Lemon Bars

A lemon bar on a plate, with another lemon bar on a plate in the background.

5 from 1 vote

Tender buttery shortbread topped with a creamy, bright lemon filling. These lemon bars slice cleanly and are perfect for parties, potlucks, or a sweet treat at home.

Prep Time40

Cook Time50

Total Time1 30

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 241kcal

Author: Leona Konkel

Equipment

electric citrus juicer
Microplane zester
wire whisk
9x13 inch pan (metal)
bench scraper (optional)

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 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.

Notes

Always zest the lemons before you juice them. Lemon sizes vary, so have a couple of extra on hand. I needed all 6 lemons the last time I made these.

Only use fresh lemon juice, as bottled juice has an off-taste. You can supplement with 1-2 tablespoons of bottled juice if necessary.

Use a well-greased or parchment-lined pan for best results. Check early if using a dark or glass pan; the edges may overbake. Do not freeze a glass pan before prebaking the crust; the pan can crack.

The edge crust prevents overbaking. Chilling the crust before prebaking it prevents it from sinking. If the crust sinks during the prebake, use a fork to pat the dough back up the edges and to fill in any holes on the bottom. Add an extra few minutes on to the remaining prebake time.

Do not overfill. The lemon filling burns if it touches the sides of the pan, and will be rubbery if it bakes as a shallow layer over sunken edge crusts. If you have to reserve some filling, check the lemon bars early for doneness.

Do not overbake. Lemon bars will be set when they don't jiggle. Overbaked lemon bars will be rubbery.

Adapted from Ina Garten and Smitten Kitchen.

Calorie counts are an estimate only.

Nutrition