This Lemon Bars Recipe with a Shortbread Crust has been my favorite for years. The tender buttery shortbread crust holds a thick, bright lemon filling for a perfect balance of sweet, tart, and rich. These bars slice cleanly and are easy to make, making them perfect for sharing at parties and potlucks. If you love citrus desserts, you'll also love my classic Key Lime Pie recipe.
Lemon Bars at a Glance
- ⏱ Prep Time: 40 minutes
- 🔥 Cook Time: 50 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 90 minutes (plus cooling)
- 👪 Serves: 24
- 🍽️ Calories: 250
- 🌾 Main Ingredients: Butter, sugar, flour, fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, eggs
- 👌 Why You'll Love It: This easy lemon bars recipe features a tender, buttery shortbread crust over a smooth, set lemon filling that's perfectly sweet-tart. It's designed to be reliable and is baked in a 9x13 inch pan - perfect for serving a crowd.
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I've been making these homemade lemon bars for over 15 years, and I've never wanted another recipe. The creamy lemon filling over the tender shortbread is my go-to springtime treat. A 9x13-inch pan yields plenty to share - or to keep to yourself. Fun fact: these even won a 3rd place at a picnic!
Spring is when I start craving bright citrus recipes like these lemon bars or a fresh Classic Margarita.
If you love rich, tender shortbread like the crust in these lemon bars, you'll enjoy the melt-in-your-mouth texture of my White Chocolate Cherry Shortbread Cookies and the classic simplicity of Ina Garten's Shortbread Cookies. For a softer, more delicate cookie, my Sprinkle Cookies are another favorite.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- 🍋 Smooth, set lemon filling that slices cleanly, made with fresh lemon juice and plenty of zest for a bright, balanced flavor
- 🥧 Buttery shortbread crust that's rich, tender, and doesn't get soggy
- 🎉 Bakes in a 9x13-inch pan, making it perfect for sharing (or keeping to yourself)
- ✨ Easy, step-by-step method ensures creamy lemon bars every time
Key Ingredients
Full ingredient measurements and instructions can be found in the recipe card below.
Unsalted butter: Makes the shortbread rich and flavorful. Margarine or shortening won't taste as good.
Large eggs: Thicken and stabilize the filling, setting it and giving it a smooth, creamy texture. You'll use seven (~350g).
Flour: Helps both the shortbread crust and the filling set properly.
Lemon zest: Adds concentrated lemon flavor. Zest the lemons before you juice them.
Lemon juice: You'll need 1 cup of juice (or 8 ounces). Fresh juice is best; bottled lemon juice can taste off, so skip it unless you run short. Lemon sizes vary dramatically, so have extra on hand. If you have some left, use them in my Salmon with Baked Couscous or my vegetarian Lemony Lentil Soup.
This recipe is designed to be made as written; substitutions may affect the crust or how the lemon filling sets.
How to Make Lemon Bars
One: Cream your butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Two: Add flour and salt. Mix on low until combined and it clumps together.
Three: Pour into a parchment-lined or well-greased metal 9x13 inch pan. Press the dough gently but firmly along the bottom and up the sides to form a ½-inch crust. Freeze for 15 minutes while you preheat the oven.
Four: Bake chilled crust for 15-20 minutes. It should be lightly brown, but it's also ok if it's not. Let the crust cool briefly while you prepare the filling.
Five: Zest the lemons before juicing them. You'll want two tablespoons of zest and one cup of juice.
Six: Whisk together the flour and sugar in a very large mixing bowl, to prevent lumps. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, and eggs, and whisk until well combined.
Seven: Pour the lemon filling batter into your prebaked shortbread crust, even if the crust is still warm. Don't get the filling above the crust's rim, even though I did that here.
Eight: Bake the lemon bars for 30-35 minutes, until filling is set. Filling will not jiggle and will no longer be shiny.
Cool the lemon bars at room temperature.
Serving and Storage
Cutting: Slice cooled bars into 24 squares; I cut those in half for potlucks and parties. Using a bench scraper helps the bars slice cleanly.
Powdered Sugar: Dust bars right before serving. The sugar dissolves over time, so don't add it too early.
Serving: These lemon bars are perfect for dessert tables alongside other easy-to-serve treats like my creamy Chocolate Chip Cookie Cheesecake Bars or Cheesecake Brownies - the contrast of bright citrus and rich, creamy desserts makes for an irresistible spread.
Storage: Store lemon bars in the refrigerator in a covered container. Let them sit out for 5-10 minutes before serving - the shortbread crust and lemon filling taste better that way.
