Why You’ll Love This Recipe
I’ve tried a lot of lemon bars in my day, and I’ve always been a little bit disappointed in the crust to lemon filling ration–until now! These really are the Best Lemon Bars I’ve ever had!
Just check out that thick layer of lemony goodness! It’s the reason these lemon bars are the best, in my opinion.
And my whole family agrees. They can hardly wait for these bars to cool before they dig in.
To me, a good lemon bar is the perfect dessert for almost any spring occasion, but citrus fruit is actually in season during the winter, which makes these lemon bars a perfect choice any time of year.
You can never go wrong serving lemon bars at an Easter brunch or buffet. If you won’t be feeding a crowd (or several teenage boys), this recipe can be cut in half easily.
I definitely recommend using the parchment paper trick. It makes removing the bars from the pan and cutting them so much easier.
If you’ve been searching for a recipe for the Best Lemon Bars, look no further. This is the one!
Be sure to save this recipe to your favorite Pinterest board for later.
The Best Lemon Bars
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 3 sticks 3/4 lb. butter, room temperature
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 3/4 cups flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
For the filling:
- 6 eggs room temperature
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest
- 1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 cup flour
- Confectioners’ sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Butter a 9 x 13 baking pan, then line the bottom and sides of the pan with parchment paper. This is optional but will make removing the bars from the pan much easier.
- Make the crust by creaming the butter, sugar and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Stir in the flour.
- Using your hands, press the dough into the bottom of prepared pan. Chill the pan while the oven preheats to 350°F. Bake the crust for 20–25 minutes, until very lightly browned. (Updated: In earlier versions, I suggested 15 minutes, but many readers have found their crust needs closer to 25–30 minutes. Ovens vary, so watch for golden edges rather than relying only on the timer.)
- Once the crust is lightly browned, remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack. Leave the oven on.
- Whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and flour. Pour the lemon mixture over the crust and bake for about 35 minutes, until filling is set. Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate at least one hour.
- Cut into squares and dust with confectioners’ sugar. Store any leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator.
Notes
Nutrition
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38 comments
Zada
Just read through the comments and it appears we are having a “crust too thick/ love the thick crust debate here. I fall on the love the crust side. I had a hard time trusting you on the baking time because it did not look done. I cursed your name but I followed your instructions nonetheless. I let the crust cool til it was less like a liquid, then poured on the filling. I think this might be the key. If you overbake it, it will be firm and like a thick crust. If you bake til it looks underdone, the whole thing melds together into a melt-in-your mouth perfection. I’ve now baked them five times and am about to bake them into a round tin and call it a pie for my son’s birthday.
J
Lemon flavored desserts are bad.
Aimee
I’m’ making this now and the crust has to bake for at least twice the time in the recipe. Worried about the filling and pulled out my sunset basics recipe. Will try that. Good tip on chilling the crust before going in the oven.