This easy Lemon Bars recipe has just the right ratio of buttery shortbread crust and creamy lemon curd filling. They have the perfect creamy, sweet and tanginess that makes it hard to stop at just one.
I have so many favorite bar recipes, like these Key Lime Pie Bars, S’mores Bars, Butterfinger Bars, and White Texas Sheet Cake.
Why I love this recipe:
- Basic pantry ingredients: There are only a few ingredients needed to make these homemade lemon bars including flour, sugar, butter, lemon juice, salt, baking powder and eggs.
- Chewy shortbread crust: The best lemon bars are extra thick, soft and chewy, all made possible by the texture of the shortbread crust.
- Creamy lemon filling. The filling is perfectly sweet and creamy, with the perfect amount of lemon tartness.
How to make Lemon Bars:
Shortbread Crust: In a mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and powdered sugar. Add the flour and salt then mix on low speed, just until combined.
Press dough evenly into the bottom of an 8″ pan with parchment paper, or a greased dish. Bake for 10 minutes then remove from oven and set aside.
Make Filling: While the crust cools, make the lemon filling. Mix the lemon zest and sugar in a mixing bowl then add the lemon juice, flour, baking powder, and eggs. Mix until well combined and the sugar is dissolved then pour mixture over crust.
Bake lemon curd bars at 350 degrees for 35-40 more minutes, or until the filling has set. Remove from oven then allow to cool completely.
Serve: For truly the best lemon bars, dust the tops with powdered sugar before cutting and serving. Store in the refrigerator.
Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions:
To Make Ahead: Make this old fashioned lemon squares recipe up to 2 days in advance. Allow to cool completely before covering and storing in the refrigerator.
To Freeze: Allow lemon squares to cool completely before covering and freezing for up to 3 months.
More Lemon Recipes:
- Lemon Mousse
- Lemon Cake
- Lemon Sour Cream Pie
- Lemon Meringue Pie
- Lemon Poppy Seed Bread
- Lemon Blueberry Bread
- Lemon Ricotta Pancakes
- Lemon Chicken Pasta
- Lemon Raspberry Muffins
- Homemade Lemonade
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Recipe
Lemon Bars
Ingredients
Shortbread Crust:
- 1/2 cup butter , room temp
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- dash of salt
Lemon Filling:
- 2 large lemons , zested
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 4 large eggs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line the bottom of an 8'' pan with parchment paper, or grease with cooking spray and set aside.
- Shortbread Crust: In a mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and powdered sugar. Add the flour and salt and mix on low speed, just until combined.
- Bake Crust: Press the dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared dish. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.
- Lemon filling: Mix lemon zest and sugar in a mixing bowl. Add the lemon juice, flour, baking powder, and eggs. Mix until well combined and the sugar is dissolved. Pour mixture over the baked crust.
- Bake lemon bars at 350 degrees F for 35-40 more minutes, or until the filling has set. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.
- Dust with powdered sugar before cutting and serving. Store lemon bars in the refrigerator.
Notes
Nutrition
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I originally shared this recipe January 2019. Updated March 2024.
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They taste alright, but look pretty unattractive. Additional eggs would have helped custard set up better without having to bake as long, also no instruction in recipe to watch or turn down oven if using a glass pan. Won’t be using this recipe again.
Video shows 2 eggs ! Recipe calls for 4, which is it? Wanna make but not sure on how many eggs!🤷♀️
4 eggs!
Absolutely delicious and so easy to make.
I have tried different lemon bar recipes, but this one topped them all!! 😋
Easy to make with children during a hot Summer day, refreshing,the kids can’t get enough of them.
I followed recipe to the t. Loved the crust but filling was tasteless. I am wondering if my lemons were too old? Disappointed.
Wow, very delicious! Thanks.
These are the best. I’m rather known for my lemon bars but, I’m changing my recipe to this one. Love them
Can I not use the lemon zest?
The lemon zest really gives these their distinct lemon flavor so I wouldn’t advise leaving it out.
Not for nothing, but I’ve always found lemon extract to be a perfectly serviceable substitute for zest. Rate of one teaspoon per zested lemon called for.
The only reason I did not give 5 stars is because I believe the ratio of filling to crust is a little off. I read one review that said a lady doubled the recipe for the filling because her husband requested it, and I completely understand why. The flavor is superb – fresh, not too sweet (although I did cut back a little on sugar), twangy enough to taste real lemon. Crust flavor & consistency is spot on too. I just think the crust should complement the lemon flavor, but I think this thickness overpowers it a bit. I will double the filling next time I make, and I WILL make it again! This one is definitely a keeper. Thank you for sharing!
