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
I’ve been with you for at least ten years, but just made these bars today. It’s out of this world. Turned out perfect from the first time. I think I ate half of it in one sitting 🙂 love love it
If I don’t line my pan with parchment paper, will that affect the results of the lemon bars (moisture, removal)?
Hi Anita, We recommend using parchment to ensure the bars come out easily for cutting!
My crust turned out very soft. I left the whole thing with the filling in the oven the whole 26 minutes until it no longer jiggled. The lemon part is mushy. Is this how it should be? I wonder if 325 was too cool of an oven? I am not sure if I should serve these. They taste good, but the lemon part is soft.
Hi Mimi, Nothing to worry about. Ovens and pans vary and yours may need a little longer. Continue to bake until the center is just about set.
These are so good and easy! I have made them 2 times in the last month per request – double batch always! Definitely keep them baking until no jiggle. Can’t wait to try with blood orange!
Can you use light brown sugar instead of granulated sugar?
Hi Maggie! Granulated sugar really is best for this recipe. Brown sugar adds extra moisture and a different flavor.
I just made these and cannot believe I actually made something so pretty and absolutely delicious! You make it so easy and I love learning to bake through you!
Hi Sally!
I’m really excited to try this, but was wondering if it would be alright to use a graham cracker crust instead of shortbread. If so, what ratios of graham crackers, sugar, and butter would you recommend for this recipe?
Thanks!
Hi Danielle, for a graham cracker crust, follow the directions for our Nutella swirl cheesecake bars recipe (but double it for a 9×13 pan per the recipe notes).
I had some limes that I wanted to use so I did half lemon and half lime juice. The bars were excellent. I will definitely do this again.
That combo sounds delicious! Thanks for giving these bars a try!
Made these Lemon Bars today and they are a sensational success.
They set well and taste amazing
Thank you Sally its another winning recipe.
There’s no nutrition facts and someone in my family is type 1 diabetic so we need to know how many carbs are in this-
Hi Arianna, we don’t usually include nutrition information as it can vary between different brands of the same ingredients. Plus, many recipes have ingredient substitutions or optional ingredients listed. However, there are many handy online calculators where you can plug in and customize your exact ingredients/brands. Readers have found this one especially helpful: https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076
I made this recipe twice. The first time, I didn’t have the right size pan, so split the crust and filling into two smaller pans. It came out great. Then, for the second time, I baked the crust, poked the holes, and immediately poured the filling mixture on top. The lemon bars came out sloppy, even though I baked them a few minutes extra to set them. It tasted good, but had to be eaten with a spoon. Was it a mistake to pour the filling mixture onto the crust without letting the crust cool first?
Hi Yvonne, it sounds like the filling didn’t bake long enough to set. Did you use a 9×13 pan? Did you bake the bars until the center no longer jiggled?
Yes I bought a glass 9×13 pan and baked until the center no longer jiggled. I saw an earlier reply recommending adding a bit of corn starch to the filling so I’m trying that now
Hi! I love these and I made them several times already. Once I made them using fresh Passion Fruit juice (by scooping the inside of the fruits, then blending it) and they were out of this world!
That sounds incredible!
Can’t wait to try these! Couple questions… can I substitute lime juice for the lemon juice? Can I swap the parchment paper and use aluminum foil in its place? Thanks!!
Hi Samantha, you can definitely use lime juice instead of lemon, but we do not recommend lining the pan with foil, as the bars will take on a metallic taste. Hope this helps!
I am really excited about this recipe, but wondering if there is any way to have less sugar. Is there any non-sweetening ingredient I could substitute?
Hi Sofia, 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!
These were delicious! However my crust somehow floated to the top while baking. How do I ensure it stays at the bottom?
Hi Cam, Thank you for trying this recipe. Floating crust can be an issue if the shortbread wasn’t cooked long enough. If you decide to try the recipe again, pre-baking the crust for a few extra minutes will help!
Question. You say pour the lemon mixture over 5he “warm” shortbread. I don’t see any instructions to let the shortbread cool after removing from the oven
Thanks for a response
Hi Nancy! Correct, don’t let the crust cool before pouring on the lemon filling.
