Simple Lemon Bars with Shortbread Crust
These Super Easy Lemon Bars combine a tart, tangy lemon curd filling with a buttery shortbread crust.
- Prep
- 25 mins
- Cook
- 48 mins
- Chill Time
- 1 hr
- Total
- 1 hr 55 mins
- Makes
- 16 servings
These Super Easy Lemon Bars pair a zesty, tangy lemon curd with a buttery shortbread crust. Baked in an 8″ x 8″ pan, they are a bright, citrusy treat for family, friends, or coworkers any time of the year!
About This Recipe
Like the Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Eggs I’ve shared before, these lemon bars are a household favorite. I adapted them a little from my late Grammy’s recipe box!
If you are craving something seriously good for dessert, this tart and tangy treat is the lemon bars recipe you will want to make again and again!
What You Will Need
You only need six ingredients to make these lemon bars from scratch:
- All-Purpose Flour. This goes into both the shortbread crust and the lemon curd. For the filling, sift it first so there are no lumps.
- Unsalted Butter. Used only for the shortbread crust. Let it come to room temperature first.
- Powdered Sugar. Mostly used in the shortbread crust, but it also makes a nice dusting over the lemon bars once they have cooled and chilled!
- Granulated Sugar. This is only for the lemon curd. Plain white granulated sugar or organic pure cane sugar both work well.
- Lemons. About three medium lemons will give you all the juice and zest you need.
- Eggs. They help bind the lemon filling together and give it its rich, set texture.
How to Make Super Easy Lemon Bars From Scratch
These lemon bars are simple to put together and bake in roughly 40-48 minutes in total. They do need some time in the fridge to chill, though.
Shortbread Crust
Make the shortbread crust. This buttery base comes together quickly in a food processor, stand mixer, or hand mixer. I like the food processor best, but any of them will do the job.
Check my general prep tips below to see how to add a parchment paper sling before you put the shortbread dough in the pan!
Press the shortbread crust into the bottom of the pan. Smooth and level the top with a spatula or the bottom of a measuring cup.
Chill the crust. Put the pressed crust in the refrigerator or freezer for about 10-15 minutes. I go with the freezer, but if you are using a glass pan, use the refrigerator instead, or skip this step.
Bake the crust. Bake at 350ºF for 12-15 minutes, until the top is a light golden brown. Let it rest at room temperature while you make the lemon curd. It does not need to be fully cool before the filling goes on.
Lemon Curd Filling
Get your ingredients ready first. Juice and zest the lemons, and sift the all-purpose flour. It is only a small amount, but sifting keeps lumps out.
Combine everything. Add all the filling ingredients to the mixing bowl and whisk on medium speed until smooth. That is all there is to it!
Pour, then bake. Spread the lemon curd over the slightly cooled crust and bake an extra 25-30 minutes at 350ºF. Do not overbake. The center should still have a little wobble when you take them out.
Cool to room temperature, then chill. Letting the bars cool to room temperature can take as long as about 2 hours. Once they reach room temperature, I strongly suggest covering them and chilling for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator.
Chilling firms up the filling, so the bars are easier to cut and less messy. Honestly, they just taste better cold!
Helpful Tips
- This recipe uses an 8-inch square pan, but a 9-inch square pan works too. If you go with the bigger pan, bake for 20-25 minutes at 350ºF instead.
- Chilling gives the bars a firm texture that is easier to slice and tastes great cold. Chill for at least 1 hour, though longer is even better!
- For easier cutting, line the bottom of the pan with a parchment paper sling. To keep the sides from folding into the bars while they bake, clip them with metal binder clips!
- For the juice, I used this KitchenAid lemon juicer. It is affordable, does a nice job keeping seeds and pulp out of the juice, and has a measuring cup attached on the side!
- For the zest, I used my Microplane grater.
- Be sure to sift the all-purpose flour. Otherwise it may not blend fully into the other ingredients and can leave small lumps.
How to Freeze Your Lemon Bars
Bake the lemon bars as the recipe directs, then let them cool all the way. Leave off the powdered sugar.
Once cooled, cut them into squares and freeze them until solid. Wrap each bar 2-3 times in plastic wrap and place it back into the freezer in a freezer bag or tightly sealed container. You can also freeze them whole, wrapped in plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Lemon bars will last in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To thaw, move them to the refrigerator up to 24 hours ahead. If you froze them whole, cut them into squares first. Dust with powdered sugar before serving if you like.
