You only need 7 ingredients to make these lemon bars. The lemon curd filling is extra thick and creamy and sits on an irresistible buttery shortbread crust. Always bake lemon bars at a lower temperature to avoid over-baking. They’re simply the best lemon bars and are perfect for picnics, bake sales, spring brunches, baby showers, and bridal showers.
Today I’m teaching you how to make lemon bars. I love this lemon dessert recipe so much that I published it in my 1st cookbook, Sally’s Baking Addiction. These are the best lemon bars and I don’t use that statement lightly. After 1 taste, I’m confident you’ll agree. Everyone needs this recipe.
The process is pretty simple and I’m walking you through each step in the video tutorial below. Pick up some fresh citrus and let’s get baking. Spring is in the air!
Video Tutorial: Lemon Bars
These are classic lemon bars featuring a soft butter shortbread crust and a tangy sweet lemon curd filling that’s baked to the perfect consistency. The lemon layer is thick and substantial, not thin or flimsy like most other lemon bar recipes.
Only 7 Ingredients in these Lemon Bars
- Butter: Melted butter is the base of the shortbread crust.
- Sugar: Sugar sweetens the crust and lemon curd filling layers. Not only this, it works with the eggs to set up the lemon filling. If reduced, the filling will be too wet.
- Flour: Flour is also used in both layers. Like sugar, it gives structure to the lemon filling. These days, I add slightly more flour to the shortbread crust compared to my cookbook version. You can get away with 2 cups, but an extra 2 Tablespoons really helps solidify the foundation of the lemon bars.
- Vanilla Extract: I use 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract in the shortbread crust. Not many lemon bar recipes call for vanilla extract and I promise you it’s my best kept secret.
- Salt: Without salt, the crust would be too sweet.
- Eggs: Eggs are most of the structure. Without them, you have lemon soup!
- Lemon Juice: I highly recommend using lemon juice squeezed from fresh lemons. You can also use another citrus like blood orange, grapefruit, or lime juice. For extra flavor, add some fresh zest as well.
How to Make Lemon Bars in 5 Steps
- Prepare the crust: Mix all of the shortbread crust ingredients together, then press firmly into a 9×13-inch baking pan. Interested in a smaller batch? See my recipe note.
- Pre-bake: Pre-baking the crust guarantees it will hold up under the lemon layer.
- Prepare the filling: Whisk all of the filling ingredients together. No cooking on the stove!
- Bake: Pour the filling on the warm pre-baked crust, then bake for around 20 minutes or until the center is just about set. I slightly increased the baking temperature from my cookbook version. Either temperatures work, but 325°F is preferred.
- Cool: I usually cool the lemon bars for about 1 hour at room temperature, then stick the whole pan in the refrigerator for 1-2 more hours until relatively chilled. They’re wonderful cold and with a dusting of confectioners’ sugar on top!
Prepared in only 2 bowls and a baking pan, clean up is a breeze. These lemon bars win 1st place every time because they’re the perfect balance of tangy and sweet. In fact, I made them for my friend’s baby shower last weekend and they were the first dessert to disappear. And that’s saying a lot considering the competition: homemade chewy fudgy frosted brownies and adorable mini animal cracker cookies. 🙂
2 Guaranteed Tricks to Make the Best Lemon Bars
- Use a glass pan. Ceramic is fine, but glass is best. Do not use metal. I always detect a slight metallic flavor in the lemon bars when baked in metal pans.
- Use fresh juice. Store-bought bottles are convenient, but you miss out on a lot of flavor. You will definitely taste the difference! I have a super old citrus juicer, but I recently purchased this juicer for my mom and she loves it. Highly recommended.
White Air Bubbles on Top of Baked Lemon Bars
Do you notice air bubbles, perhaps even a white layer of air bubbles, on top of your baked lemon bars? That’s completely normal. It’s the air from the eggs rising to the surface. Some batches have it, some don’t. Regardless, the lemon bars taste the same and a dusting of confectioners’ sugar covers it right up!
Blood orange bars! See my recipe note about substituting flavors.
Want to kick it up a notch? Here are my lemon meringue pie and lemon cheesecake recipes.
Craving lots of texture with your bars? You’ll love my oatmeal lemon crumble bars.
Plenty of lemon recipes to love on my site including these lemon crinkle cookies and lemon thumbprint cookies! Regardless of what you choose, lemon desserts are always a great choice when looking for springtime or Easter dessert recipes.
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Lemon Bars
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours, 50 minutes
- Yield: 24 bars
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
You only need 7 ingredients to make these lemon bars. The lemon curd filling is extra thick and creamy and sits on an irresistible butter shortbread crust. Always bake lemon bars at a lower temperature to avoid over-baking. See recipe notes for important tips. They’re simply the best lemon bars and are perfect for picnics, bake sales, spring brunches, baby showers, and bridal showers.
