The Best Lemon Bars

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The BEST Lemon Bars — Classic lemon bars that pack a punch of big time lemon flavor, without being too tart or too sweet!

The Best Lemon Bars - Good old-fashioned lemon bars that pack a punch of big time lemon flavor, without being too tart or too sweet!

Easy Lemon Bars Recipe

I’m pretty picky about my lemon bars. The filling, the crust, and the sweet-tart balance all has to be just right. I’m like Goldilocks with her porridge.

These classic lemon bars are Goldilocks approved.

Before making these, I researched dozens of recipes, studying each meticulously, but nothing sounded exactly perfect. I referenced one of my favorite cookbooks, The New Best Recipe, but when I saw seven eggs, I slammed the book shut immediately.Unless you’re feeding a football team, any one singular dessert does not need seven eggs, period. I also checked out another trusty resource, The King Arthur Flour Baker’s Companion, and many others. But in the end, I came up with my own.

These classic lemon bars consist of an easy shortbread crust, topped with an intensely lemony filling. The tartness and sweetness are well-balanced. You don’t even have to lug out your mixer to make them.

Lemon Bars

Just as cornstarch helps cookies stay soft and tender, it does the same for the crust of these homemade lemon bars. Shortbread crusts tend to become too dry, hard, or tasteless, and remind me of dog biscuits, which is why I never make biscotti. I’m sorry for anyone who likes it but it’s so unsatisfying for me because I can’t get past that dry, hard-yet-crumbly dough. The cornstarch keeps this crust just a bit softer than some, preventing the cardboard phenomenon.

Another notable difference in this classic lemon bar recipe is that the ratio of lemon juice ratio is much, much higher than in most recipes. For an 8-inch square pan, most call for two tablespoons whereas mine uses eight (one-half cup); four times the amount. You’d think this would make you pucker up up for days but really, it doesn’t.

The bars are robustly lemon-flavored, but not ridiculous, and they’re how I think a lemon bar should be. If I wanted a blondie with a hint of lemon, I’d use two tablespoons of lemon juice, but I wanted a good old-fashioned lemon bar, full of zing and tang. But they’re also sweet enough to be considered dessert, not torture.

The overall depth of lemon flavor is boosted from two teaspoons of lemon zest. Most recipes this size use one teaspoon, but I doubled it and used two. I also added a tiny bit of vanilla extract, something that isn’t traditional in lemon bars, but I love vanilla.

The Best Lemon Bars - Good old-fashioned lemon bars that pack a punch of big time lemon flavor, without being too tart or too sweet!

I am so pleased with these because the flavor is robustly lemony and tart, but they’re not sour, pungent, bitter, or overwhelming. They’re just sweet enough, but not too much. The sprinkling of confectioners’ sugar gives them a tiny bit of additional sweetness and gives them that classic lemon bar appearance.

The filling itself is dense but light, almost like a lemon custard with a touch of creaminess. It’s smooth and firm, without being rubbery. The crust is buttery, just crisp enough, but retains some softness, flakiness, and tenderness. It’s a ever-so-slightly sweetened and thick enough to stand up to the layer of lemon filling and not be overwhelmed by it. I don’t like it when shortbread crusts are paper thin and prefer them on the thicker side. Not too thick, not too thin. Hello, Goldilocks.

My almost six-year old is a lemon fanatic (heads up this is a repost from 2013 and she’s now 13!). She’ll reach into a water glass with a lemon, fish it out, and eat it. She loved these easy lemon bars because anything lemon-flavored is a hit with her. 

I wouldn’t call them The Best Lemon Bars if I didn’t really think they were.

Lemon Bars

What’s in the Best Lemon Bars? 

To make the best ever lemon bars, you’ll need: 

  • Unsalted butter
  • All-purpose flour
  • Confectioners’ sugar
  • Cornstarch
  • Salt
  • Eggs
  • Granulated sugar
  • Half and half
  • Lemon juice and zest
  • Vanilla extract
  • Lemon extract

Lemon Bars

How to Make Lemon Bars

Make the crust by combining all-purpose flour, confectioners’ sugar, and one tablespoon of cornstarch, with one stick of very soft butter in a medium bowl. The softer the butter is, the easier of a time you’ll have. You can do this with a food processor, but it comes together in just a minute by hand, which I prefer to washing out my food processor for such a fast little crust.