Hi Sally! I have made this recipe at least half a dozen times. The bars sooo delicious and easy to make. But I face one issue. Every single time the top cracks as the bars cool down even though I am gentle while handling them. What could be the reason? I live in a tropical climate. So there is no drastic temperature change after the bars are taken out of the oven.
Hi Tina! 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!
Thank you Lexi! I will try it out.
It worked! Thanks a bunch!
Hi! I would like to make these the night before and keep refrigerated for a next-day afternoon event; will that be alright or would the shortbread get to moist from the curd? Thanks so much!
Hi Illya! You can definitely make these 1 day in advance. Wait to dust with confectioners’ sugar until just before serving.
Thanks!
I have been looking for a yummy lemon bar recipe. These look amazing. Can I add fresh blueberries to lemon mixture?
I did see that you have a lemon blueberry cheesecake bar recipe- but I am not a fan of cream cheese. Can I add an oatmeal crumble topping? Not sure how to do that & don’t want to change the consistency. Thank you for sharing these yummy recipes.
Hi Patty, we haven’t tested adding blueberries to these bars, but let us know if you do! For a crumble topping, we’d recommend these oatmeal lemon crumble bars instead.
These are really, really good. Since we started making them they are a commonly requested item. I cut them a bit smaller than recommended so we have more pieces and it works out really well. This recipe is definitely worth trying!! Thanks for another great recipe, Sally!!
First I want to thank you for all the wonderful recipes. I have made many and they always turn out great!
I have made these twice now, following directions to a “T.” The crust seems a bit thick and chewy, rather than the tender shortbread crumb I expected. I was left wanting more flavor in the crust.
One question: is the filling supposed to have a layer of moisture on top or should it be dry?This has happened both times and I know the filling is cooked thoroughly and cooled properly. It absorbs the powdered sugar pretty quickly. Thank you.
Hi Kitrina, thank you so much for the kind words—I’m thrilled you’ve been enjoying the recipes! I really appreciate your feedback on the lemon bars. The crust is meant to be a buttery shortbread texture, but not very crumbly. You could try adding a bit more flour, or even slightly reducing the crust amount for your taste. As for the filling, a thin layer of moisture on top is totally normal once it cools—lemon bars tend to “sweat” a bit, which can cause the confectioners’ sugar to dissolve quickly. It sounds like you baked and cooled them just right!
I lost count of how many times I made this. They are sooooo good and easy to make! Thank you Sally
These look amazing. Is it possible to use the same recipe but with mango puree instead of lemon?
Hi Tyra, we haven’t tested a mango version of these bars, but it would likely take a bit of tinkering. It may be best to find a recipe specifically written to use mangos. Let us know if you find one you love!
When my husband and I went shopping he picked up lemon bars from the bakery. I put them back and told him I would make them with fresh ingredients.
These lemon bars came out great. When I suggested freezing the other half of the bars from the pan. I was told to just leave them right there on the counter. He loved them. I will be keeping this recipe in my collection.
Thank you for sharing.
Made these a second time and hands down – the best lemon bar recipe! Come out perfect and they are devoured in no time.
Tasty tart filling. I thought the crust was too thick but the family liked it. Worth making again.
This has one of the best shortbread recipes I’ve ever tried! I find the curd to be way too eggy, so I just use the shortbread recipe for when I want a shortbread base or crumble for pies.
I think over baking can lead to an eggy taste – I find they are perfect when I bake for the minimum time – just barely set.
If the curd is eggy, you either didn’t mix the eggs in with the sugar mixture prior to adding lemon juice OR you need to use a strainer when adding it to the crust.
I’m having my annual neighborhood bake sale, and just to find out that it said melted butter for the ingredients for the dough, that was pretty upsetting because I had to throw it out, but I remade it with solid butter and it looks pretty good! Baking it right now…
That’s the only problem I ran into so far. Other than that, I’m sure it’ll be great, thank you Sally!
I have two jars of Lemon Curd, could I substitute instead of making curd?
Hi Mags, I worry about that because I’m not sure how the jars of lemon curd will set while/after baking (or if they will even set at all). Let me know if you try anything.
I love this recipe and have made it multiple times as written. Would using 1/2 cup lemon juice and 1/2 cup of key lime juice work here for a lemon lime bar?
Hi Hannah, yes, that works!