Lemon Bar Recipe

Square image of three stacked Lemon Bars.

5 from 1 vote

This easy Lemon Bar Recipe has a decadent, rich, moist, lemon filling. These irresistible dessert bars are simple to make and will make your taste buds burst with flavor.

Prep Time15

Cook Time52

Total Time1 7

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: bars

Calories: 326kcal

Author: Tornadough Alli

Ingredients

For the crust:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup unsalted butter softened
½ cup powdered sugar plus more for dusting
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

For the filling:

2 cups granulated sugar
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
6 large eggs room temperature
Zest of 2 lemons
⅔ cup lemon juice fresh squeezed

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line a 9x13-inch baking dish with parchment paper, set aside.
In a large bowl, add the flour, butter, powdered sugar, and salt, then mix until combined.
Once mixed, press the crust ingredients into the prepared baking dish and bake for 22-24 minutes until the very edges just slightly golden brown.
Remove the crust of the oven and with a fork, poke holes all over, making sure not to go all the way through the crust. Set aside and begin to make the filling.
In a large bowl add the granulated sugar and flour, whisk to combine.
Then, add the eggs and lemon zest, whisk to combine.
Next, add the lemon juice and whisk to combine.
Pour the filling on top of the crust and place in the oven and bake for 25-28 minutes until the bars are set, there should be a slight jiggle right in the center but not much.
Remove from the oven and let cool on the countertop until they become room temperature. Then place in the refrigerator and chill for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Once chilled, take the bars out using the parchment paper to help, dust generously with powdered sugar and cut into bars, serve immediately.

Notes

I like to serve the bars cold or close to room temperature. They are a little more on the gooey side, but still set at room temperature, it is your preference how you want to serve them.
Wait to coat them with powdered sugar until you're ready for them.
For the best results, you must use freshly squeezed lemons, you will need about 3 large lemons to get ⅔ cup juice.
In a pinch you can use bottled lemon juice.
These can be frozen, see my tips above.
Poking the crust with a fork before adding the filling helps the crust stay on the bottom and the custard stay on top of the bars.
Use a glass or ceramic baking pan for the best flavor. Sometimes a metal pan can cause a metallic taste in your bars.
This recipe can be cut in half and baked in a 9x9-inch baking dish, just reduce your cooking time slightly.

Nutrition