This perfect Lemon Bars Recipe has two important things; the perfect amount of lemon and a big, rich buttery crust. I add a bit more lemon juice than most, and those things set my lemon bar recipe apart! If you love these you might also enjoy my Blueberry Lemon Bars!
Tips for Perfect Lemon Bars
- Opt for fresh lemon juice here, bottled just won’t taste the same.
- Use parchment paper to line your pan. This helps with easy removal.
- Allow them to cool for the full time allotted.
How to Store Lemon 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 it with foil. Lemon bars can be stored for 2-3 days in the refrigerator.
How to Freeze Lemon Bars
If you are freezing the lemon bars I like to cut them into individual size portions and then wrap each bar with plastic wrap. Date and stack neatly 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.
The Best Lemon Bars
Ingredients
CRUST
- 1 cup (2 sticks or 226 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 2 cups (256 g) all-purpose flour
FILLING
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 ½ cups (300 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (32 g) all-purpose flour
- ⅔ cup (160 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice
Instructions
CRUST
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- In a medium bowl, blend together softened butter, 2 cups flour, and ½ cup sugar with a pastry cutter, a fork, or your hands. Press into the bottom of a 9×13 inch pan lined with parchment paper.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until firm and golden.
FILLING
- Whisk together 1 ½ cups sugar and ¼ cup flour. Crack eggs into a separate bowl, then whisk them into the sugar and flour mixture. Add ⅔ cup lemon juice. Pour over the baked crust.
- Bake for an additional 20 minutes in the oven. (Do not cover)
- Allow bars to cool in the fridge for at least 2 hours then dust with confectioners sugar.
- Cut into squares and serve.
Video
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My son comes every Sunday for dinner. It’s a sacred day set aside for family. He rarely asks or requests anything, but he requests this dessert. Thank you for bringing memories of my Mom, his Nana, that make us smile. She would bake this just for me when I was little, then for my son. We love this, thank you so much!
Question. Once you take the lemon bars out of the oven, you will have to let them cool before going in fridge.
How long before you can stick them in the fridge you’ve got a piping hot glass pan!
Omg these hit the spot!! The best lemon bars indeed 🙂 Happy pregnant lady right here 🙂
12-20-2018.
Hi I just took my Lemon bars out from the oven. I REALLY NEED TO KNOW NOW. Why don’t they have a yellow color? They seem to have a coating on. What did I do wrong. HELP!!!
My mother made these and taught me the only way to truly get a lemon flavor is to include some lemon rind. You don’t have any rind in your recipe so I am very sceptical that it would be lemony enough for me and my family.
I made these Christmas Eve, and got lots of complements. My husband made these using a Paula Dean recipe but they were too sweet and we could not finish them. These bars are easy enough to make with the kids and perfect for the palate, ours anyhow! Thank you for this recipe.
Yummy….I can’t wait to try..
I made them for the first time today in a 9X13″ pan. They came out with a thick bottom that was so delicious. I over baked the crust by an extra five minutes. The crust’s flavor reminds me of Scotland’s Walker’s Biscuits. The lemon filling wasn’t as tart as I would have liked. Next time I may try adding a little lemon zest. All in all I will make this again!
How about lime bars? May I use the same recipe?
May I use limes?