Ingredients
Shortbread Crust
- 1 cup (16 Tbsp; 226g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups + 2 Tablespoons (265g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
Lemon Filling
- 2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
- 6 Tablespoons (46g) all-purpose flour
- 6 large eggs
- 1 cup (240ml) fresh lemon juice (about 4 lemons)
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon zest, optional
- optional: confectioners’ sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F (163°C). Line the bottom and sides of a 9×13-inch glass baking pan (do not use metal) with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides to lift the finished bars out (makes cutting easier!). Set aside.
- Make the crust: Mix the melted butter, sugar, vanilla extract, and salt together in a medium bowl. Add the flour and stir to completely combine. The dough will be thick. Press firmly into prepared pan, making sure the layer of crust is nice and even. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned. Remove from the oven. Using a fork, poke holes all over the top of the warm crust (not all the way through the crust). A new step I swear by, this helps the filling stick and holds the crust in place. Set aside until step 4.
- Make the filling: Sift the sugar and flour together in a large bowl. Whisk in the eggs, then the lemon juice and lemon zest (if using) until completely combined.
- Pour filling over warm crust. Bake the bars for 22-26 minutes or until the center is relatively set and no longer jiggles. (Give the pan a light tap with an oven mitt to test.) Remove bars from the oven and cool completely at room temperature. I usually cool them for about 2 hours at room temperature, then stick in the refrigerator for 1-2 more hours until pretty chilled. I recommend serving chilled.
- Once cool, lift the parchment paper out of the pan using the overhang on the sides. Dust with confectioners’ sugar and cut into squares before serving. For neat squares, wipe the knife clean between each cut. Cover and store leftover lemon bars in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- Freezing Instructions: Lemon bars can be frozen for up to 3-4 months. Cut the cooled bars (without confectioners’ sugar topping) into squares, then place onto a baking sheet. Freeze for 1 hour. Individually wrap each bar in aluminum foil or plastic wrap and place into a large bag or freezer container to freeze. Thaw in the refrigerator, then dust with confectioners’ sugar before serving.
Notes
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 9×13-inch Glass Pan | Glass Mixing Bowls | Silicone Spatula | Silicone Whisk | Juicer | Fine Mesh Sieve
- Halve the Recipe: Halve each of the ingredients to yield around 12 squares in a 9-inch square baking pan. Same oven temperature. Bake the crust for 16-18 minutes and the bars for 20 minutes or until the center no longer jiggles.
- Sifting: More often than not, the flour doesn’t fully incorporate into the lemon filling unless it’s sifted with the sugar. As directed in the recipe, sift the two together before adding the eggs and lemon juice. I don’t always do this (and didn’t even do it in the video above!) but it’s preferred to avoid any flour lumps. If you have a sifter, it’s worth using. If you forget, it’s not a huge deal. Here is my favorite sifter. You use it again to dust the lemon bars with confectioners’ sugar.
- Lemon Juice: For exceptional taste, I highly recommend fresh lemon juice. Here is a wonderful inexpensive juicer if you don’t have one. Or use another fresh-squeezed citrus like grapefruit, blood orange, lime, or regular orange. You can slightly reduce the sugar if using a sweeter citrus. I recommend no less than 1 and 2/3 cup granulated sugar in the filling as it’s needed for structure.
- Room Temperature: Bringing the eggs and lemon juice to room temperature helps them mix easier into the flour and sugar. However, I never notice a taste or texture difference when using cold. Room temperature or cold, use whichever!
Reader Comments and Reviews
Can I omit the powdered sugar on top?
Hi Emilia, yes, that is fine. Happy baking!
This lemon bar recipe is delicious! I followed the recipe exactly and it came out perfectly! For the shortbread, I melted 2 sticks of butter in a 2-cup pyrex measuring cup and was very glad to have noticed before using it that the melted butter measured an ounce+ more than 1 cup. I have always assumed that a stick of butter was a true 1/2 cup. Gone unnoticed, that could have affected the consistency of the shortbread.
I would really like to try these with a ginger snap crust. Do you think it would turn out ok?
Do you have a gingersnap crust recipe that you recommend?
Hi Gia, we use a gingersnap crust in our Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake recipe.
This dessert is AMAZING! My husband & I enjoyed every single piece!
I’m going to make for a Dessert for Easter for our Family Dinner. Thank you so much!
I am an experienced baker and followed the recipe to the letter, though I will admit I was about an eighth of a cup short on the lemon juice because I ran out of lemons. The lemon filling never set up. Like at all. It was VERY jiggly in the center when I removed them from the oven, but I had already baked them for the recommended time and didn’t want to risk burning them up. I was making them for a friend who is leaving our workplace, and I didn’t have time to start over. After I cooled them overnight, they were still too drippy to serve. I ended up cutting off only the outside 2-3 inches and placing them on a dish so I’d at least have something. They are indeed delicious.
