I love this easy lemon bars recipe. It is perfect for the spring and summer. Lemon bars are light and refreshing, and this recipe has always gotten rave reviews from my friends and family.
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Classic lemon bars dessert
If you have never tried lemon bars before, they are a creamy, sweet, and tart dessert. I love them. While they may seem mysterious, they are not difficult to make at all. In fact, I think that if people knew how easy they were to make, you would see many more served up everywhere.
Ingredients
Lemon bars have a few simple ingredients. Here’s a list of what you need:
- Butter – unsalted butter is preferred
- Granulated sugar – adds sweetness to offset the tart lemons
- All-purpose flour – the base of the crust
- Eggs – I use extra-large eggs
- Lemon juice – freshly squeezed is best
- Vanilla extract – for a touch of richness and depth of flavor
- Salt – a pinch to enhance the lemony flavor
- Powdered sugar – to sprinkle on top
Ingredient notes
I personally will juice my lemons just before making this, but if you only have bottled lemon juice on hand, it will work ok. Bottled lemon juice isn’t my preference, but when I have been juicing lemons and come up short I have found the bottled juice to be helpful.
I urge you to use butter for this lemon bar recipe, I think butter really helps to bring a rich depth of flavor that you will fall in love with. You may also want to garnish your lemon bars with a heavy sprinkling of powdered sugar. The powdered sugar makes them look pretty.
How to make lemon bars
Making these lemony bars is super simple! Here’s what to do:
- Cream together butter, granulated sugar, and flour.
- Press the mixture evenly into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.
- Place eggs, granulated sugar, lemon juice, flour, vanilla, and salt in a bowl.
- Mix until thoroughly combined.
- Pour filling over the cooked shortbread cookie crust.
- Bake for an additional 30 to 35 minutes.
- Cool to room temperature and then cut into squares.
- Dust the top with powdered sugar. Garnish with fresh lemon slices if desired.
How to store lemon bars
I like to keep my lemon bars in the refrigerator after they have cooled. They are a little delicate. So be sure to keep yours in the refrigerator if you happen to have any leftover after your initial serving.
I find that they will stay fresh in for about 3 to 4 days, but you know, they will never last that long.
How to easily juice lemons
I really like to use an Amco Enameled Aluminum Lemon Squeezer
to juice lemons. The squeezer gets more juice out of a lemon than other methods.
I think this tool is easier to use than the old-style juices where you push down the fruit over a knob. I have been using one of these juicers for a long time.
Love lemons? Try these recipes
- Lemon Italian Cream Cake
- Passion Fruit Lemonade Tea Starbucks
- Lemonade Milkshake
- Red Robin Purple Lemonade
- Old Fashioned Homemade Lemonade
- Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
- Lemon Lush Dessert
- Chicken Limone
- Oven Baked Lemon Pepper Chicken Breast
- Fried Lemon Pepper Wings Recipe
Tasty Dessert Bars
Take a look at more easy dessert bars and family desserts here on CopyKat!
Easy Lemon Bars
Ingredients
- 8 ounces butter at room temperature
- 3 1/2 cups granulated sugar divided use
- 3 cups all-purpose flour divided use
- 6 eggs at room temperature
- 1 cup lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Cream together butter, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, and 2 cups flour.
- When the mixture is crumbly, press it into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Press dough out evenly so that it has a uniform height throughout the pan. Bake for approximately 15 minutes, and remove from the oven.
- In a bowl, mix together eggs, 3 cups granulated sugar, lemon juice, 1 cup flour, vanilla, and salt.
- Mix until the filling is uniform in texture, and pour over the cooked shortbread cookie crust.
- Bake for an additional 30 to 35 minutes. Allow this to cool to room temperature before dusting with powdered sugar.
- Be sure to refrigerate these cookies when not being served.
Hedda
On the recipe for 24 serving it say under ingredients one cup all purpose flour but by the instructions it says two cups of flour. How much do I use, one or two cups of flour?
Stephanie Manley
The recipe takes a total of 3 cups of flour, I listed the flour on the recipe twice, once as 2 cups for the crust, and then the 1 cup for the filling.
Maria V
The lemon bars look yummy! I was wondering what will be the proportions for a smaller batch? Can you give your advice?
Stephanie Manley
You could try half this and baking in an 8 x 8 pan, but the baking time would change.
Nina Christian
Can I use almond flour in place of white flour?
Stephanie Manley
I haven’t tried this before.
Sandy
We loved these!
Stephanie
Was your crust mushy after baking?
Carrie
Hello Stephanie! Do you use fresh lemon juice or bottled?
Stephanie
I have used both. Fresh tastes better.
jaye
I’m looking for something different to bring to a work pot luck these look great, but with such a large crowd I think I’ll save this one for home. What type of flour did you use all-purpose or self-rising? and is that the flour you use for the majority of your recipes?
Haneen Izhaq
How jiggly should the center be when it should be pulled out of the oven (if at all)? Thank you!
Stephanie Manley
It should give a little, but it shouldn’t be like runny like uncooked caked batter.
Mona Greer
These sound delicious…but my question is, why use unsalted butter,yet you use some salt too ?? I would have liked to see what they look like when you cut them and afterwards too….. also the music needs to be turned down a notch:)
stephaniemanley
Why unsalted butter? Different brands of butter have different levels of salt. If I use unsalted, I know how much to add for consistent results.
Why didn’t I cut them, I didn’t actively cut them on camera, but the photo you see is from the batch that I made.
I here you about the music, thanks 😉
Melanie Bauer
These sound absolutely delicious!
Stephanie Manley
Thank you very much.