balance for a lemon square. I love the generous curd to pastry ratio. Lux bites! I baked mine for about 33 minutes vs. 22. It got the loveliest golden brown crispies on top! I’m pretty jazzed to have found a reliable recipe for my favourite Spring dessert! Thanks for sharing!💛🍋
Thank you so much for trying them and sharing your results! The sweet-tart balance and the thicker lemon layer are exactly what I was going for. Your note about the longer bake time with einkorn flour is super helpful too. Different flours can definitely change the texture and moisture absorption a bit, so it makes sense that yours needed extra time. Those golden crispy bits on top sound absolutely amazing! Thanks again for the thoughtful review!
Very good, very easy!
So glad you liked it!
I love lemon bars (tbh, I love ALL lemon desserts!) but I’ve only ever had the box mix ones! These were 100 times better! So tangy and fresh tasting! I love how dense the crust turned out and it was a really easy recipe to follow! I’ll definitely be trying more of your recipes!
Lemon desserts are absolutely delicious and some of my favorites as well! I’m so happy that you liked this recipe and you should definitely try more 🙂
Tried this recipe yesterday after finding it on tiktok and I am pleasantly surprised! These turned out perfectly, soft and chewy with zero aftertaste that you normally get with lemon bars! I will be using this again and sharing this recipe with others in the future.
I’m glad you enjoyed them and that the flavor came through! Thank you for sharing it with others 🙂
I just wanted to say after making these and letting them sit for about 15 min I did cut into them while they were still warm and wow were the absolutely AMAZING!! I was blown away but then I put them in the fridge and it started to get a weird taste. Even the dough was too chewy and not flaky the way they were as soon as they came out of the oven. The next day my husband and I were craving some and I was excited to try one cold (yes they were in an air tight container) and it tasted spoiled. It was SO strange. Not sure how it could have gone to tasting so good to bad so fast. Advice would be appreciated!
Oh no! I’m glad they were amazing fresh out of the oven. I’m really not sure why they would taste weird from the fridge and even go bad the next day. I keep mine in the fridge and haven’t experienced this. I would assume it might’ve been an ingredient, like the eggs, were close or at expiration. I hope you try it again just to see if it happens a second time.
We’re they cooled completely before you put them in the fridge also?
Sometimes putting warm food in the fridge can make it spoil fast also.
Agreed! Thanks for mentioning that!
It looks great, thanks a lot for the recipe. Just a question: at what temperature does the oven have to be?
350 degrees F 🙂