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
save this recipe
Enter your email & we’ll send it to your inbox. Plus get new recipes from us every week!
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.
Just wondering if you couldn’t make the pudding with the jello cook and serve????
I’ve never made that before, so I don’t know what the consistency and flavor is like, but I’m thinking it’d be best to make the filling in the recipe.
This was my 3rd recipe attempt at lemon bars(and will be my last!!) This recipe turned how wonderful in all ways. Crust firm and crunchy, filling smooth and perfectly set. Right balance of tartness and sweetness. I left quite a bit of pulp in my fresh squeezed lemon juice and added some zest grated over my filled crust before final baking. Also baked it about 5 min longer or until it no longer jiggled. This will be my forever go to lemon bar recipe! thank you!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
These are the best lemon bars I’ve ever made but the crust stuck to the parchment paper only around the edges. The middle was fine so that’s what I served and my husband was more than happy to peel off the scraps and eat them. I think I’ll skip the paper take my chances with nonstick spray.
Hello, I made your lemon bars.they look great 👍.
I was wondering if you refrigerate to store or are they ok on the counter?
I store them in the fridge.
Something went wrong with my batch – the lemon top ended up on the bottom, under the crust! They still taste good but are messy to eat. We ended up flipping it over and removing the parchment paper. Some of the lemon was stuck to the parchment paper but I was able to scrape it off and spread it back on the bar. Any idea what went wrong?
Hmm, strange. Could there have been a hole or something in the crust that the filling went through to get underneath it? I’m also curious – was the crust still warm when you added the filling on top? Or had it cooled down mostly?
The crust was warm, not hot, and I didn’t see a hole in the bottom. I was wondering if it had to do with the parchment paper not sealing the crust to the bottom. I was surprised how uniform the lemon topping was on the bottom!
I didn’t have that issue with the parchment, but you could try not using it. Just be sure to spray your pan well.
Mine did the exact same thing.
I was wondering whether it would be possible to make these (and brownies) in mini cupcake pans? If so, do you have recommendations on how to do this?
I imagine you could, but having not done that myself it’s kind of hard to advise. You’d probably want to divide the crust between the cups of a cupcake pan and do the same with the filling. I’m really not sure of the bake time. It may actually be similar to the full sized pan.
l made these with your recipe, but the crust was brick hard. I’m not a baker. Then tried “box” recipe. yours was better by far even with “bricks”! help☺️
If your crust was that hard, it kind of makes me wonder if you overworked it a bit. Try not to over mix it when you combine all the ingredients and gently press it into the pan. Don’t over do it.
I made these… i added a 1/2 can on sweetened condensed milk to the lemon mixture after everything else was combined. I just laid whole graham squares across the bottomed of my well buttered pan and created a pancake glue to keep the graham squares from getting soggy during the cooking process…. chilled the “crust” for about 30 minutes before baking it til golden brown…. it was perfection….. will be making these for the rest of my baking journey…. gonna try the lemon mixture with snaps next time though.
Hi! So I’m almost 19 and love to cook and Bake! When the pandemic hit I had to find stuff to do around the house. I love finding and making new recipes for my family, today I made the lemon bars! I’m so excited to see how they turn out!
I hope you enjoy them!
Made this for everyone at work today. My first time making Lemon bars. Everyone loved them! Thank you so much for a great receipe.
This is my 2nd time making these! Everyone loves them! But this time, when I took them out of the fridge the following morning, the filling is like almost still runny. I’m going to be so sad and upset if they are ruined and I can’t fix them! Can I put them back into the oven even though they have been in the fridge all night? Or how do I get the filling not liquidy/runny like? Please help 😫
I’m glad you love them! So sorry to hear this batch is too soft! Unfortunately I don’t think they’ll really firm up if you bake them again, but you could try and see if it helps. I’m so sorry!
Wondering if you can make the crust ahead of time??
I would think that would be fine.
I’ve made this recipe a couple of times and each time everyone loves them, but I get a white-yellowish layer on the top when I bake them, am I missing a step?
That’s fairly common for lemon bars. It’s air bubbles that rise to the top as the batter sits and bakes. Fortunately dusting the top with powdered sugar covers that right up.
Hi can you use Pam spray instead of parchment paper if you don’t have it?
You can, parchment paper just as a better job of making things not stick.
My lemon bars did not set right? Do you have any suggestions as to why? It was more like a pudding that was slightly runny.
It really just sounds like they were a little underbaked. There can be variations between ovens so they may have needed more time.
Hi Lindsay, my first time making these so I was wondering after I take it out of the fridge to cut into squares, can I keep it at room temperature to serve covered or do I have to keep them in the fridge to serve cold?
I usually do your cakes but doing this instead since it’s spring and why not lemons 🍋 😊
I would definitely store them in the fridge. I hope you enjoy them!