The crust mixture will seem crumbly, but transfer the pea-sized lumps and crumbs to an 8-inch square foil-lined pan, and press them down until a smooth crust forms. Prick it haphazardly with a fork in a dozen places so the steam can escape, and bake it for 12 to 15 minutes. As it bakes, if you notice any big air bubbles forming, prick them down with a fork, and continue baking.

You don’t want to impart color or have it turn golden. You just want it to firm up and hold together because the pan is going back into the oven anyway to bake the filling.

The Best Lemon Bars - Good old-fashioned lemon bars that pack a punch of big time lemon flavor, without being too tart or too sweet! Easy, no-mixer recipe!

While the crust bakes, make the filling by coming two eggs, sugar, one-half cup of lemon juice, splash of cream, optional vanilla and lemon extracts, and whisk. My recipe differs from many I’ve seen in that it doesn’t use half of a carton of eggs, just two. The presence of two tablespoons of cream helps give the filling some depth, richness, and creaminess that you can’t get without it.

Pour the filling mixture over the crust and bake it for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the top has just set. As you pour the filling over the crust, it will seem like it’s liquid soup and there’s no way that it will set up in 15 minutes time, but surprisingly, it does. Bake until the top has just set in the center and isn’t watery. Some movement and looseness is fine, and that’s how lemon bars are, but there shouldn’t be pooled liquid. Don’t overcook them and turn them into a rubbery state, either. They do firm up as they cool.

Cool them for about 1 hour at room temperature, and then refrigerate them for at least 3 hours before slicing. Although you could serve them at room temperature, a chilled lemon bar with a dusting of confectioners’ sugar is the only way for me. They’ll keep for up to 5 days in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

Lemon Bars

Can I Double This Recipe? 

Yes, simply double the ingredients and bake the lemon bars in a 9×13-inch pan. You may need to bake them for a little longer than the recipe calls for. 

Lemon Bars

How to Store Lemon Bars

These homemade lemon bars will stay fresh up to 5 days in the fridge. 

The Best Lemon Bars - Good old-fashioned lemon bars that pack a punch of big time lemon flavor, without being too tart or too sweet!

Tips for Making the Best Ever Lemon Bars

With lemon desserts, balancing tartness with sweetness can be tricky. Too much lemon, and I want to pucker up and hide; too little, and I’m bored. Too much sugar and they have a sickeningly sweet quality; too little, and I want the torture to end. I think these homemade lemon bars are spot on, both in tartness and sweetness. Of course, if you don’t want something quite as tart, you could start with 1/4 cup of lemon juice; taste, and increase accordingly.

When zesting a lemon, make sure to just take off the outermost yellow layer. As you move into white pith, it becomes more and more bitter. There’s a difference between tartness and bitterness. I prefer the former, not so much the later.

I didn’t need to add any lemon extract to these classic lemon bars as they’re already very lemony, but if you’re a lemon fiend, go for it. Citric acid will also make the lemon flavor really pop if you’re someone who just can’t get enough lemon intensity. It’s frequently used in pickling and canning, and found in the canning section of most grocery stores if you want to play around.

The BEST Lemon Bars — Classic lemon bars that pack a punch of big time lemon flavor, without being too tart or too sweet!

The BEST Lemon Bars — Classic lemon bars that pack a punch of big time lemon flavor, without being too tart or too sweet!

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4.62 from 71 votes

The Best Lemon Bars

By Averie Sunshine
These classic lemon bars pack a punch of big time lemon flavor, without being too tart or too sweet! Perfect for spring and summer baking!
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 9
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Ingredients  

For the Crust

  • ½ cup unsalted butter, 1 stick, very soft
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • ¼ heaping cup confectioners' sugar
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • pinch salt, optional and to taste

For the Filling

  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup lemon juice, or to taste (about 2 juicy medium lemons; see note below)
  • 2 tablespoons half-and-half, whole milk or cream are okay
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, optional and to taste
  • ½ teaspoon lemon extract, optional and to taste
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons lemon zest loosely packed, or to taste (see note below)
  • confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Instructions 

For the Crust:

  • Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8-by-8-inch pan with aluminum foil, spray with cooking spray; set aside.
  • In a large bowl, combine all crust ingredients and cut the butter into the dry ingredients with a pasty cutter or just stir and mash with a spoon until a sandy, crumbly mixture forms. I do it by hand because it's easy, fast, and I don't have to wash out my food processor; but use one if you prefer.
  • Transfer crumbly mixture to prepared pan and using your fingertips, press crumbs down to form an even flat layer of crust.
  • Prick crust with a fork haphazardly in a dozen places so air and steam can escape while it bakes. If air bubbles form while baking, prick them down and return pan to oven.
  • Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until crust has just barely set. It should not be golden or browned at all, it should still be white. You just want it to stick together and it doesn't need to be cooked through fully since pan is going back in the oven to bake filling.
  • While crust bakes, make the filling.

