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This Easy Lemon Bars Recipe has the perfect combination of tart and sweet. Made with a vanilla crust and a smooth lemon filling, these are easily the best lemon bars ever!
Easy Homemade Lemon Bars
This recipe has the most wonderful ratio of crust to lemon filling – they compliment each other without overpowering one another. The crust is seriously so good. It has just the right amount of sweetness to offset the tart lemon filling.
I played with the crust recipe until it turned out exactly how I wanted it to. The amount of flour in this recipe will ensure that the crust isn’t too soft or too firm. It has the perfect amount of vanilla extract to give it that sweet flavor. The powdered sugar sprinkled on top of the bars also adds a sweet touch that’s not too much.
I’m so happy with how the filling for these lemon bars came out! It has the best texture and flavor and it won’t crack when you bake it. I decided not to use lemon zest in the final recipe, because it made the filling taste a bit too strong, which threw off the balance of this dessert.
Recipe Ingredients
I tested every possible combination of lemon bar ingredients, and this is the recipe that came out on top! It’s an easy dessert that uses super simple ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need to make the best lemon bars you’ve ever tasted:
For the Crust
- All-Purpose Flour: Don’t change the amount of flour called for in this recipe – it will give your crust the perfect consistency.
- Powdered Sugar
- Salt
- Vanilla: Vanilla extract will give your crust an amazing flavor to compliment the filling.
- Unsalted Butter
For the Filling
- Granulated Sugar: Aside from giving your bars a touch of sweetness so they’re not too tart, the sugar will add moisture so the bars won’t crack when you bake them!
- All-Purpose Flour
- Large Eggs
- Fresh Lemon Juice: Bring on the lemon daydream with some fresh-squeezed lemon juice. So good!
- Salt
How to Make Lemon Bars
- Prepare Pan for Baking: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line the bottom and sides of a 9×13 baking pan with parchment paper that sticks up above the sides of the pan. This will help you remove the bars later for easy cutting. Set the pan aside.
- Make Your Crust: Combine the flour, powdered sugar and salt in a medium bowl. Add the melted butter & vanilla extract and stir to combine completely.
- Assemble Crust: Crumble and distribute your crust over the bottom of the pan and press it evenly into the bottom.
- Bake: Bake the crust for 15-20 minutes, or until the edges are just getting lightly browned. Remove from the oven and set aside.
- Make Your Filling: Combine the sugar and flour in a bowl. Add the eggs, lemon juice & salt and whisk together to combine. Don’t over mix.
- Bake & Let Cool: Pour the filling on top of the crust and bake for 18-22 minutes, or until relatively set. Remove from the oven and cool for 15-20 minutes on the counter, then refrigerate until cold and firm.
- Assemble Your Dessert: 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 the fresh lemon juice will make these bars SO much better. Trust me.
- Don’t Over Mix Your Filling: If you notice some air bubbles or even a little white layer of air bubbles on top of your baked bars, it’s ok. It’s just the air from the filling rising while the bars bake! To help avoid too much of that, just be sure not to over mix your filling.
How to Get Lemon Bars Out of the Pan
In order to get your lemon bars out of the pan easily, be sure to use plenty of parchment paper to line the pan. It should cover the entire bottom of the pan as well as the sides, and you should even have the paper sticking up above the sides to make sure nothing sticks to the pan.
This extra bit of parchment paper doubles as a handle to remove the bars with! Simply run a thin, sharp knife along the sides, lift your dessert right out with the parchment paper “handles,” and transfer it to a cutting board.
If your bars have been chilled enough, you should be able to cut into them with no problem. But if you’re having trouble, running your knife under hot water before each cut will make your job even easier!
How to Store Lemon Bars
These lemon bars are an amazing make-ahead dessert, because they’ll last for nearly a week if stored properly! Be sure to put them in a covered container in the refrigerator. They’ll stay good for up to 6 days!
More Great Lemon Treats
Lemon Curd
Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake
No Bake Lemon Cheesecake
Lemon Poppyseed Cake
Lemon Mascarpone Cream Pie
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Easy Lemon Bars Recipe
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 20-24
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
This Easy Lemon Bars Recipe has the perfect combination of tart and sweet. Made with a vanilla crust and a smooth lemon filling, these are easily the best lemon bars ever!
Ingredients
Crust
- 2 cups + 2 tbsp (276g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (115g) powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 cup (224g) unsalted butter, melted
Filling
- 2 1/2 cups (518g) granulated sugar*
- 1/2 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 18-22 minutes or until the center is set, but still jiggles slightly when you gently jiggle the pan. 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.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 239
- Sugar: 26.1 g
- Sodium: 100 mg
- Fat: 9.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 36.6 g
- Protein: 3.3 g
- Cholesterol: 74.6 mg
Are you sure its 7 eggs? Mine came out so gooey I was afraid that it wasn’t safe to eat… And it burnt 1 corner of it.
