Not only is this the best Lemon Bars Recipe you are ever going to bake, it’s also the absolute easiest. Buttery and bright, with a fabulous lemon curd filing and shortbread crust, they’re like sunshine in a bar.
Why You’ll Love This Easy Lemon Bars Recipe
- Double-the-Lemon Bars. These old-fashioned lemon squares have a superior flavor because they’re made with DOUBLE the lemon juice!
- The Easiest Recipe. The original Betty Crocker lemon squares this recipe is adapted from called for softened butter that is cut into the dry ingredients. My sister Elaine realized that the butter could be melted, then stirred in. Game-changer! It makes the recipe faster, easier, and still yields a fantastic, tender crust! Best lemon bars ever.
- A Dessert for Lemon Fanatics. Whether it’s Lemon Thumbprint Cookies or Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins, lemon dessert fervor runs strong in my family. When I’m craving something lemony and I want it N-O-W, this easy lemon bars recipe is the answer.
5 Star Review
“OMG, these are the easiest, yummiest, gooeyist, best dessert I’ve had in a long time! Made it twice this weekend!”
— Monica —
How to Make Lemon Bars
The Ingredients
- Melted Butter. Not only does melting the butter make these the easiest bars you’ll ever bake, it gives the shortbread crust an extra indulgent, melt-in-your mouth texture.
- All-Purpose and Whole Wheat Pastry Flour. Or just use all-purpose flour if that’s what you have on hand.
- Powdered Sugar. Key for sweetening the shortbread base and dusting over the finished bars.
- Granulated Sugar. Adds sweetness to the tart lemon layer and also adds moisture so the bars don’t crack.
- Lemon Juice and Zest. Gives these bars their bright lemon flavor. If you’d like to experiment with other citrus fruits, try Key limes, navel oranges, tangerines, or pink grapefruit (use a bit less, as grapefruit is more bitter than lemon).
- Eggs. Gives the lemon layer its rich, creamy texture and consistency.
The Directions
- Combine. Add the melted butter to the dry ingredients for the crust.
- Stir. Mix until a dough forms.
- Form the Crust. Press it into a parchment-lined 8×8 pan.
- Bake. It’s done when it’s barely light brown.
- Rub the Sugar and Zest. This evenly distributes the lemon oils throughout the lemon bars.
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- Mix. Beat together the lemon filling ingredients.
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Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Fully Bake the Shortbread Base. This is more important than you might think! If you don’t bake it long enough, it can cause the filling to lose moisture and absorb into the crust.
- Don’t Try to Cut Back on the Sugar. I’m usually all for trying to reduce sugar in recipes. Unfortunately this is one where the sugar needs to stay, not just for flavor, but also for achieving the right texture.
- Know When They’re Done. You’ll know when this lemon bars recipe is fully set when no indentation remains when you touch the center with your finger. (Your kitchen will also smell incredible.)
- Don’t Over-Bake. If you leave them in the oven too long, it can cause your bars to crack. The surface of your lemon bars should have small bubble holes, but not large cracks.
