The Best Lemon Bar Recipe

Lemon Bars: A classic Summer staple dessert! Buttery shortbread crust bursting with a tangy yet sweet lemon curd filling! You can’t go wrong!

We are HUGE lemon lovers. I contend that lemon pairs with just about anything. It’s one of the most versatile flavors in my humble opinion. You can’t go wrong and these Lemon Bars are no exception!

8 simple ingredients needed for this recipe

• Flour – Flour is used in both the shortbread crust and the lemon curd filling. It is essential to the filling to help stabilize the curd
• Unsalted Butter
• Powdered Sugar
• Salt
• Granulated Sugar
• Eggs
• Vanilla Extract – most Lemon Bar recipes do not call for vanilla, however, I add it to just about all of my baked goods. I love how it plays with the tart lemon juice
• Fresh Lemon Juice – fresh always provides the best flavor, however if you are in a pinch you can use bottle juice

5 easy steps to make these Lemon Bars

Make the shortbread crust: Mix all the shortbread ingredients together until a dough forms. Press the dough into the bottom of a 8×8 parchment lined pan.

Bake the crust: It is imperative to pre-bake the crust for added stability to the bars

Make the filling: While the shortbread crust is baking prepare the lemon curd filling

Bake the Lemon Bars: Once the shortbread crust is done baking, pour the lemon filling on top of the bars and bake for 30 minutes or until filling is set. If it looks liquidy when lightly jiggled, it needs to bake more. A slight jiggle is fine as it will continue to set.

Let cool: Once the Lemon Bars are done baking, allow them to cool to room temperature for at least an hour. Afterwards, let them cool for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator before serving. Serve with a dusting of powdered sugar once fully cooled and enjoy!

Tips for making the best Lemon Bars

Fresh Lemon juice: Fresh squeezed juice is key to get the most flavor in your bars! If you are looking for a juicer, I highly recommend this one.

Line the baking pan with parchment paper, this will help ensure easy removal of the bars from the dish.

Use a glass baking dish! The Lemon Bars will pick up a slightly metallic flavor when using a metal pan.

These bars are best served cold, they should not sit out in a warm environment for too long otherwise they might start to ‘melt’ slightly.

NOTE: If you wish to make more, these can be made in a 9×13 pan and baked for about 20 minutes. Your bars will be thinner than what these photos show.

Can Lemon Bars be made ahead of time?

Yes! You can easily make these a day or two ahead of time. I recommend storing these in an air tight container with parchment paper separating each layer in the refrigerator.

These Lemon Bars can be stored in the fridge for up to a week.

Do you love easy bar recipes like I do?! Here are my favorites: Fluffernutter Bars, No Bake Peanut Butter Bars, Banana Chocolate Chip Bars.

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