Yes, I am sure. I actually baked three batches of these this week and they all turned out great. Sounds like maybe yours were a touch under baked. I’ve added a few extra notes to the recipe to help things be a little more clear.
I followed the same ingredients and measurements, however after having them in the oven for a full 22 minutes the mixture was still a liquid in the middle, so i left them in untill they were solid 100% of the way probably an extra 4 minutes. Is this okay?
That should’ve been just fine. Did they turn out ok? Ovens can vary a bit, so needing to adjust the time by a few minutes can be normal. That said, it’s ok to take them out when there’s still a touch of jiggle. They will cook a little more and firm up as they cool.
I haven’t had any problems with the recipe they always turn out perfectly 👌❤
I’m so glad you enjoy them!
Hi my name is Emma grace , and i have 6 siblings and my parents love this recipe i love your website thx so much 😁😊
Where tf are the measurements dawg
They are at the bottom of the post, in the recipe card. And there’s a jump to recipe button at the top of the post that takes you right to it.
My lemon bars split and there is a slight amount of liquid in the crack. Do you think they are safe to serve? I cooked for 3 minutes longer than your recipe says, because they were still pretty jiggly. My final jiggle test there was slight jiggling, but not much.
It sounds like they were over baked. I’m guessing they are safe to eat and that the liquid is just some condensation.
I chose to make this recipe because the newsletter indicated it wouldn’t crack – but mine got a crater in the middle and several smaller cracks around the edges. Mine also took a little longer to cook. As I have to bring these to a birthday party tomorrow any help on what I did wrong so my next batch comes out better? Thanks for any help you might have.
Something that is custard-based (heavy on the eggs) like this really needs to not be over baked or it’ll crack (just like a cheesecake). You said you added to the bake time, but I’m guessing that you over baked them. They may look a little jiggly when they are done, but the filling firms up as it cools. You don’t want to over bake or they will crack.
I made these lemon bars for a niece who just had a baby and her family. They loved them. I did use store bought lemon juice just because I did not feel like squeezing lemons but otherwise everything was the same. Awesome
So glad they were a hit!
Not a keeper. Followed to a T, and crust so came out hard and filling was gooey and stuck to the parchment. These took way more than 22 minutes. More like 45 minutes. I read all the notes on what to do for them to turn out right and a lot of the comments with tips as well. Disappointed and won’t make these again.
Also had a big crack and rather hard crust( but tasty crust).
Probably will not make filling again.. too eggy for my taste..( will make crust again!)
How do you get your bars that yellow?
That’s just how they turned out. It could be the quality of the eggs and how fresh they are. Some egg yolks have a brighter yellow color.
My family lives this recipe, but for some reason, every time I make them I get these white circles rise to the top (kinda looks like floating egg whites). How can I prevent this? It never looks pretty but tastes good so idk
Those are most likely little air bubbles that rise to the surface during baking. The best way to avoid it is to not over mix the filling before you add it to the pan. Fortunately, a little powdered sugar on top should cover those up pretty well. Glad to hear you enjoy them!
Can these be frozen?
Yes, just cut them into individual bars and wrap them in a layer or two of plastic wrap. You can store them all in an air-tight freezer bag for an extra layer of protection. They should be good for up to 3 months.
Oh no! I am not sure what happened, but these are way too sour. I am super disappointed, b/c I followed the recipe exactly. I used 5 lemons,, 7 eggs, didn’t reduce any sugar. It was all so easy and I felt so good about the crust and the baking, etc., but I don’t think they are edible, really. My throat is burning from my test bite. I just used standard lemons from Costco. Also, when I cut them, after being in the fridge for 2 hours, they a bit less solid in the middle than I thought. Would putting them back in the oven help at all, with the texture and possibly sourness?
Hmm, that sounds very strange. It sounds like you used fresh lemons and not bottled lemon juice or something so I don’t know where a sour taste would come from. Assuming all your ingredients were fresh and OK, I’m really not sure. I’m sorry!
I haven’t made this recipe yet but I am about to and was wondering if you could tell me how long they stay good for.
They should be good in the fridge for 5-7 days.
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!
I love this recipe so much! Definitely going to make it for Easter dessert!
Can these lemon bars be frozen?
I haven’t tried it but it should be alright.
Can I half the sugar in the crust and for the filling only use 2 cups of sugar? Make it a little more diabetic friendly?
You could certainly try it. Sugar also adds moisture and tenderness to baked things, so it could change the final texture of the bars.
I have been making lemon bars for over 25 years. While on a travel assignment, I wanted to make some bars for my friends. My trusted tried and true recipe was at home, so I tried your recipe. OMG. The BEST lemon bars ever. So easy too! This is now my “go to”
recipe. Thank you!
