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
Heather
Omg – these really are the best lemon bars ever!
So… I made this New Years resolution to try 200 new baking recipes this year. With that much baking, my goal was NOT to repeat ANY recipe. But, that went out the window with this recipe! I’ve had so many requests for more of these lemon bars that I had to make an exception. There’s a batch of them in the oven as I type! Lol
Danelle
Awesome! Thank you. Sorry I made you break your resolution. 😉
Monika
Disappointed with this recipe, I pick this ‘best recipe’ because of the crust to filling ratio. I baked them last night and ended up having to cook the bars an extra 15 minutes because the pan was so ‘jiggly’ after checking them. I then worried all night I may have ‘burnt’ them. When to cut them today and ended up only being able to use the outsides of the pan, the inside when cut didn’t hold its shap whatsoever. Not sure what went wrong, checked and double checked the recipe when making it based on others comments.
Vicky S
This is my go to lemon bar recipe now. I love it! I LOVE the thick crust! My family always asks for them. I’m baking them for the 5th time now for Christmas gifts. THANK YOU!
Diane
I made them and it seem that there was way to much crust for a 9×12 pan. There is 3 sticks butter and 3 cups flour. Is the pan size correct? I used two pans and this seemed that this was enough crust. Please let me know your thoughts.
Cynthia
I agree. Crust was too thick in ratio to filling. Will cut that part down next time!
Danelle
Yes, the pan size and amount of crust is correct. But the thickness of the crust is also a personal preference, so if it seemed like too much for you, using less or using 2 pans is another option.