These ARE perfect! I made them exactly as written, and they were wonderful! Today, I am using the same crust, but doubling the filling, at my husband’s request. I’m sure they will be yummy. The fresh lemon juice and zest really makes these bars special!
I do half the amount of sugar usually because I don’t like my lemon bars too sweet. Great Recipe!
Baked these today as part of my Christmas baking. Lemon bars are always a tradition around Christmas in my family, along with way to many other sweet treats. The flavor of these are perfect. I should have baked them about 10 minutes longer as they weren’t quite finished in the center. I also doubled the recipe and cooked in a 9×13, so that could also account for why they would have been better cooked for 30 minutes instead of 20. It was my first time cooking lemon bars (my late grandma used to make them and were one of her favorites) so I thought they looked done but the center was still slightly gooey. They will surely get eaten either way. Ive tried many of your recipes and not one I haven’t thoroughly enjoyed, thank you Lauren!
If baking in glass pan does temp & baking time stay same?
I typically bake it the same and watch it closely towards the end. The standard advice is to lower baking temp 25 degrees and bake longer.
Wow! Awesome recipe! Keep up the good work!
My husband loves lemons, and he loved these! The other day day when I was out walking a lady gave me some lemons so this was perfect!
first batch never set I am curious as to how cool the shortbread has to be before putting filling on top?
I picked a couple of lemons from my son’s Myer lemon tree while visiting in SF. Because Myer lemons were sweeter, I only used 1/2 C sugar in the filling. These bars came out perfectly tangy. Thank you for sharing your prize winner recipe. I believe my daughter in law will make them again.
Do you have to leave them to rest a bit before you serve?
I’m making this today for when my parents come over 🙂 Excited!
They will set up more as they rest, so I usually do. Enjoy!
Delicious…
I enjoy your recipes. Sooooo easy to read! Thank You so much for sharing your blog with us. Keep sharing!
I got several good comments from these. For me, though, they were way too sweet! Could have used half the sugar, and would have tasted more of the lemon. Next time I will try that.
I used two small lemons to zest. Very lemony. Crust is nice and short.
Winner!
what an amazing recipe, my total family members love them well and thank you so much for your delicious recipes.
What size baking pan ?
An 8” square, or you can double the recipe for a 9×13” pan.
Made these for Christmas and everyone agrees – they were the best lemon bars ever!!! Thank you! Can’t wait to make them again, although it is dangerous to have them in the house!
This is the same recipe my mother-in-law used to make and one of the few I’ve seen that uses baking powder in the filling. Instead of sprinkling powdered sugar over the bars, she’d make a glaze…1/2 cup powdered sugar, 1 TBSP lemon juice, 1 tsp. Lemon zest and 1 TBSP melted butter. Spread it on the filling after it’s cooled. Try it. You’ll like it!
The glaze was delicious! and now I know how to make a glaze. The lemon bar recipe was easy and quick to make , very delicious and the glaze knocked it out of the park.
This was the most amazing recipe ever thank you, made the bar for a lunching and everyone really enjoy them.
Thanks so much Shirley!
Can you make and freeze these lemon bars ahead?
I haven’t personally tried freezing them, but I’ve read that you can freeze them for up to 1 month. 🙂
Hi Lauren. This was a favorite in our family. My mom use to make them. Somehow I have lost the recipe. I have tried others & either too much lemon or the lemon layer doesn’t separate & set as in your pic. Do you cool your crust before adding the lemon mixture? Does that matter? Thank you very much for your help. I want to try these.
Very nice. A bit to sweet for my kind of lemon bar but the texture was wonderful. Thank you.
Oh my gosh. These are amazing! I didn’t have enough lemon juice on hand so I replaced the remainder with lime juice and I used a 9×9 metal pan instead and shortened the cooking times. It was a hit! For my first adventure in baking or pastry making, I would say this was a success. Looking forward to more great recipes.
Delicious! If we could give half stars we would have given it a 4.5.
If they are so great why the need for a half star? Just rate them a 5! This recipe is well deserving of a 10!
How far in advance can the lemon bars be made?
The day before works great.
This was so good that I made it again – this time a double recipe. It works better as two single recipes as the center of the huge pan didn’t “fluff”. But we eat these so fast I want to make a huge pile so the Cook actually gets one!
Thanks for the recipe.
Thanks Ellen–I’m so glad they’re a hit with your family 🙂
This website is gorgeous. Thank you!
This looks like the silver palate recipe I made over 25 years ago. They are the only ones that as far as o know used powdered sugar in the crust.
They are the best lemon bars I ever tasted.
This was absolutely brilliant! Incredibly easy to make and loved by everyone! So much so, that I had to make another batch two days later!
What a compliment! I’m so happy everyone liked them so much. Thank you for coming back to comment.
You can’t beat a classic like this, especially for a lemon lover like me!