Orange Bars are the perfect dessert for anyone who loves oranges! Packed with flavor and seriously sweet, these bars are the perfect summertime treat! Don’t miss my Lemon Bars and Strawberry Bars for more great hot weather desserts!
Orange Bars Recipe
What is an orange bar? They are loaded with real orange and are sweet, buttery perfection. Fresh orange juice paired with orange zest creates a wonderful flavor that is only amplified by the rich butter crust. Orange bars are exactly like Lemon Bars, only not as tart or acidic.
How to Make Orange Bars
Let’s start with the crust. The ingredients are simple:
- butter
- confectioners sugar
- flour
Cut up the cold butter into cubes. In a large bowl add the sugar and flour and then better. Using your hands (my preferred method, you can also use a pastry cutter or food processor) break up the butter until each piece is coated with the flour and sugar mixture and no bigger than the size of a pea. I have made this crust with room temperature butter and while it was faster (the butter is much easier to incorporate) it does make quite a mess!
Take the mixture and pour it into a 9×13 pan that is lined with parchment paper. You can also use non-stick spray or coat with butter & flour.
Press it flat with your hand and then use a kitchen cup to really press it down, getting as even a layer as possible.
Bake for 15 minutes or until the edges are just starting to brown, like in the image above.
How to Make the Filling
While the crust is baking, prepare the filling. You will need:
- eggs
- granulated sugar
- flour
- fresh orange juice
My oranges were quite large so I only used one, but you will need about 2/3 cup of freshly squeezed orange juice.
Add eggs to a large bowl and whisk. To that add the sugar, flour, orange juice, and orange zest. Whisk well until the ingredients are fully incorporated and no lumps remain.
When the crust is done baking, carefully remove it from the oven and then pour the filling over the hot crust. Place it back into the oven for 20 minutes.
When it is done baking, remove it from the oven and let the bars cool to room temperature. Then refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.
Tips for Perfect Orange Bars
Room temperature ingredients are key! I teach you how to quickly warm up butter and eggs here.
Lining your pan with parchment is optional, but it does help for easy removal.
Do you want to get as much juice as possible from the orange? Take the orange and roll it on the counter roughly, pressing hard. This will help to loosen up the juices before extraction. Another tip I heard was to pop it in the microwave for 10-15 seconds and then juice.
Can You Make Gluten-Free Orange Bars?
Make these bars Gluten-Free simply by using an interchangeable Gluten-Free flour. I used a good 1:1 Gluten-Free flour blend and it worked beautifully.
How to Store Orange Bars
While these bars can be kept out at room temperature for several hours, they should be refrigerated if you can’t finish off the pan the same day you make it. If you know that you are going to be storing them, try to only cut off the pieces you need, not cutting up the entire pan into bars. (Hint: This also means nice crisp cuts when you serve them cold!) I usually place a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of the bars and then cover with foil. Orange bars can be stored for several days in the refrigerator.
If you are freezing the orange bars I like to cut them into individual size portions and then wrap each bar with plastic wrap. Date and stack in your freezer. To thaw, either place bars in the refrigerator the night before using or leave them on the counter to come to room temperature.
These Orange Bars are packed with orange flavor and seriously sweet!
- 1 cup (2 sticks or 226g) butter, cold
- 1 cup (126g) confectioners sugar
- 2 cups (252g) all-purpose flour
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups (300g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (32g) all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup (160ml) freshly squeezed orange juice
- 2 teaspoons orange zest (up to 1 tablespoon, but zest can be strong so start with less)
- confectioners sugar, for dusting
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Preheat oven to 350°F.
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In a medium bowl, blend together cubed butter, flour and sugar with a pastry cutter, a food processor, or your hands. Press into the bottom of a 9x13 inch pan lined with parchment paper.
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Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are just starting to brown.
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In a large bowl, crack eggs and whisk them.
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To the eggs, add sugar, flour, orange juice, and orange zest. Whisk well, until no clumps remain. Pour over the baked crust after it is done baking.
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Once the filling has been added, bake for an additional 20 minutes. (Do not cover.)
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Remove from oven and let bars cool to room temperature. Place in the refrigerator for at 2 hours then dust with confectioners sugar before serving.
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Cut into squares and serve.
Want More Amazing Dessert Recipes?
Great recipe! I made this recipe Gluten-free and sugar-free by using Gluten-free flour and monk fruit for sugar and Powdered sugar. I also added an 8 ounce block of 1/3 less fat name brand cream cheese. Really delicious recipe. Thank you!