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
Your lemon bars are my absolute favorite! but for some reason, my lemon bars form a white crust on top of the bars as they cook, almost like the sugar didn’t dissolve into mixture. I use farm eggs, not store bought. Could that have something to do with it since the whites are very thick?
Hi Mary, 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.
OMG THESE ARE TO DIE FOR! After reading a few reviews I made sure to have my base cooked & baked the filling at 330 instead of 325, came out perfect (: my boyfriend hates lemon things but loves these ! Must try♡♡♡♡
These turned out tasting amazing for me! The crust baked in the time given by the recipe. But the filling took a total of 39 minutes for me instead of 22-26.
Also a warning, please don’t let them chill fully overnight before getting them out of the pan and cutting!
I did that and the parchment paper was basically glued to the pan and the crust was sticking to it, to the point that it was impossible to remove them. I’m currently gently reheating them and hoping that will do the trick.
I’m tempted to remove and possibly cut them before putting them in the frigde next time!
I LOVE these lemon bars! My first time making lemon bars and I adore all of Sally’s recipes so naturally I checked to see if she had a recipe for them. I am a big fan of shortbread and I even decided to add a little bit of thyme to the dough as I find that thyme and lemon go well together. I also added the zest of one lemon to the filling for some extra lemon flavor. Turned out great! Will definitely make these again! Thanks Sally!
Really enjoyed these! I did add a little lemon zest to my shortbread for a little extra lemon flavor will make these again
First time making lemon bars and these were spectacular. I think I might’ve undercooked the shortbread a bit but it didn’t seem to deter anyone. My MIL was super-impressed with the fact that I juiced lemons for this lol. I enjoyed the slight zing from the fresh juice. Recipe is definitely a keeper.
This was my first time making any lemon bar recipe and all my ‘lucky customers’ (i.e. neighbors and colleagues) assure me that these are the best they ever had. My crust took a couple more minutes but the bars overall were done after 25 minutes. I added a bit of lemon zest to the filling and a little bit of almond extract to the bottom. I think I put them in the fridge too quickly since I ended up with some cracks. However, once you cut it into little squares it really does not matter much.
These taste great but they were SO hard to cut…had to use a pizza cutter to finally get through the crust…is that expected?? What have I done wrong? It’s not hard to bite into just hard to cut
These turned out rather greasy.
I followed the recipe as written, used a quality European style butter and fresh lemon juice measured. Also, used a 9×13 glass casserole dish. The shortbread was baked until light brown (as written) but I think it could have baked longer because it’s too soft. I’m going to try to save it by returning it to the oven but it’s doubtful that will work as it’s already cooled.
European butter has a higher fat content than American brands.
Well, I used American butter with the same result. Not sure what happened here.
I was very careful pricking my warm crust but it seems the filling ended up on the bottom! I won’t be able to bring them to Easter tomorrow as I had planned, but I’ll still probably eat them. If I make these again in the future I probably won’t prick to be on the safe side.
I used a metal pan, it was all I had. No metallic taste, but I also double lined with parchment paper.
Same thing happened to me! I was totally baffled! I’ve never seen this happen before. It had to have been a result of pricking the crust. Both pans failed. I am very experienced baker so this was devastating for me.
Hello, I love this recipe! One question… do you know why I get bubbles / depressions on the surface vs a smooth surface as shown in pics?
I’m following exact measurements/ cooking time / temp.
Thank you
Hi Trinity, 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.
Love the recipe, everyone loved them. The fresh lemon flavor really comes through. One question though, what would cause cracks in the tops? Is it from too quick of a cooling?
Hi Kacie, Lemon bars are an egg-heavy dessert, like cheesecake, so they’re prone to cracking. They’re either cracking because the eggs are over-mixed (more air is whipped into the filling, then deflates causing the cracking) or they’re over-baked. One easy way to help guarantee no cracks, though, is to cool the lemon bars inside the oven. Turn the oven off 1-2 minutes before the lemon bars have finished cooking. Crack open the oven door and let the lemon bars cool inside the cooling oven for 1 hour. Then remove from the oven and cool at room temperature. The slow cooling will help prevent cracks. Hope this helps!
Only thing I would do next time is cook both the crust & filling longer otherwise very good!
These look amazing. How would you recommend making these ahead of time? Can they last in the fridge for a few days?
Hi Lucy, the completed bars can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 week (just wait to add the dusting of confectioners’ sugar until ready to serve). Or, see step 6 for longer freezing instructions. Enjoy!
These lemon bars have proved easy and daintily delicious each and every time we’ve made them! The shortbread and lemon combination blends beautifully together (the texture is AMAZINGly smooth and decadent), and the lemon flavor is just the right strength, not too sour, but not so sweet it detracts. Thank you for this perfect recipe!
I’m doubling this recipe for a Easter potluck and it seems a shame to waste the zest of 8 lemons. Would it be possible to add the zest to the recipe?
Hi Leila, we’re so glad you enjoyed the bars! We prefer super smooth lemon bars here, but you definitely can add zest. We recommend 1-2 Tablespoons of lemon zest.
