When life gives you lemons, make lemon bars! Or any of our other favorite lemon desserts like a Luscious Lemon Layer Cake, Fresh Lemon Ice Cream, or these two-ingredient Lemon Sticks. When spring hits and there are blossoms everywhere, these lemon bars are one of the first treats on my mind! They are perfect for potlucks and backyard BBQ’s, holidays, and other gatherings like bridal showers or graduations. Or just for taking to the pool or park to enjoy with friends! The tender, buttery crust holds up to the generous layer of silky lemon filling that is made with REAL lemon juice and lemon zest. There’s no skimping on lemon when it comes to making the best lemon bars!
Lemon Bar Ingredients
Flour: Regular unbleached all-purpose white flour makes up the base of these lemon bars, as well as helping to thicken the filling a bit. Sugar: Powdered sugar is used for the most tender shortbread crust, while granulated sugar balances out the tartness of the lemon juice in the filling. Butter: I always use salted butter unless otherwise noted because I hate buying unsalted butter and inevitably getting the two mixed up! Eggs: I have tested this recipe with whole eggs and egg yolks and ultimately preferred it with egg yolks for the richest flavor and best texture. Use your leftover egg whites to make a pavlova or some french macarons instead! Or use them to make an egg white omelet. Lemons: The star of the show! We are lucky to have friends and neighbors with lemon trees and they are often willing to share. Salt: A little bit of salt balances out the other flavors and adds dimension to these lemon bars.
How to Make Lemon Bars From Scratch
Recipe Tips & Tricks
Baking the lemon bars at a lower temperature helps them set up without running the risk of overbaking the top or bottom. Be sure to zest your lemons before squeezing them! It’s pretty much impossible to zest lemons after the juice has been squeezed out of them. You can use this exact same recipe with limes, grapefruit, or blood oranges! Any citrus will work in place of the lemons for a fun change of flavor and color!
Are lemon bars supposed to be gooey?
Lemon bars don’t bake up dry like brownies over even cheesecake. Instead, they are more like a baked lemon curd that sets up enough to slice and hold, but will still be very sticky and yes, even a little gooey. But they should not ooze out or fail to hold their shape when sliced. Make sure to let them cool completely before slicing to avoid any issues.
Can lemon bars be left out?
It’s totally fine for these to sit out of the fridge for a few hours at a party, but for longer storage they should be refrigerated in an airtight container. If you need to stack them, place a sheet of wax paper between the layers. Lemon bars will keep for 3-5 days in the fridge.
Should lemon bars be served cold?
Personally I prefer lemon bars served at room temperature, so if they have been completely chilled I like to give them a chance to sit out for 30 minutes or so before enjoying. But lots of people like them cold.
Can you freeze lemon bars?
Yes! These actually freeze pretty well, although the powdered sugar sprinkled on top usually does not survive the process. But you can pull them out and thaw on the counter for an hour or in the fridge overnight, then give them a fresh dusting of powdered sugar and you’ll be all set to enjoy them! I recommend freezing the sliced lemon bars by spacing them apart on a baking sheet and freezing for 2 hours, then wrapping each one individually in plastic wrap before storing in a reusable freezer-safe bag for up to 2 months.
How do you cut lemon bars cleanly?
This is always the hardest part! The trick is to use a parchment paper sling in your pan before baking. Let the lemon bars cool COMPLETELY before removing them from the pan with the help of the sling. Then run a large, sharp knife under very hot water for a few seconds and wipe it dry with a clean towel. Use the hot knife to slice through the lemon bars, then run it under the hot water again between each slice, wiping it dry each time. It’s so much easier to get straight, clean lines when you are using a hot knife and not trying to cut the bars in the pan.
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