This easy lemon bars recipe has the perfect combination of tart and sweet. Made with a vanilla crust and a smooth, crack-free lemon curd filling, these are easily the best lemon bars ever!
These lemon bars are a classic dessert that combines a buttery vanilla crust with a thickened, creamy layer of homemade lemon curd. The crust has just the right sweetness to offset the tart lemon filling, and these bars are seriously easy to make. Since lemons are available at my grocery store year-round, I make these lemon bars for potlucks, parties, and even holidays, from Easter to Thanksgiving! They’re always warmly received, and I can’t wait for you to sink your teeth into one.
Everything to Love About These Easy Homemade Lemon Bars
- Just enough lemon flavor. Many lemon squares recipes call for lemon zest. However, the filling for these bars is so luscious and rich that I skipped it, and they still turn out bright, juicy, and deliciously lemony, balanced by the sweetness of the cookie crust.
- Perfect lemon-to-crust ratio. These lemon bars have a buttery, tender shortbread crust topped with a thick layer of lemon curd filling. They complement each other without overpowering one another. You don’t feel like you’re biting into only crust, and the bars are also not so thin that they’re flimsy.
- Super easy to make. Lemon squares are way easier than baking a lemon meringue pie or lemon cheesecake. I’ve made these bars many times, and the filling has never cracked! With only 7 pantry ingredients between the filling and crust, they’re a great make-ahead dessert that you can whip up in under an hour.
Lemon Bars Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make the best lemon bars you’ve ever tasted. See the recipe card below the post for the exact ingredient amounts.
For the Shortbread Crust
- All-Purpose Flour – After testing and retesting this recipe, my main word of advice: Don’t substitute or change the amount of flour! Weigh the flour using a kitchen scale or the spoon-and-level method. As written, your crust will have the perfect consistency.
- Powdered Sugar – I like to use powdered sugar in the crust for a soft, ultra-tender texture.
- Vanilla – Vanilla extract adds depth of flavor to the crust and complements the lemon filling. You can also use an equal amount of vanilla paste.
- Unsalted Butter – If you use salted butter, consider reducing or omitting the added salt in the recipe.
For the Lemon Filling
- Granulated Sugar – Aside from sweetening the filling, sugar also adds moisture so the bars won’t crack while they bake.
- All-Purpose Flour – To thicken the filling.
- Large Eggs – Bind the ingredients and ensure the filling sets. Use large eggs, not medium or extra-large.
- Fresh Lemon Juice – Emphasis on fresh-squeezed lemon juice, not bottled. You’ll taste the difference! If you prefer a stronger lemon flavor in your bars, reserve some of the zest before juicing the lemon.
How to Make Lemon Bars
Preheat your oven to 350ºF. Meanwhile, line a 9×13 baking pan with enough parchment paper to cover the entire bottom and sides, with some overhang. This makes it easy to lift the bars from the pan after they’ve chilled in the fridge.
Combine the flour, powdered sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Add the melted butter and vanilla extract and stir to combine.
Crumble and distribute the crust over the bottom of the pan. Press it evenly into the bottom.
Bake the crust at 350ºF for 15-20 minutes, until the edges are just lightly browned. Remove from the oven and set aside.
Whisk the sugar and flour in a bowl. Add the eggs, lemon juice, and salt, and whisk together to combine. Don’t overmix.
Pour the filling over the crust. Bake at 350ºF for 22-27 minutes, until the edges are set and the center jiggles ever so slightly. Don’t over bake, or the bars may crack when they cool.
Remove the bars from the oven and cool for 15-20 minutes on the counter, then refrigerate until cold and firm.
Remove bars from the pan and dust with powdered sugar, then cut into squares and serve!
Tips for the Best Lemon Bars
- Don’t reduce the sugar. I know it may be tempting for those who are trying to cut back on sugar, but sugar not only adds sweetness (which helps reduce how tart the filling could be), but it also adds moisture. That moisture helps to keep these bars from cracking.