Thank you! Would baking these lemon bars in a glass pie pan be possible?
I add the lemon zest to the crust.
Please send all that zest to me via express delivery to use in my limoncello making adventure!
Is the crust supposed to be like cake batter?
Hi Deborah, it is quite thin, yes – you can see a visual for the consistency in the video tutorial after the recipe above.
I don’t believe the crust should be thin- the crust is thick and you pat it into place, but the lemon topping is very thin.
Hi! I made these bars yesterday and goofed up the directions. I sifted the sugar and flour for the filling and then added the lemon juice. When I realized my mistake, I whisked the eggs and then added them to the lemon/sugar/flour mixture. I baked for 26 minutes at 325 in a 9×13 glass pan but the filling was verrrry liquidy. I baked it for another 8 minutes and only the edges were set so I baked it for another 10 minutes. More of it was set but the center was still liquidy. I left it on the counter for 2 hours but it didn’t help and I had to throw the whole thing in the bin. I know I didn’t make a mistake on the rest of the recipe and my oven thermometer was spot on. So I have to guess that the lemon juice prevented the eggs from bonding with the sugar. Ope! Before I start this recipe all over again, do you have any other words of wisdom?
Hi Veronica! Next time we would bake until the center no longer jiggles.
Had the same issue. Baked way longer than 26 minutes to get center semi firm. Followed exact recipe and oven thermometer said 325.
These were so delicious! I made them for a baby shower. It took a lot more lemons than I thought so mine must have not been very juicy but well worth it! I did add half of a blood orange for color as well and they turned out beautifully! I sliced raspberries to put on the top of each bar and they looked so professional! Thanks for a good one! Will make again!
Hello,
Is it possible to cook the lemon filling on the stove top using the steps of cooking lemon curd and then pour the filling on a fully baked crust and chill to set?
Hi Jennifer, we haven’t tested that, but we recommend following the directions as written for best success.
Can these bars be made in advance? I want to bake them on Thursdfor Easter Sunday. Will they still be okay or am I better off freezing them?
Hi Samantha, you can cover and store leftover lemon bars in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, but don’t dust with confectioners’ sugar until you are ready to serve or it will “melt” into the bars. Or, see the last step of the recipe for freezing instructions.
These were lovely. I cut the recipe in half and followed the instructions. I’m a lemon addict, so I did add some lemon rind, about a teaspoonful. Definitely will make for Easter next week.
I made these and they were incredible. One question I have is could I double the filling amount? I liked that the crust was thin but wish the filling was thicker.
Will definitely be making these again, probably on a weekly basis, I’m obsessed with lemon flavored treats
I make them in a 7×11 glass baking dish for the perfect ratio of filling to crust.
Just made these and they are by far the BEST I have ever enjoyed. The secret about glass pan was correct and spot on. Trimmed up the edges and cut up and they were the sensation of the party. They were LOVED. Appreciate your recipes and thank for sharing them.
I’ve made these before and they are absolutely fantastic.
I do have a question about substituting sugar for something like stevia. Do you have a preferred substitute for something like that works without disrupting the ratios? I would love to make these in a more sugar friendly way for my diabetic loved ones.
Thanks!
Hi Kelsey, We’d love to help but we are not trained in baking with sugar substitutes. For best taste and texture (and so you don’t waste your time trying to adapt this recipe since it may not work properly), it may be more useful to find a recipe that is specifically formulated for sugar substitutes. Thank you!
I ended up having to bake the crust for about 10 more minutes than the recipe called for in order to get it slightly golden around the edges. After pouring the filling over it and putting it back in the oven, I had to bake it for about 12 minutes more than the recipe called for because it was super jiggly.
These had great flavor and the shortbread crust was the perfect consistency. I do wish there was more filling because it feels like a lot of crust for me personally.
I made this for a small dinner party. The bars were fabulous!! I used fresh lemon juice from my own home grown Meyer lemons. Total winner!!
Hey there, do you think it would bake normally if I add a little strawberry puree to the top of the lemon layer and swirl it?
Hi Moises, we haven’t tried it so we’re unsure of how the bars would set up with that substitution. We do have a recipe for Lemon Strawberry Crumb Bars that you might be interested in.
Hello! Can this recipe be made into silicone molds? More specifically, 2.5” (length and width) heart shaped silicone molds. If so, what would be the recommended temperature and time in oven for both the crust and filling?
Hi Maribel, we haven’t tested this recipe in a silicone pan, so we can’t say for sure.
Go to for lemon bars!
Delicious! I love that the base stays intact and isn’t overly crumbly! Shared with with friends and everyone loved them.
Made the lemon bars once and everyone loved them. My question is: Can almond flour be substituted for all-purpose flour?
Hi Barbara, We don’t recommend almond flour as it has very different baking properties and is not always a 1:1 swap. We haven’t tested it, but you might have success experimenting with a gluten-free all-purpose flour like Bob’s Red Mill or Cup4Cup. If you give anything a try, we’d love to know how it goes for you!