I think the problem might be that my eggs were fairly small. The yolks were normal sized, but the whites were smaller than the usual, as I was using backyard hen eggs. I mention this because if you do recipe testing or similar, it might be helpful information.
Hi Amelia, we’re sorry to hear you had troubles with this recipe. It does indeed sound like the size of your eggs could have been the culprit. If you are using varying sized eggs in the future, this will help: Usually large eggs in the shell are about 57g, and 50g out of the shell. Thank you again for giving this recipe a try!
I have made these before and it was perfection. however today the filling sank to the bottom and the crust rose to the top! It was a messy, but delicious disaster. Any idea what I may have done wrong?
Hi Nadya, Usually when the bars end up inverted it’s because we either over-baked the crust, or let it cool for too long. Did you prick the crust with a fork (see the end of step 2)? This should help prevent this issue. Hope this helps!
Hi I made this recipe, turned out great. I let the bars cool for two hours on counter. Placed them I in the fridge overnight. Took them out cut them & dusted bars with icing sugar placed them back in the fridge. However I noticed that the icing sugar dissolves while in the fridge. Can you tell me how to prevent this? Or why does it happen?
Hi Maureen, feel free to add the powdered sugar right before serving.
I always like to add a tablespoon of finely grated lemon zest. Make sure it is well dispersed and not in a clump!
This was the best lemon dessert I’ve ever had! Thank you!
I have made these lemon bars twice in 2 weeks, they are simply that amazing! The lemon curd is amazing and the shortbread on the bottom is the perfect texture! I love lemon, and these hit the spot and super easy to make! Thanks Sally for this wonderful recipe!!
I keep running into this issue where my eggs seem to separate from the lemon mixture and create a foamy layer on top. It’s like they’re curdling somehow instead of all binding together. Is this a problem of over mixing the eggs? I only use a whisk but maybe I’m over mixing them with the sugar? I end up having to take the bars out and attempt to fix them by re-mixing the egg and lemon mixture underneath together. Still come out delicious but I’m not sure what I’m screwing up!
Hi Kim, If too much air is incorporated into the lemon filling mixture, there can be a layer of foamy film on top. Be careful not to over-mix or whip the filling when combining and be careful not to over-bake the bars. These tips should help! Some air bubbles are normal, see “White Air Bubbles on Top of Baked Lemon Bars” above.
These were so sweet I had to throw them away. I haven’t had a lemon bar before though and love many of Sally’s recipes. Not making these again though!
Fantastic! My 14-year-old son and I made these today, halving the recipe but not changing anything, and they turned out amazing.
Of course, we couldn’t wait 2 hours for them to cool before we sampled, so they were super soft at first, but so delicious. Now we are letting the rest set and will enjoy them again tomorrow. Perfect proportions and super easy instructions. Thank you!
I followed your recipe exactly and these are the BEST lemon bars I’ve ever tasted. My neighbor gave me a lot of lemons from her tree and the first thing I did was visit your site. Thanks for sharing this delicious recipe.
These bars are perfection. I’ve made them at least 15 times, and they come out perfectly every single time, with rave reviews anytime I take them to parties. I use vanilla bean paste instead of vanilla extract in the crust because I prefer that depth of flavor, and sometimes grate in some lemon zest for extra zing in the crust, but they’re perfect as the recipe is written, too.
I tried making a variation this last time that was fun—I used a mix of lemon, lime, pineapple, and mango juice in the filling, and grated lemon and lime zest and some lightly sweetened coconut into the crust. They came out great! The flavor was more mild and subtle, and I do prefer Sally’s original all-lemon version, but they were great for a tropical-themed party if anyone is looking to use this recipe as the base but branch out from pure citrus.
Are you Canadian by chance? Our butter rarely comes separated into 1/4lb sticks, and is a 1lb(454g) brick. If so, you use half of a 1lb brick, or use the 1c marking on the packaging.
As a fellow Canadian, I find measuring ingredients by weight works great for me. A digital scale is a great investment, Canadian Tire often has them on sale. Elbows up girl!
Made it for my coworkers, everyone loved it ! Someone said your dessert are always the perfect amount of sugary 🙂 Cant say I disagree 😉 Definitely will do them again !
Making these right now and the filling is essentially a liquid still after 30 minutes of baking. Any ideas?
Hi Kim, we’re sorry to hear your filling wouldn’t set. Did you change anything about the recipe or bake them in a different size pan? They should still look soft in the center and will solidify as they cool. Be sure you are using conventional heat settings (not convection/fan heat) and if they are taking longer to bake in the center you can loosely cover the top with aluminum foil to prevent the top from browning before the center is cooked. Hope this helps!