Shelf Life: Eat within three days for the optimum texture. After that, they still taste good but the filling's texture changes.
Tips for Great Lemon Bars
⚖️ Weigh the flour for the best shortbread results; accurate measurements give the crust its best texture and bake.
🔥 Bring ingredients to room temperature. Butter and eggs beat better, and lemons yield more juice when they're not cold.
🧊 Freeze the shortbread crust before baking and filling. This firms the edges to keep them from sinking, creating a barrier between the lemon filling and the hot pan.
📜 Prepare your pan carefully. Use a well-greased or parchment-lined 9x13-inch pan to avoid sticking. Parchment works best for removing bars from the pan. Avoid dark or glass pans, which can overbake the crust. (Tip: Don't freeze a glass pan.)
🫗 Don't overfill the crust. Lemon filling touching hot metal edges will burn, and a sunken edge will create a rubbery filling.
🍋 Don't overbake! The bars are done when the filling looks dry and no longer jiggles. Overbaking will lead to rubbery lemon filling.
Lemon Bars with a Shortbread Crust FAQ
The filling should look set and should not jiggle, and the top will not be as shiny. The color will be slightly paler than when you put it in the oven.
Crust can sink if you don't add enough flour or if it didn't freeze long enough. Check it at about 10 minutes. If it's sinking, use a fork to press the dough back up the sides to form the edge and to fill in any holes. Continue baking, adding a few extra minutes.
Do not fill the lemon bars above the shortbread's edge. Filling that touches the pan will scorch, and thin areas over sunken crust may turn rubbery. Reserve extra filling and bake separately in a mini crust if needed. Check the bars a few minutes early for doneness.
No. Bottled lemon juice has preservatives that give an off-taste when used in large quantities. A small amount (1-2 tablespoons) can work if you're short on fresh juice, but any more will affect flavor.
Yes. You can squeeze lemon juice by hand, using a sieve to catch seeds.
Alternatively, blend the lemons after zesting and strain the pulp. The result will be a bit more tart.
🍋 Other Citrus Treats
I hope this becomes a recipe you'll return to. If you try it, a star rating below helps others find it - and I'd love to hear how yours turns out in the comments! 💕 Questions or trouble? Drop a note, and I'll do my best to help.
📖 Recipe
Lemon Bars
Equipment
- electric citrus juicer (affiliate link)
- Microplane zester (affiliate link)
- wire whisk (affiliate link)
- 9x13 inch pan (metal)
Ingredients
Crust
- 16 tablespoons butter (227 grams/2 sticks, at room temperature)
- ½ cup sugar (100 grams)
- 2 cups flour (270 grams)
- 1/16 teaspoon table salt (a dash if you don't want to measure that little)
Filling
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest (from 2 large lemons, or 4-6 smaller ones)
- 1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (227 grams; from 4-6 lemons, depending on size)
- 7 large eggs (350 grams; at room temperature)
- 2 ½ cups sugar (500 grams)
- 1 cup flour (130 grams)
- powdered sugar for topping
Instructions
Shortbread Crust
- Line a metal 9x13 inch baking pan with parchment paper, covering the bottom and sides, or grease your pan very well.
- Cream softened butter and ½ cup sugar until light and fluffy with a stand mixer or handheld electric mixer, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add 2 cups flour and salt, and mix at low speed until just combined.
- Scrape dough into the prepared pan. Press it gently but firmly along the bottom and up the sides of the pan to form a ½-inch edge.
- Freeze the crust for 15 minutes while you heat the oven to 350F.
- Bake chilled crust at 350F for 15-20 minutes, until very lightly browned. Check halfway through to be sure the sides aren't sinking; see notes if they are.
- Set aside to cool for a few minutes, but no need to cool completely.
Filling and Assembly
- While your crust is baking, prepare the filling. Zest your lemons into your mixing bowl, if you haven't already.
- Cut your zested lemons in half and juice them, preferably with an electric juicer.
- Use a wire whisk (affiliate link) to mix together the sugar and flour. This will help prevent lumps.
- Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, and eggs. Whisk well to combine. Pour into the prebaked crust. Do not overfill.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, until filling is set. It will look not as shiny. Filling will not jiggle when done, and will be paler than it was. Do not overbake.
- Cool at room temperature. Dust with powdered sugar, and cut into bars.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator, but bring to room temperature for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Jenn says
These are simply delicious. My husband said they are the best lemon bars he’s ever eaten!
Leona Konkel says
Thank you! I'm glad he enjoyed them!!