Lemon Bars
on Jan 12, 2021, Updated Jun 26, 2024
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Lemon bars will become a go-to dessert because they are incredibly easy and they taste so refreshing. They are bright, tasty, shortbread crusted, deliciousness.
Lemon bars are perfect to bring to any type of shower, gathering, or picnic because they don’t take a lot of effort, are easy to transport, and look so pretty. I love the zingy citrus taste combined with a buttery shortbread bottom. It’s a match made in heaven.
They are a wonderful dessert for any meal including Pulled Pork Sandwiches, Italian Beef Sandwiches, or a Whole Roasted Chicken. Add a Chef Salad and you have a three-course meal.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- They are light and refreshing.
- Lemon bars are perfect for warm weather or anytime you have a citrus craving.
- So easy to make and use simple ingredients.
- This recipe can easily be made gluten-free with a little tweak.
- Lemon bars are a wonderful dessert for bridal and baby showers.
Recipe Ingredients
- Lemons: Use fresh lemons here because you will need lemon zest and juice.
- Butter: Helps to make the crust like a shortbread cookie.
- Flour:
- Salt: To balance all the sweet flavors.
- Sugar: Makes the tart lemon into a sweet dessert.
- Heavy cream
- Eggs: To thicken and add a creamy texture to the lemon layer.
- Powdered Sugar
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Lemon Bars
- Step #1. Put the flour, powdered sugar, and salt in a food processor and pulse to combine.
- Step #2. Add the butter cut into chunks about a tablespoon each and pulse until crumbly.
- Step #3. Press the dough into a greased and lined pan and bake at 350 degrees F for about 20 minutes.
- Step #3. Whisk together the eggs and yolks in a saucepan. Then whisk in the granulated sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt.
- Step #4. Add the butter and cook on medium-low heat about five minutes or until it reaches 170 degrees F.
- Step #5. Strain the lemon filling through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl and then stir in the cream.
- Step #6. Pour the lemon mixture on top of the partially baked crust and bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes. Cool before cutting.
Recipe FAQs
Lemon bars can be a bit tricky because you don’t want to overcook them but you also don’t want them to be a runny mess. They are done when the center isn’t wiggly and the edges begin to turn brown.
Lemon bars are fine to keep at room temperature if they are going to be consumed within a few hours. If not, they need to be refrigerated. Dust them with powdered sugar before serving them.
Yes! These bars freeze great. After you cut the bars, put them in an airtight container in a single layer and place them in the freezer for two to three months. Thaw them in the fridge.
When I have extra egg whites from a recipe like this, I love to make Chocolate Chip Meringue Cookies or Candy Cane Meringues with them depending on the season.
I don’t recommend it. Fresh lemon juice is definitely worth the extra effort because the flavor will be so much better. Plus it’s a great excuse to get or use a handheld citrus juicer. You are also going to add some lemon zest to the filling as well.
Yes! Instead of using all-purpose flour in the crust, use a one-to-one gluten-free flour blend. Bob’s Red Mill and King Arthur Baking Company both have excellent blends.
Expert Tips
- Use a candy thermometer to check the temperature of the lemon filling when cooking it in the saucepan. It’s done when it reaches 170 degrees F.
- Make the filling while the crust is baking to maximize your hands-on time.
- Be sure to wait until the lemon bars are cool before removing them from the pan and cutting them. If they are too warm, they won’t retain their shape and you’ll have lemon filling all over your counter.
- A microplane grater and a handheld citrus juicer make dealing with the fresh lemons so much easier – if you don’t have them, I highly recommend getting them.
What is the best way to remove lemon bars from the pan and cut them?
Before you assemble the lemon bars, spray your pan with non-stick spray and then line it with parchment paper or foil. Leave extra paper on each side of the pan that will act as handles when you remove them from the pan.
Wait until the lemon bars are completely cooled before attempting to cut them. The easiest way to remove lemon bars from the pan is to run a sharp knife around the edges to loosen them up a bit.
Next, grasp the parchment paper “handles” on each side and place the bars on a cutting board. Then cut them into bars by pushing the knife straight through. Rinse your knife in hot water between each slice to get a nice, clean cut.
More Dessert Recipes to Consider
From Scratch Recipes
Free Printable Gingerbread Man Cookie Templates for Holiday Baking
Dessert Recipes
Rhubarb Crumb Bars
Cookies
Maple Sugar Cookies
Pies, Crisps & Tarts
Healthy Pumpkin Pie Recipe
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Lemon Bars
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup confectioners’ sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
For the Filling:
- 2 large eggs plus 7 large yolks
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ¼ cup grated lemon zest plus ⅔ cup juice, 4 lemons
- pinch salt
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream
- confectioners’ sugar, for dusting
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350℉.
- Line a 9-inch square baking pan with 2 long sheets of parchment paper or aluminum foil. Lay the pieces in the pan perpendicular to each other, with extra paper or foil hanging over the edges of the pan. Push it into the corners and sides of the pan and grease it.
- For the crust:In a food processor, combine flour, confectioners’ sugar, and salt until combined (about 3 seconds).
- Cut butter into 8 pieces and sprinkle over top of flour mixture. Pulse until mixture is a pale yellow and crumbly (about 8 pulses). Sprinkle mixture into the prepared pan and press firmly into an even layer.
- Bake about 20 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking, until crust starts to brown.
- For the filling:While the crust is baking, whisk eggs and yolks together in medium saucepan. Add granulated sugar and whisk until combined.
- Whisk in lemon zest, juice, and salt.
- Add butter and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until butter is melted and mixture thickens slightly and registers 170℉ on a candy thermometer, about 5 minutes.
- Immediately strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer into bowl and stir in cream.
- Pour the warm lemon mixture over the hot crust. Bake 10-15 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking, until the filling is shiny and opaque. The center should jiggle slightly when shaken.
- Let bars cool completely, about 2 hours.
- Lift the bars from the pan using the foil overhang. Cut into squares, dust with confectioners’ sugar, and serve.
- Keep leftovers in the fridge and add additional powdered sugar before serving.
Notes
- Fresh lemon juice is a must in this recipe. Get a handheld citrus juicer to make squeezing the fresh lemon juice much easier and use a microplane grater to zest your lemons.
- It’s important that the bars are totally cool before cutting them. Run the knife under hot water between each cut made.
- Store cut lemon bars in a single layer in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for up to three months.
This recipe comes from the America’s Test Kitchen New Family Cookbook. It’s a great book full of great recipes I’m always happy to share with you.
Lemons going on the shopping list 🙂