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
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!
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.
Orange Bars
Ingredients
CRUST
- 1 cup (2 sticks or 226g) butter, cold
- 1 cup (126g) confectioners sugar
- 2 cups (252g) all-purpose flour
FILLING
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup (200g) 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
Instructions
CRUST
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- 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 9×13 inch pan lined with parchment paper.
- Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are just starting to brown.
FILLING
- In a large bowl, crack eggs and whisk them.
- 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.
- Once the filling has been added, bake for an additional 20 minutes. (Do not cover.)
- 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.
- Cut into squares and serve.
Did you make this recipe?
Thank you for making my recipe! You took pictures, right? Well go ahead and post them on Instagram! Be sure to mention me @iambaker and use the hashtag #YouAreBaker.
Want More Amazing Dessert Recipes?
yum
These look good. Do you think they would with an all-purpose gluten free flour?
Hello! I really enjoyed wandering through your website/blog. Your receipe for Orange Bars caught my eye. I had everything on hand .. even the fresh oranges. I had fun making this and it was a bit hit with everyone. Thanks for sharing.
My son loves orange, so I knew this was a recipe I had to try. It is absolutely delicious! The orange cuts through some of the sweetness, making it perfectly balanced. This may be my new go-to instead of lemon bars. Thank you for sharing this amazing recipe!
Can I substitute almond flour instead of all-purpose?
Yum!
I really enjoy watching website. Can you make lemon bar using your orange bar recipe?
I converted these to gluten free because I have Celiac Disease and they are so delish. Amazing recipe!
Excellent share!!
When do you add in the zest? Maybe I missed that in the instructions but I don’t see it.
Hi, Jessica! I work with iambaker and am happy to help with questions. The zest is added in the filling, after the eggs and along with the sugar, flour, and orange juice. Have a great day!