Awesome! So glad to hear that!
I just wonder why my my filling is white while baking?
I’m guessing those are the white air bubbles from the filling that can rise to the top while baking. I mention it in the blog post a bit.
How many servings does this recipe make?
20-24 bars
1 cup butter in crust? Seems like 1 stick (1/2 cup) will make this the right consistency… was that a mistake?
Not a mistake. It is correct.
Best lemon bar recipe!
So glad you enjoyed it!
Can I make these in a glass baking pan?
I wanted to love them but they weren’t good. The filling took longer than 18 to 22 minutes to cook.
Was looking for a lemony lemon square recipe most only called for 1/3 cup lemon juice and 6 eggs came across yours with 1 cup to 7 eggs sounded good and they are in the oven now. So looking forward to having with my tea this afternoon. thanks
I made these today. I did cut the sugar down in the filling and only put in 1 cup. I wanted more tartness and it turns out, even with that change, they’re not too tart at all. They turned out great, didn’t crack, and they look just like the picture. I think next time I’ll cut down on some of the sugar in the crust too. The more tart, the better for me haha. Great recipe overall though!
I don’t know what happened. But I followed the directions exactly, even triple checked. But I had to bake it *at least* 25 min to not look not-completely-liquid. I’m so confused as to what might have gone awry on that end. My oven isn’t usually off. Otherwise it was good.
Sorry but this recipe did not work at all. I read the comments about the crust ending up on top and assumed they had done something wrong. But the minute I poured the filling onto the baked crust, I knew it was way too thin and that is exactly what would happen. And it did. We have a big mushy mess. I think the filling needs to be cooked or have a thickener added so it is not so liquidy when being poured over the crust.
Fortunately, it tastes good so we are going to make up individual servings and then smother each in meringue and blow torch it to make mini-lemon meringues. Hopefully no one will notice how bad they look inside.
After you pour the filling on top of the already cooked crust, you put it back into the oven for 20-22 minutes and then let it cool off a bit for 15 minutes before putting it in your refrigerator over night. That is how you get your correct lemon bars! As stated in her recipe! I know you commented months ago, but I still wanted to reply to this once I read it 😁
Delicious!! I made them for Christmas Day tonight. Super fast and so good. Thank you!
These taste so great but aren’t nearly as pretty as the picture. For some reason, the filling and crust flipped. The filling is on the bottom and the crust is on the top. Was I supposed to take them out of the pan and flip them over?
No, that shouldn’t happen. Very odd. I wonder if the crust loosened from the pan on the bottom and the filling got underneath it somehow. That’s the only thing I can think of.
I am interested in cutting this recipe in half. Any suggestions for best way to do that in relation to both ingredient amounts and pan size?
I haven’t done it cut in half, but you could try it. I’d cut it in half and make it in a 9×9 pan. Just not sure of the exact baking time.
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
It was so good! I followed the recipe exactly, except I added a little bit of lemon zest to the filling. After the baking was done, I tasted a piece and decided not to sprinkle the bars with the sugar powder – that’s how great they turned out! From now on this is my #1 go to dessert. Thanks for sharing!
So glad to hear that!
Any idea if this could be made with gluten free flour?
Can you freeze these?
These are the most perfect, delicious lemon bars that I have ever had!
Thank you for this amazing recipe.
Made these a few days ago & they were delicious! First time to make any lemon bars. I didn’t have parchment paper so used lots of Pam & they didn’t stick. The guests raved about how good they were, very lemony. The only thing I noticed was they were messy when you picked them up to eat. Don’t know if they were supposed to be that sticky & soft. They stayed together but were very soft. I baked them for 22 minutes in clear pan on convection setting. Do you think I should try regular setting & bake just a few minutes longer next time? Thanks
My husband and in laws adored them. Perfect amount of tartness from the lemon. Got lots of compliments about the crust as well! 10/10 and will certainly make again!
Mine taste good but after cooling in the fridge for 18 hours the perimeter was set well but as l got closer to cutting the center the filling was very soft almost runny ? Please help
This is a delicious recipe, but my lemon bars turned out a bit too moist and gooey. What can I do next time? I live in a high altitude area if that matters. Thanks!
Thank You for the best no fail lemon bar recipe! I have tried many but this is the best. I added the zest of one lemon to the filling as was suggested by one of the reviewers.
Hi Lindsay, I made this yesterday and the bars are delicious! Thank you for the recipe. I have a question. The lemon filling layer isn’t solid. The top half of the filling seems more solid and unified and it pulled away from the bar when I picked up a bar this morning, leaving part of the lemon filling on the shortbread base. I’m wondering if I didn’t bake it long enough or if this is normal. Thanks for your time and help.
Hmm, strange. I think it’s best to pick up the bars from the base/crust since the topping is a little softer.
