Lemon Bars
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Bring these lemon bars to your next get-together and watch them disappear—they’re bright, buttery, and the perfect balance of tart and sweet.
When the weather warms up—or I’m just in the mood for something sunny and bright—I always come back to this old-fashioned lemon bars recipe. With a buttery shortbread crust and a tangy citrus filling, they’re a little slice of summer and one of my favorite treats to keep in the fridge (or freezer).
They’re also incredibly easy to make—just eight simple ingredients, most of which you probably already have in your pantry. And here’s my secret to the best lemon bars: a touch of cornstarch in the crust. It’s a pastry-chef trick that gives the shortbread a tender, crisp texture all the way through.
These lemon bars keep and freeze beautifully, so they’re perfect for making ahead for picnics, potlucks, or anytime a lemon craving strikes.
“Simply the best lemon bars you’ll ever eat.”
What You’ll Need To Make Lemon Bars
- All-purpose flour & Cornstarch: The flour gives the crust structure and also helps thicken the lemon topping so it sets nicely. The cornstarch is the secret to that tender-crisp texture that makes the shortbread layer so good.
- Confectioners’ sugar: Sweetens the crust and helps give it that crisp, delicate texture. A light dusting over the top of the finished bars also makes them look as pretty as they taste.
- Butter: Adds richness and flakiness to the crust, giving it a shortbread-like texture and flavor. Keep it cold until ready to make the crust.
- Eggs: The base of the topping, giving it structure and richness.
- Granulated sugar: Sweetens the lemon layer and balances the tartness of the lemon juice.
- Lemon zest & Fresh Lemon Juice: The zest adds concentrated lemon flavor, while the juice brings brightness and tang. Use a microplane to zest the lemons—just the yellow part, not the bitter white pith—and always zest before you juice.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
How to Make Classic Lemon Bars
To get started, gather all your ingredients, adjust the oven rack to the middle position, preheat the oven to 350°F, line a 9×13 metal baking pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil, and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
Step 1: Combine crust ingredients. Place the flour, cornstarch, salt and confectioners’ sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Mix for 15 seconds to blend together, then add the chunks of cold butter.
Step 2: Mix the crust. Pulse to breakdown the butter until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. This should take 10 to 15 seconds.
Step 3: Form the crust. Place the mixture into your prepared pan. Press the mixture firmly with your fingers into an even layer, building up a thin edge around the sides. Refrigerate the crust for 30 minutes or freeze for 15 minutes.
Step 4: Bake. Bake the crust until lightly golden—it will take 15 to 20 minutes.
Step 5: Make the filling. Whisk the eggs in a large bowl. Add the sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and flour. Whisk the mixture well, making sure no lumps of flour remain.
Step 6: Add to crust. Pour the filling into the baked crust.
Step 7: Bake lemon bars. Return the pan to the oven and bake another 30 to 35 minutes, or until the topping is set and firm. Let the bars cool on a rack to room temperature.
Step 8: Remove from pan. Use the foil overhang to lift the baked lemon squares out of pan and onto a cutting board. Carefully loosen the foil from the edges of the crust.
Step 9: Cut and serve. Once completely cool, use a sharp knife and cut your homemade lemon bars into squares or triangles. Right before serving, dust the top with confectioners’ sugar. Keep the bars in a covered container in the fridge for up to 4 days, or freeze for longer storage.
Video Tutorial
More Lemon Dessert Recipes You May Like
Luscious Lemon Bars
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup confectioners' sugar, plus more to decorate finished bars
- 1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into ½-in (13-mm) pieces
For the Lemon Topping
- 6 large eggs
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest (be sure to zest the lemons before juicing)
- ⅔ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, from 5 to 6 lemons
- ⅔ cup all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
Instructions
Make the Crust
- Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Cover a 9 x 13-in (23 x 33-cm) metal baking pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil (see note below). Push the foil neatly into the corners and up the sides of the pan, using two pieces if necessary to ensure that the foil overlaps all edges (the overhang will help removal from the pan). Spray the foiled pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- Place the flour, cornstarch, salt, and confectioners' sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment and mix for a few seconds. Add the butter and mix to blend until the mixture resembles coarse meal, 10 to 15 seconds. Sprinkle the mixture into the prepared pan and press firmly with your fingers into an even layer, building up a thin ¾-inch (2-cm) edge around the sides (this keeps the filling from spilling beneath the crust). Refrigerate for 30 minutes or freeze for 15 minutes.
