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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Love love love!
How do I alter this recipe for high altitude?
Hi Melissa, I don’t have experience baking at high altitudes so, unfortunately, I don’t have any wisdom to share – I’m sorry! You may find these tips helpful though. 🙂
I’ve been on the hunt for the “perfect” Lemon Bar recipe! The crust is amazing. My bars turned out a little chewy but I did modify the recipe. Used 2 1/2 C. Sugar And 1C. Flour with 1 C. Fresh Lemon juice. I want a less sweet, more tart bar. Do you think 1 C. Flour caused the chewy bars? Maybe use 2/3 C. Flour but will the bars still set up with 1 C. Fresh Lemon juice? Your thoughts, Jenn?
Hi JJ, I’d keep the amount of flour the same, but just reduce the sugar by 1/2 cup (like you did).
These lemon squares are amazing! Thank, Jenn, for another perfect recipe.
Lemon bars are my favorite dessert. My #1 favorite! I’ve had so many lemon bars in my life good ones, okay ones, and some truly bad ones. I’ve never had lemon bars as good as these! A group of people in my community are making meals for elderly neighbors and I volunteered to make lemon bars. When I found your recipe, I thought the 5 star review average could not be possible. Clearly, I was wrong. When I took my first bite, I thought I had found lemon bar nirvana. Seriously, so amazing! The shortbread is crispy and buttery, the lemon curd is the perfect balance of sweet and tart. I made 6 batches in a single day and each batch was as amazing as the last.
The reviews from the recipients are unanimous!
“Just like my mom used to make!”
“Jennifer, the lemon bars where so good. They were the best ones I have ever tasted. You did a killer job! My tummy thanks you!”
This recipe is staying on my fridge so that it is ready and time I’m craving lemon bars!
How nice that you’re doing that — so glad they were a hit! 🙂
Made these for the 2nd time and it got raves again from the family! Thank you! Just a small observation- the texture of this second one seemed heavier and stickier than the first one I made. (Still tastes awesome though)Could it have been caused by a tad too much flour? I baked half of this recipe and simply halved each ingredient. Grateful for your expert inputs, Jenn!
Glad they turned out well, but sorry to hear they were stickier than you remember. Is there any chance you may have made a mistake when halving the ingredients? BTW, if you want to halve it again, immediately above the last picture of the lemon bars on the recipe page, there is a reference to the original version of this recipe (which was half what it is now). You can use that version to ensure you’ve got all the measurements correct.
I made these last night for my boyfriend who loves lemons and is a Chef/Culinary Director. He was really impressed!!!! I was nervous about the amount of sugar at first but he confirmed it was necessary. But I do for next want to try 1 cup less. These were beyond yummy! Just 1 question when making the crust it says….”Refrigerate for 30 minutes or freeze for 15 minutes.
Bake the crust until lightly golden, 15 to 20 minutes.”
Is that correct, I followed as instructed but why so?
Thank you! Can’t wait to make these again 💕🍋
Glad you and your boyfriend enjoyed them! Refrigerating the crust briefly helps it to hold its shape when baked and also helps it to come out more tender. (If you’re short on time, you can skip that step if necessary.) Hope that helps!
What temp do you set the oven to bake them? Somehow, I missed that! Thanks!
They get baked at 350°F/175°C. Hope you enjoy!
Your previous recipe has a different ratio of lemon juice to flour in the curd, though… The “new version” is 1:1 and the “old version” is 5:3. Was that a mistake?
Hi Emily, that was intentional; the new version is a little thicker so I added a bit more flour to make them sturdier/easier to handle. Hope that clarifies!
I don’t have a 9×13” pan, can I use a square instead? I have a 9×9 and a 10×10…. which would work?
Hi Mae, I’d go with the 10×10.
These are the best lemon bars I’ve ever made — crisp buttery crust, sweet thick filling, oh so good! And quick and easy to boot! This will be my new go-to recipe for lemon bars for sure!
Delicious. Easy to make. I’ll use more lemon juice and zest for an increased lemon flavor next time.
I love lemon desserts and these lemon bars are outstanding! The only change I made, I used 2 cups sugar for the topping instead of 3 cups; I prefer them a bit more tart, but they were still sweet enough.
My family loves these!
Thanks for this comment! I want it more tart so I guess this will fix it for me.
I finally made these squares. If you love lemon desserts, you have to try this recipe ! Thanks Jenn!