Lindsay that reply doesn’t address the issue I raised. Let me ask a different way. The lemon portion of the bars in your images look like the same consistency throughout the lemon filling layer. Mine were not consistent, with the top portion of the filling more firm and the lower portion less firm. Did my batch of bars not bake enough or is the consistency I described normal? Thanks again.
The way to tell that the bars are set perfectly in the oven is when you tap the side and it bounces like jello they’re, usually the layer that hits the top on the crust and filling are slightly soft but when you pull out each bar they should stay together and not run on the plate. Make sense? If not I can help in other ways, I am a pastry chef by trade so if you have any other questions please let me know. Good luck!
The taste us amazing, but the filling did NOT SET even tho I know I followed the recipe exactly and left it on longer a but. I wish I knew why.
These are delicious! The lemon part is very tart, but the crust is so buttery that it balances it nicely! 👌
Easy and awesome recipe with a professional delicious end result lemon square. Follow the helpful hits. I did and it appears they are wort it.
So glad you enjoyed them!
This recipe was off the charts easy and produced top shelf lemon bars. Couldn’t cool them fast enough. Thank you
Made exactly EXCEPT, added a tbsp of zest from my lemons. Because never waste good lemon zest! Delicious!
Good recipe. Just make sure to strain the Lemmon juice! My first batch had some pulp
I am wondering what type of pan should be used since it is not specified other than size (metal vs glass/ceramic) and should the oven just be set to regular temp or on convect?
I used a glass 9×13 and it definitely was not set in 18 minutes. I had it in for over 30 minutes to get them to be set.
I used a glass pan. My oven is a convection oven, but it was on the regular bake setting.
I’ve made this twice and both times have gotten RAVE reviews. Thank you so much for sharing such a straightforward and delightful recipe. I resisted the temptation to tinker with the ratios (right call) – you’ve nailed the proportions. Agree, i think adding zest would disturb the balance. My most recent batch (made for 2 households separated by COVID precautions) was for Easter so i doubled recipe. Made one batch in 9×13 pan, and was able to stretch the balance into three 8×8 disposable alum pans. If the crust was a bit thin no one seemed to notice. Got credit for baking punching well above my weight class 😘 Thanks again, i’ll subscribe to follow your fantastic recipes.
When you say relatively set, what texture is that? I’m so confused😭
They will still be jiggly, but set. You don’t want to under bake the filling and have it still moving around, but you don’t want it to look as set as it’ll be after it cools, because they’ll be over baked and crack. Hopefully that helps!
Can I use canned lemon pie filling?
I’ve never tried that.
Crust was very good, but not strong enough lemon flavor for my taste. I did juice real lemons to make 1 cup, but next time I will add the zest from lemons as well for more lemon flavor.
My grandma used to make lemon bars all the time but unfortunately died two weeks ago and brought the recipe to her grave. My family baked around 13 different recipes and although these didn’t taste exactly like hers they were definitely the best!
All I have at home is unsalted butter; could I use that and leave the salt out of the shortbread cookie?
Sorry, I meant salted butter!
Yes, you can.
I made this AWESOME lemon bar recipe for a dinner party last night and it got EXCEPTIONAL reviews from everyone in attendance. Thank you for sharing your baking gift with the world!
So glad to hear that!
This recipe is so easy and is so good that you can’t stop eating them. I’ve made this recipe two days in a row!!! Love it
So glad to hear that!
Havn’t tried it, can i use a 9 x 9 pan?
Did you try the 9 x 9 pan?
What is “relatively” set?? That really isn’t clear. And your video doesn’t even show that part! Do you know how frustrating this is? Seriously… I have no idea what texture I’m looking for.
That was honestly pretty rude but what she meant was almost set so still giggly but not a hard consistency when its cooled down
So perfect! Can these be frozen?
Great! They should be fine frozen.
Just made these today! They are simply DIVINE <3. I'm amazed at how much lemon is present throughout the dessert with only the juice used, hits you right in the back of the throat haha!
This was my first time making them, thank you so much for this recipe!
So glad to hear you enjoyed them!
Hello! Can I use lime juice instead of lemon juice?
I haven’t tried it myself, but I think it’d be fine.
I have tried it before and it tastes just as great
I have always struggled with lemon pies, tarts, bars… you name it! These look so great and like the perfect summer dessert! I would really love to succeed with these delicious looking bars! Any tips you have to make them as delectable as they look in the pictures? I would really appreciate that.
Love all the recipes you provide!!
Much love!! <3
I’m glad to hear you enjoy everything! There are a few tips within the post. The only other thing I could add would be to not over bake them. I hope you enjoy them!
Yum! Refreshing lemon is the perfect finish to any meal. The bars look incredibly moist and mouth-watering. Way to go, Lindsay! Definitely on the list! Thanks!
Thanks Suzy-q! I hope you enjoy them!