- Bake the crust until lightly golden, 15 to 20 minutes.
Make the Filling
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and flour. Be sure no lumps of flour remain.
- When the crust is ready, give lemon mixture a quick final stir and then pour over top. Immediately return the pan to the oven and bake another 30 to 35 minutes, or until the topping is set and firm. Let the bars cool on a rack to room temperature; it will take several hours.
- To cut, use the foil overhang to lift the baked square out of pan and onto a cutting board. Carefully loosen the foil from the edges of the crust, using a knife if necessary. Using a sharp knife, cut into squares or triangles. Use a fine sieve to dust the squares with confectioners' sugar. Store the bars in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Serve chilled or room temperature.
Notes
- Be sure to use heavy-duty aluminum foil; regular aluminum foil may stick. Parchment paper can also be used to line the pan.
- Freezing Instructions: The bars can be frozen for up to 3 months. After they are completely cooled, freeze the batch whole, covered tightly with aluminum foil or plastic freezer wrap. Before serving, remove them from the freezer and let them thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Cut the bars and then sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar before serving.
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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I made these at Easter this year – I decreased the sugar as per Other reviews and because I like tartness. The crust was wonderful as everyone has said. Filling did not get runny as has happened in the past. Everyone loves them – yet another “go to” recipe from Jennifer!
I made a batch of these the other day & my husband & son polished them off in no time flat! Will definitely be making them again soon.
There are the BEST lemons squares EVER!!! And so easy. Would I be able to double the lemon filling and use the same size pan for thicker bars? I love lemon.
I also used sanding sugar instead of the powdered sugar…made them sparkle.
Glad you like them! I do think you could double the filling, but they’d definitely need to bake for longer– until they’re set. Just keep an eye on them. Also, you’re likely to need to eat them with a fork. LMK how they turn out!
My boyfriend absolutely loves these bars and they are super easy to make!
My father-in-law loves lemon meringue pie but it’s such a pain to make! This recipe was my first attempt at scratch-made lemon bars. What a great alternative. It was a huge hit. I loved that I could make it a day in advance which I could have never done with a pie. To make a 9×13 pan, I increased the recipe x1.5. Thanks for the yummy and easy recipe Jenn!
I am OBSESSED with these. I made them for a party a while back and ended up eating most of them. I increased the lemon because of the reviews but wow, they’re stunning. I love the texture and just everything about them. One for the books.
Oh my goodness…I love lemon squares! For years I purchased them from a small bakery in my home town, but I no longer live there and haven’t found another like them. I never attempted to make my own as I just thought they couldn’t possibly fix my craving like the squares I was used to. I need not search anymore for I have found this recipe and it works for me and my hubby. I did read through some of the reviews and decided to limit the sugar to 1 and quarter cup as some suggested they were a bit too sweet. I also like a strong lemon taste so I added an additional tbsp of fresh lemon juice. I followed everything else exactly, and I am crazy about the squares…my hubby wanted another and another. Honestly we could have eaten the whole batch! We both have a sweet tooth so instead of making a bunch of bite size squares I cut the batch into 9 larger squares. We love them and now have found a staple for our lemon taste buds. Thanks.
I doubled the recipe, used a 9×13 pan, decreased the sugar a little and baked for 30 minutes. It was a little too tart for some and perfectly tart for others (including me) in my group of 20. I prefer them tart, which is why I decreased the sugar amounts. Excellent recipe that I knew I could use for our party without even trying it out beforehand. Thanks for sharing!
I agree with other reviews about the bars being way too sweet. I love anything lemon but I also thought there was not enough lemon flavor. The bars need less sugar and more lemon
Way too sweet, ick