How to bake the best lemon bars ever

Name: How to Bake The Best Lemon Bars Ever
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 70 min
Ingredients: 2 sticks butter (room temp); 1/2 cup granulated sugar; 2 cups all purpose flour; pinch kosher salt; 6 eggs (Jumbo or Extra Large and room temp ); 3 cups granulated sugar; 2 Tablespoon grated lemon zest (Approx 2 lemons); 3/4 cup lemon juice (fresh squeezed preferrably); 1 cup all purpose flour; 1/4 cup Powdered sugar for dusting (as needed )

Published: Aug 16, 2018 · Modified: Apr 21, 2025 by Candi Elm · This post may contain affiliate links

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These are The Best Lemon Bars you are going to taste, I guarantee it. A buttery crust with a sharp yet fresh lemon filling and topped with sugar they are super delicious and simple to make. You are going to love them!

I love these lemon bars and always whip up a batch for friends and family. The problem is, you can’t just eat one. The buttery, crumbly crust is sweet and delicious, and the lemon filling is tart and fresh. The bars remind me of a lemon tart, but these are easier to make and taste just as good. Enjoy some of our other lemon recipes as well.

These lemon bars are a great option to bake for a bake sale or make as gifts for friends and family. I love to have a batch baked for the weekend, so when that sweet craving hits, I know I have something that is going to hit the spot.

You can never eat just one, and I think by cutting them into little triangles, you don’t feel like you’re eating too much. Until you notice most of them are gone. If you can’t get enough Lemon, try this lemon curd recipe.

Why You Will Love This Recipe

Super easy to make – These lemon bars are a great option to make. They may take a little time while you bake the crust and make the filling. But it’s worth it.
Tasty and delicious – You get that fresh lemon flavor with every bite.
Something for everyone – The lemon bars are perfect for everyone. Kids, friends, and family will all want you to bake a batch of these bars.
Pastry has never been so easy – You can whip up the shortbread pastry crust in minutes. Freezing it helps before baking the crust to perfection.

Ingredients

Butter – It needs to be unsalted and brought to room temperature. Just take it out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before you need it.
Granulated sugar – This is what adds sweetness to the pastry crust and also helps balance the lemon flavors in the filling.
All-purpose flour – I use all-purpose flour but you can use other flour. Rice flour is a great substitution for the pastry.
Kosher salt – this helps to balance the sweetness in the crust.
Eggs – Jumbo or Extra Large eggs are what is needed for this recipe. They need to be at room temperature so if you store them in the refrigerator pull them out before using.
Lemon zest and lemon juice – You will want to use fresh lemons for the best flavor.
Powdered sugar – This is what will be sprinkled on top of the lemon bars once they are baked.

Step-by-Step Lemon Bar Directions

Gather all of your ingredients together and then preheat the oven to 350 degrees
We shall start with the crust. First, cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer with a paddle attachment. Combine the flour and salt and add to the butter mixture. Line a 9 X 13″ pan with aluminum foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Put the dough into the pan and sprinkle with flour using a small roller or your hands, roll into the pan building up a ½-inch edge on all sides.
Put the pan in the freezer for 10 minutes before baking
Bake the crust for 20 minutes, until lightly browned. Make the filling while the crust is baking. Remove from the oven.
For the filling, whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and flour. Using real lemons makes all the difference. Mix again just before you pour over the crust and bake for 30 minutes until the filling is set. Let cool to room temperature. Cut into 20 – 24 squares or 40 triangles. It’s easier to cut if you refrigerate for 30 minutes after they cool completely.

Substitutions and Variations

Make orange bars instead of lemon – You can do this by using orange zest and orange juice instead of the lemon and baking them in the same way.
Use store-bought lemon curd – If you want a quick fix then you could use some store-bought lemon curd but the flavor won’t be as intense as making it fresh.
Pastry shortcut – You can use store-bought pastry instead if you want to save time.
Slice of lemon – Add a slice of lemon on top of each individually cut lemon bar as an extra garnish. You could also add candied lemons or some lemon zest if you desire.