Halved the recipe, turned out amazing! Easy to follow instructions. Yummy
Baking crust…temp does not seem hot enough? 325
Lemon not baking at 325….. turned up to 350 for more minutes.
Disappointed
Need to bring dessert for friends.
Hope higher heat works!
J
…
Hi Joan, how did these turn out for you? Keep in mind that the center should still look a bit soft when they’re done. They will set up as they cool.
Fool proof for beginners! I halved the recipe and then used 1 lemon and half a blood orange which gave the perfect combo of sweet and tart.
I have tried many lemon bars and this recipe makes the best. So simple too. I ❤️ Sally’s baking!
These are so good!! Both the crust and filling are delicious. I did have to bake five minutes longer but that may be my oven temperature being off. Next time I will cool in the oven to try avoid cracks.
The best lemon bars ever! Made them for my daughter’s reception party. Huge hit. Leftovers lasted well for a week in refrigerator. Lemon filling is nice and thick – not skimpy. Excellent shortbread crust.
I happen to have a TON of Meyer lemons. Would they be okay to use in this recipe? I have not baked with them before
Hi Chelsea, You can definitely use Meyer lemons here. Enjoy!
Is a glass the only option bars? Would stone bakeware work for these?
Hi Pat, Ceramic or stoneware is fine, but glass is best. Just do not use metal as we always detect a slight metallic flavor in the lemon bars when baked in metal pans.
If I would like to half this recipe and use a 9 inch square baking pan like you’ve recommended, should this be glass also?
Hi Steph, We still recommend glass no matter what size pan. Do not use metal as we always detect a slight metallic flavor in the lemon bars when baked in metal pans.
Have you tried making this recipe in a stainless steel pan? Would that leave a metallic aftertaste as well?
Hi Cynthia, stainless steel is metal, and we do not recommend using any kind of metal pan. Glass is best, or you could use ceramic.
Sally I am a professional chef, but i get really lazy when it comes to baking. I am not into extra steps. I made delicious lemon bars from an ATK recipe once and my family loved them, but they were so extra laborious!
I had to make a huge batch for a caterign gig and foudn your much easier (Simpler. Smarter.) recipe here and it saved me. Absoulutely delicious. So i thought I’d share with you my one tweak to you perfect recipe. In the shortbread, your secret is 2 tsp of vanilla extract. My secret is one tsp vanilla and one tsp almond extract. It’s mind blowing!
Thanks for your whole site! i trust you so much!
Great tip, Andrea! So glad you enjoyed this recipe.
There is an error in the ingredients. Either it should be one stick of butter (not two) or twice as much flour. As written, 2 sticks butter plus 2 cups+2 T flour created a dough like very thick pancake batter. I ended up adding almost 2 cups more flour just to get it thick enough to press into the pan, then had to bake it for 40 minutes. Even then I had to leave it in the oven on low for an hour just to get the crust to dry out. Sally needs to check the recipe.
Hi Ada, the recipe amounts are correct. If you watch the video tutorial, you can see the crust come together and see it creates a thick dough that you can press into the pan to make the crust. Are you using a 9×13 pan?
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Are you Canadian by chance? Our butter rarely comes separated into 1/4lb sticks, and is a 1lb(454g) brick. If so, you use half of a 1lb brick, or use the 1c marking on the packaging.
yes I completely agree with this comment! Followed instructions and measurements exactly and dough came out just as described: thick pancake batter. I added more flour as well- really strange. And not sure what difference size pan is being used? That doesn’t change dough consistency.
I made these using fresh Meyer Lemon juice from my own bushes and they were absolutely delicious. However, they were very thin and that was disappointing. I am wondering if one could increase the filling ingredients to get a more substantial bar. As is, I feel like they are too thin for a bake sale or whatever. Very tasty, though!
Hi Doni, we don’t recommend increasing the filling ingredients for the same size pan for fear that the bars won’t bake/set the same way. If you do decide to try it, please do let us know how it goes. Thank you for giving these a try!
I love your recipes and am about to try this one. I don’t have a glass pan, but I do have a silicone 9 x 14 pan. Do you have any idea if that will affect the flavor? I know that I will probably have to increase the baking time.
Hi Anne, we haven’t tested this recipe in a silicone pan, so we can’t say for sure. Let us know if you do try it!
You even detect a metallic taste when it is lined with parchment?
Hi Stacey, yes, unfortunately that metallic taste can still come through. Best to steer clear of aluminum pans here!
The recipe in the baking book says to line the pan with aluminum foil. Is this correct? Why do I think that would do the same thing as using metal pan??
Hi Sam, we recommend using parchment here.