- Use fresh lemon juice. Definitely opt for fresh lemon juice rather than bottled. The flavor is very different, and fresh lemon juice makes these bars SO much better. Trust me, it’s worth the squeeze!
- Bubbles are OK. If you notice air bubbles or even a white layer of bubbles on top of your baked bars, it’s perfectly fine and very common. It’s just the air from the filling rising while the bars bake!
- Don’t over mix the lemon filling. To avoid too many air bubbles, be sure not to over mix your filling or whisk it too vigorously. Large air bubbles can rise to the top during baking and cause a lumpy top and cracks.
Cutting and Serving Lemon Bars
To remove the lemon bars, run a thin, sharp knife along the edges, then use the parchment paper liner to lift the dessert right out and transfer it to a cutting board.
If your bars have chilled for long enough, you should be able to cut into them with no problem. For clean squares, run your knife under hot water before each cut. Serve these bars dusted with powdered sugar or topped with homemade whipped cream (or try mascarpone whipped cream).
How to Store
- Keep refrigerated. These lemon bars are an amazing make-ahead dessert. They’ll last for nearly a week if stored properly. Once cooled, keep them in a covered container in the refrigerator. They’ll last for up to 6 days.
- Freeze. To freeze these lemon bars, allow them to cool completely. Then, store them in a freezer-safe container or wrap them tightly in plastic wrap, then in foil. Freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw the bars in the fridge before serving.
More Favorite Lemon Desserts
Easy Lemon Bars Recipe
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Ingredients
Crust
- 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons (276g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (115g) powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup (224g) unsalted butter (melted)
Filling
- 2 ½ cups (518g) granulated sugar*
- ½ cup (65g) all-purpose flour
- 7 large eggs
- 1 cup (240ml) fresh lemon juice ((4-5 lemons))
- Pinch salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray the bottom and sides of a 9×13 glass or ceramic pan with baking spray, then line it with parchment paper that sticks up above the long sides of the pan, so that you can remove the bars later for easy cutting. Set pan aside.
- To make the crust, combine the flour, powdered sugar and salt in a medium bowl.
- Add the melted butter and vanilla extract and stir to combine completely.
- Crumble and distribute over the bottom of the pan and press evenly into the bottom so that it’s even.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the edges are just getting lightly browned. Remove from oven and set aside.
- To make the filling, combine the sugar and flour. Add the eggs, lemon juice and salt and whisk together to combine. Don’t over mix.
- Pour the filling on top of the hot crust and bake for 22-27 minutes or until the center is set, but still jiggles slightly when you gently jiggle the pan. You could also test by temperature. The bars should be done when the center reaches 165°F to 170°F. Remove from the oven and cool on the counter until room temperature, then refrigerate until cold and firm.
- Remove bars from pan and dust with powdered sugar, then cut into squares. Bars are best when stored well covered, and they’ll last for 5-6 days.
Notes
- Don’t reduce the sugar – It not only adds sweetness (which helps reduce how tart the filling could be), but it also adds moisture. That moisture helps keep these bars from cracking.
- Baking pan – A glass or ceramic pan is recommended because sometimes metallic pans can impart a metallic taste on lemon bars. That said, if you want to use a metal pan, be sure to line it fully with parchment paper and it should be ok.
Nutrition
The nutrition facts provided are calculated using a third-party tool and are estimates only. Actual nutritional content may vary based on the ingredients and brands you use, as well as portion sizes. For accurate results, please consult a registered dietitian or nutritionist.
Can you freeze these?
I haven’t tried it but I’m not really sure these are ideal for freezing.
Hi. I was looking for a recipe that was more lemony than mine. I really wanted these to turn out like the photo and like the others who had success. I followed the directions exactly and got the egg top. My go-to recipe uses 4 eggs and 1/2 c. lemon juice. I may try again but don’t know what to do differently. I watched most of the video to make sure I was doing it right. Note, when the ad appeared during the video, it didn’t return to the recipe, it skipped to a different recipe (rather annoying for your readers).