Lemon Bars FAQs
What size baking pan do I need for this lemon bar recipe?You will need an 8-inch square baking pan.
Why did my lemon bars form a thin crust over the top?If the lemon bars bake too long, the top can develop a thin crust. You can pick it off, or do what I did and just dust powdered sugar over the top. They will still taste great!
Do I have to chill the shortbread crust in the freezer or refrigerator before baking it?No, it is not required, but chilling the pan briefly firms up the butter a bit before baking. If you are using a glass baking dish, I would skip chilling it before baking.
If you make these Super Easy Lemon Bars or any other recipe from my site, please give it a star rating and share your thoughts in the comments below. Thanks for stopping by!
Simple Lemon Bars with Shortbread Crust
A zesty lemon curd layered over shortbread gives these bars their tart, sunny flavor. The 8" x 8" pan makes a crowd-pleasing citrus dessert for any gathering, all year round!
- Prep
- 25 mins
- Cook
- 48 mins
- Chill Time
- 1 hr
- Total
- 1 hr 55 mins
- Makes
- 16 servings
Ingredients
Shortbread Crust
- 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter, room temperature
- 1 cup All-Purpose Flour
- 1/4 cup Powdered Sugar
Lemon Curd Filling
- 1/2 cup Lemon Juice, 2-3 lemons
- 1 tbsp Lemon Zest, finely grated
- 3 Large Eggs, room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups Granulated Sugar
- 1/2 cup All-Purpose Flour, sifted
- Powdered Sugar, for dusting
Method
- Lightly coat an 8-inch square baking pan with flour-based baking spray and set it aside. If you like, spray the pan and then press a parchment paper sling into it to make the bars easier to slice later. To keep the parchment sides from folding into the bars while they bake, you can clip a binder clip on top of the paper.
- Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together the unsalted butter, all-purpose flour, and powdered sugar until the shortbread bottom layer forms. It will resemble light yellow loose crumbs. Pat the shortbread layer into the bottom of the prepared 8-inch square baking pan. Then place in the freezer or refrigerator for about 10-15 minutes to chill. Skip the chilling if you're using a glass baking dish.
- While the shortbread layer chills, adjust the oven rack to the 2nd level position (just above center) and preheat the oven to 350ºF.
- Put the pan in the oven and bake for 15-18 minutes at 350ºF, until it turns a light golden brown.
- Take it out and let it cool slightly while you make the lemon curd. You can leave the oven running or switch it off during that time. If you turn it off, heat it back up to 350ºF before the next step.
- Zest a lemon with a fine grater into a small bowl. Cut each lemon in half and squeeze out the juice with a lemon juicer. Sift the all-purpose flour into another small bowl.
- Use a hand mixer or stand mixer with a whisk attachment to blend the lemon juice, lemon zest, eggs, granulated sugar, and all-purpose flour on medium-high speed until smooth.
- Pour the lemon curd over the slightly cooled crust and bake for 25-30 minutes at 350ºF, until the top is nearly set and the center gives a slight jiggle. Start checking at the earliest time listed, since baking too long can form a thin crust on top. The bars are still good if that happens!
- Take the pan out and let the bars cool completely. Cover them and refrigerate to set for at least 1 hour (overnight is what I prefer). When it is time to serve, dust with powdered sugar and slice with a sharp knife.
- Store the lemon bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Baker’s notes
- The 48-minute total above is based on the longest bake times: 18 minutes for the shortbread crust and 30 minutes for the final bake of both layers.
- If you like, spray the pan and line it with a parchment paper sling, which makes the bars easier to cut later. To keep the sides from collapsing into the bars while they bake, put a small dab of lemon filling between the parchment and the tin, or use metal (not plastic) binder clips.
- Some of the lemon filling may seep behind or slightly under the parchment sling while baking. That is normal and happens to me sometimes. It does not mean the filling has gone entirely underneath the crust.
- Baking the bars too long can form a thin crust on top. You can peel it off, or dust powdered sugar over it like I do, because they still taste good!
- To keep the powdered sugar topping from melting, try King Arthur’s non-melting powdered sugar. I love it for desserts like this one and for my dark chocolate crinkle cookies!
- This recipe is adapted from my Grammy’s lemon bars recipe.
- Recipe updated 9/30/2022 with revised recipe notes.
