Lemon Bars
A crisp shortbread base under a soft, intensely lemony curd that sets in the oven — tangy, sweet, and sliceable.
Good lemon bars keep the contrast sharp: a genuinely crisp shortbread base, and a filling that tastes of fresh lemon first and sugar second. Pouring the filling onto a hot crust is the detail most recipes skip — it seals the surface so the layers stay distinct instead of soaking into each other.
Fresh lemons only
Bottled juice turns bitter when baked. You'll need 4–5 lemons for both the zest and the juice.
Recipe
Lemon Bars
Tangy baked lemon curd on a crisp shortbread base. Chill fully for clean, glossy slices.
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- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Chilling
- 2 hrs
- Total
- 3 hrs 5 min
- Servings
- 16
- Yield
- 16 bars (9×9-inch pan)
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Course
- Dessert
- Cuisine
- American
Ingredients
Shortbread base
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 tsp fine salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter (cold, cubed)
Lemon filling
- 4 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp lemon zest (from 2 lemons)
- 2/3 cup fresh lemon juice (4–5 lemons)
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- powdered sugar (for dusting)
Equipment
- 9×9-inch pan
- Parchment paper
- Microplane zester
- Fine-mesh sieve
Instructions
Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a 9×9-inch pan with parchment, leaving overhang.
Pulse the flour, powdered sugar, salt and cold butter to damp crumbs; press evenly into the pan.
Bake the crust 20–22 minutes until lightly golden at the edges.
Meanwhile, gently whisk the eggs, sugar, zest, juice and flour; strain through a sieve.
Pour the filling onto the hot crust and bake 20–24 minutes, until the center barely jiggles.
Tip: Hot crust + gentle whisking = distinct layers and a glassy top.
Cool to room temperature, then chill 2 hours. Lift out, slice with a hot knife, and dust with powdered sugar.
Storage
Refrigerate airtight up to 4 days; dust sugar fresh each time.
Freezing
Freeze un-dusted bars up to 2 months, layered with parchment.
Reheating
Served chilled or at cool room temperature.
Substitutions
- Lemon: Half lime juice makes a lovely lemon-lime bar; Meyer lemons give a softer, floral tang.
Common mistakes
- Pouring filling onto a cooled crust — The crust must be hot from the oven — it seals the layers apart.
- Baking until fully firm — Pull when the center barely jiggles; it sets as it cools.
Nutrition (per serving)
| Fat (g) | 10 |
|---|---|
| Sugar (g) | 21 |
| Sodium (mg) | 85 |
| Protein (g) | 3 |
| Calories | 220 |
| Saturated fat (g) | 6 |
| Carbs (g) | 31 |
Nutrition information is an estimate calculated from the listed ingredients.
From our test kitchen
Straining the filling caught the zest and gave a glassier surface — worth the extra dish.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get clean slices?
Chill the bars fully, then cut with a hot, dry knife, wiping between cuts. Dust the sugar on after slicing.
Why is there a thin white layer on top of my bars?
That's just air from over-whisking the filling. Whisk gently, and it disappears under the powdered sugar anyway.
Serena started Serenity Sweets from her home kitchen, where she has baked and photographed every kind of dessert for over a decade. She develops most of the recipes on the site and tests each one at least twice before it's published.
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