By the egg top do you mean there was some white-ness at the top? That can happen. It’s often from mixing too much and incorporating air into the filling. Try to mix it less. Also, that usually doesn’t really affect the taste. With the powdered sugar on top, you shouldn’t notice it and they should still taste great.
I have to recant my earlier comment. I should have waited before reviewing. My apologies! The other recipe I’ve used has a light, slightly crispy top out of the oven. I was surprised to see a smooth, rubbery-ish top when I pulled this out of the oven. But, once it cooled, it was perfect! As it turns out, it IS the recipe I was hoping it would be. It’s good and lemony too! Thank you.
So glad you ended up enjoying them!
I do not have butter. Could I use margarine for the crust??? I would like to try this recipe.
I haven’t ever use margarine, so I’m not sure.
This recipe worked so good! I always make it for family gatherings and it’s never failed, not once! Definitely making it for thanksgiving
Did not work. I bake every single day and this recipe was a fail.
I followed to recipe to a tee, and it came out so weird. 7 eggs, just made it like scrambled eggs on the top while I baked it. I had to scrape off a 1/4” layer of what resembled scrambled eggs on the top and then it left it looking super messy underneath. Was that a typo, or is there legitimately 7 eggs in the filling?
The eggs are correct and not an unusual amount. I’ve seen anywhere from 4 to 8 eggs used in lemon bars. Sometimes white film does form on top of lemon bars. Try not to over mix everything prior to baking because it forms air bubbles that rise to the top during baking (which I talk about in the post above). I hope that helps!
This was the first time I ever made lemon bars. Recipe was very easy and tasty 😋. All of my friends gave 5 star compliments. What a great experience. 😉
So glad you enjoyed them!
One of the best if not best Lemon Bar recipes Ive come across. It is easy to make and my husband who loves anything Lemon was very pleased.
This recipe is Awesome!! I added a drop or two of yellow food coloring to enhance the appearance of lemon color! I left the bars in the oven for an extra five minutes to minutes because the middle was not set. I included pulp in mine. Overall, this was a great recipe!! Can you substitute almond flour and sweetener in the recipe?
I made this for my family and coworkers. Let’s just say it didn’t take long before they were completely devoured.
So I’m not sure what I did wrong here but I followed the instructions/ingredients and the crust came out almost impenetrable. I had to take several hard rounds to it with a pizza cutter and it was difficult to bite into. I only baked it for the initial 15 mins and then 18 with the filling.
I honestly don’t know. I’d double check your ingredients next time to be sure that everything is measured correctly.
I’m wondering if the people having problems with their filling or crust are using granulated sugar made from beets rather than cane? I learned my lessons years ago when following a recipe to the letter and my efforts to melt sugar resulted in little rocks. I’m not going to include a link for obvious reasons but look up this article at sfgate.com – SUGAR, SUGAR / Cane and beet share the same chemistry but act differently in the kitchen
Best lemon bars ever. Followed receipt although adding a little bit of lemon zest.
Our batch was a huge FLOP! We followed the recipe to the letter. Our batch did not have the nice lemon color as shown in your photos, and the top had such a hard crust the guests had to jab them with forks to cut through them.
Hi Lindsey, I made this recipe yesterday and the filling is quite runny in the middle, despite putting it in the fridge overnight. I have tasted it and it tastes delicious, but I can’t even cut the bars because it is basically liquid in the middle. Any thoughts? I double checked every ingredient I used in the filling, should I have used more than 1/2 cup flour? Baked longer? I’m not sure I’ll make again if I can’t figure it out 🙁
I made 2 pans for my company of 40. THEY LOVED IT!! Great recipe will 4 ever be a fav
Best lemon bars ever! I’m getting ready to make them for the third time tomorrow! Thank you for such a wonderful recipe! God loves you! John 3:16