Indulge in these sweet and tangy lemon bars with the easiest and most delicious recipe! They will become a household favorite, perfect for any occasion.
These tangy lemon squares are the ultimate treat. They have a simple shortbread crust, fresh lemon curd, and a dusting of powdered sugar. They are the pinnacle of lemon desserts and a must-bake for any lemon lover.
With a buttery crust and tangy lemon filling, these bars will surely be a hit with everyone. If you like this recipe, try lemon blossoms, lemon zucchini bread, lemon chiffon pie, and lemon poppy seed muffins.
Ingredients Notes and Substitutions
See the complete list of ingredients below on the recipe card.
- Butter: Unsalted or salted. If using salted butter, reduce the added salt to 1/4 teaspoon.
- Vanilla extract: Use the pure stuff, please.
- Lemon zest: Freshly zested using a microplane
- Lemon juice: Use fresh lemon juice. One regular lemon yields 2-3 tablespoons of lemon juice.
How to make Lemon Bars
This is the summary version; see the recipe card below for the complete list of ingredients and the instructions.
Mix the butter, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, and salt in a medium bowl. Add the flour and mix until combined. Spread and pat the crust into the bottom of a 9×13-inch casserole dish lined with parchment paper. Bake in a preheated oven for about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, whisk the granulated sugar, all-purpose flour, eggs, lemon zest, and lemon juice in a large bowl. Pour the mixture over the warm crust. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. Let the lemon bars cool for a while before covering them and placing them in the fridge for 2 hours up to overnight. When slicing the bars, use a sharp knife, run it under warm water, and dry it between each cut.
Preparation Tips
- Line the baking dish with parchment paper to make it easy to remove the lemon bars. For a quick tutorial, watch this video.
- Always pour the lemon filling over a warm crust, not a cool crust. If you let the crust cool, you run the risk of the lemon bars flipping. The crust will be on the top, and the lemon filling will be a mess on the bottom of the dish.
- Don’t try to cut the bars too early. They need adequate chilling time, at least 2 hours, but I prefer to chill them overnight.
- Slice the bars using a sharp knife. For extra clean cuts, rinse the knife with hot water and dry it between each cut.
Frequently Asked Questions
Store the lemon bars in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Remove them from the refrigerator about 45 minutes before serving to bring them to room temperature.
Freeze thoroughly cooled lemon bars in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
More Dessert Bar Recipes
Lemon Bars
Ingredients
Shortbread Crust
- 1 cup unsalted butter, melted
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
Lemon Filling
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- 6 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest
- ¾ cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9×13 inch baking dish with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, mix the butter, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, and salt. Add the flour and mix until combined. Spread and pat the crust into the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
- Bake in a preheated oven for 20 minutes or until very lightly browned.
- Meanwhile, whisk the granulated sugar, all-purpose flour, eggs, lemon zest, and lemon juice together in a large bowl. Pour the mixture over the warm crust.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes rotating the dish from front to back halfway through the baking period.
- Let the lemon bars cool for a while before covering them and placing them in the fridge for 2 hours up to overnight. When slicing the bars use a sharp knife and run it under warm water and dry it between each cut.
Notes
- Line the baking dish with parchment paper to remove the lemon bars easily. Watch here for a quick tutorial.
- Always pour the lemon filling over a warm crust, not a cool crust. If you let the crust cool, you run the risk of the lemon bars flipping. The crust will be on the top, and the lemon filling will be a mess on the bottom of the dish.
- Don’t try to cut the bars too early. They need adequate chilling time, at least 2 hours, but I prefer to chill them overnight.
- Slice the bars using a sharp knife. For extra clean cuts, rinse the knife with hot water and dry it between each cut.
Nutrition
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Alisa
These are so good! My kids and I are huge lemon dessert lovers and these are packed with real lemon flavor. Thanks for the great recipe, Beth!
Beth Pierce
My pleasure, Alisa!
Melanie E
The lemon bars you made look amazing and perfect for my son!!! I haven’t made any in ages. I really need to try your recipe!!
Oaklee
Lemon bars are such a simple but delicious treat. The zesty flavor is perfect when you need a quick, sweet fix!
Tara
Love that this delicious recipe is made in a 9 by 13 dish. Lemon bars are a family favorite so when I made these they disappeared fast. New go-to recipe!
Beth Pierce
Thanks Tara! So happy that you and your family liked them!
Salem
I can’t wait to try this. The tip of pouring the lemon filling over a warm crust is super helpful so the layers stick together. Letting the bars chill before you slice is a great reminder for clean cuts. This will be a household favourite for any occasion. Thanks for this easy-peasy recipe!
Beth Pierce
My pleasure, Salem!