Expert Tips

After you make the crust and add it to the the pan, freeze the baking pan for 10 minutes.
The filling should be poured into the warm crust right after baking. Prepare the filling while the crust is in the freezer.
The baking time may vary for the filling. Make sure your oven is calibrated and that you understand your baking time based on your oven settings. Do not underbake the filling or the bars won’t hold up.
Sift powdered sugar on bars right before consuming.
When slicing, make sure the bars are cold and use a clean sharp knife. I cut all the edges off so that the bars are all pretty. Then I eat the edges. Yum.

FAQs

Is it better to bake the lemon bars in a glass or metal baking dish?

You don’t need to use anything fancy for these lemon bars, but most bakers will agree that metal tins and baking dishes provide better results as the heat is retained better.

Why do my lemon bars taste eggy?

If you find that your lemon bars taste a little eggy then the chances are they are overcooked. You just need to bake until the filling has set. All ovens are different so keep in mind the baking time might be different.

Help, my lemon bars are too runny, what’s happened?

The chances are in this case you haven’t baked them for long enough. If they don’t look set when you pull them out of the oven put them back to bake a little longer.

Storage Tips

You can store these easily simply by transferring cooled lemon bar slices to an airtight container and then storing them in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. If you do layer them in the container, place a piece of parchment paper between each layer so they won’t stick.

These lemon bars also freeze well. Freeze them in a layer and then store them in an airtight container or freezer bag. They will keep in the freezer for up to three months.

Sliced Lemon Bars on a grater with lemons slices on top of each one.

Related Recipes

If you loved this recipe and made it, please give it a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review! Leave me a comment about your experience with this recipe. You can also pin it to Pinterest or share it on Facebook.

How to Bake The Best Lemon Bars Ever

Bake some of the best lemon bars ever with this easy recipe using fresh lemon and lemon zest.

5 from 1 vote

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Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 50

Resting time: 10

Total Time: 1 10

Servings: servings

Calories: 259kcal

Author: Candi Elm

Ingredients

Crust

2 sticks butter room temp
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
pinch kosher salt

Filling

6 eggs Jumbo or Extra Large and room temp
3 cups granulated sugar
2 Tablespoon grated lemon zest Approx 2 lemons
3/4 cup lemon juice fresh squeezed preferrably
1 cup all purpose flour

Topping

1/4 cup Powdered sugar for dusting as needed

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
For the crust, cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer with a paddle attachment. Combine the flour and salt and add to butter mixture. Line a 9 X 13" pan with aluminum foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Put the dough into the pan and sprinkle with flour and using a small roller or your hands, roll into the pan building up a 1/2 inch edge on all sides.
Put pan in the freezer for 10 minutes before baking
Bake the crust for 20 minutes, until lightly browned. Make the filling while the crust is baking. Remove from the oven.
For the filling, whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice and flour. Using real lemons makes all the difference. Mix again just before you pour over the crust and bake for 30 minutes, until filling is set. Let cool to room temperature. Cut into 20 – 24 squares or 40 triangles. It's easier to cut if you refrigerate for 30 minutes after completely cool.

Notes

After you bake the crust, freeze the baking pan for 10 minutes.

The filling should be poured into the warm crust right after baking. Prepare the filling while the crust is in the freezer.

The baking time may vary for the filling. Make sure your oven is calibrated and that you understand your baking time based on your oven settings. Do not underbake the filling or the bars won’t hold up.

Sift powdered sugar on bars right before consuming.

When slicing, make sure the bars are cold and use a clean sharp knife. I cut all the edges off so that the bars are all pretty. Then I eat the edges. Yum.

Nutrition

Tried this recipe?Mention @candilandblogs or tag #adayincandiland!

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About Candi Elm

Candi Elm is the recipe developer and food photographer at A Day In Candiland where she has been sharing Encouragement, Recipes, and Afternoon Tea Ideas since 2012. Candi currently lives in Southern California with her family and enjoying life to the fullest.

Comments

5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)

Why You Will Love This Recipe

Ingredients

Step-by-Step Lemon Bar Directions

Substitutions and Variations

Expert Tips

FAQs

Storage Tips

Related Recipes

How to Bake The Best Lemon Bars Ever

Ingredients 1x2x3x

Crust

Filling

Topping

Instructions

Notes

Nutrition

More Desserts

About Candi Elm

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Ingredients