For the Filling:

  • In a large bowl, combine eggs, sugar, lemon juice (start with ¼ cup and increase to taste; I find that using less than ½ cup isn't intense enough, but add to taste), half-and-half, optional vanilla (I used it even though it's not traditional), optional lemon extract (I don't find it necessary and omitted it), and whisk until smooth.
  • Add the flour and whisk until lumps are gone.
  • Add lemon zest (add to taste, starting with 1 teaspoon but I prefer 2 teaspoons) and whisk to combine.
  • Pour mixture over crust. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes (I baked for 18), or until the top has just set and isn't jiggly in center. Some movement and looseness is normal and desired, you just don't want it liquid-like or runny; slicing into some looseness is fine, liquid is not. Top will be yellow and lemon-colored, but not browned.
  • Allow bars to cool at room temperature for at least 1 hour.
  • Cover pan and refrigerate for at least three hours, or overnight, before slicing and serving.
  • Optionally, dust with confectioners' sugar before serving.

Notes

  • Store extra bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 1, Calories: 324kcal, Carbohydrates: 52g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 70mg, Sodium: 38mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 39g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

More Lemon Desserts:

ALL OF MY LEMON RECIPES!

Strawberry Lemonade Bars â€” Imagine crossing lemon bars with a strawberry pie. These easy bars taste like strawberry lemonade! Sooo good!

Strawberry Lemonade Bars

Lemon Buttermilk Cake with Lemon Glaze — An easy buttermilk cake with big lemon flavor!! Soft, fluffy, and foolproof if you like puckering up!!

Lemon Buttermilk Cake with Lemon Glaze

The Best Lemon Loaf (Better-Than-Starbucks Copycat) — It took years, but I finally recreated it!! Easy, no mixer, no cake mix, dangerously good, and SPOT ON!! You’re going to love this lemon pound cake recipe!

Close up of sliced The Best Lemon Loaf (Better-Than-Starbucks Copycat)

Lemon Lemonies — Like lemon brownies, but made with lemon and white chocolate! Dense, chewy, not cakey and packed with big, bold lemon flavor!

Two stacked Lemon Lemonies

Lemon Blueberry Bundt Cake with Lemon Glaze — Almost more berries than cake in this soft, fluffy lemon blueberry bundt cake! The lemon glaze is plate-licking delish!!

Lemon Blueberry Bundt Cake with Lemon Glaze on cake stand

Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting — Soft, fluffy, moist, very lemony cupcakes from scratch! Easy one-bowl, no-mixer recipe for cupcakes that taste like they’re from a bakery!

Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

Softbatch Glazed Lemon Cream Cheese Cookies — Big, bold lemon flavor packed into super soft cookies thanks to the cream cheese!! Tangy-sweet perfection! Lemon lovers are going to adore these easy cookies!!

Stacked Softbatch Glazed Lemon Cream Cheese Cookies with bite taken out of one

Glazed Lemon Pie Bars — The crust is buttery, soft, and tender while the filling is juicy and luscious with the perfect amount of sweet-yet-tart flavor and a lemon glaze boosts the lemon flavor even more.

Glazed Lemon Pie Bar on white plate

Originally published January 16, 2013 and republished June 5, 2020 with updated text.

About the Author

Welcome to AverieCooks! Here you’ll find fast and easy recipes that taste amazing and are geared for real life. Nothing fussy or complicated, just awesome tasting dishes everyone loves!

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Please note: I have only made the recipe as written, and cannot give advice or predict what will happen if you change something. If you have a question regarding changing, altering, or making substitutions to the recipe, please check out the FAQ page for more info.

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Comments

  1. Okay, would you please stop posting recipes for foods I absolutely love like soft pretzels and lemon squares and cookie butter and microwave caramels? My pre-meno pot (translation: premenopausal belly, can be confused for a beer belly) can’t take it anymore.
    I’ve been making this Cooking Light recipe http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/easy-lemon-squares-10000000222664/ for lemon bars since the late 90’s and I really enjoy it. Cooking Light calls for three eggs and a third cup of lemon juice. But I like the idea of putting in more juice so I’ll have to try yours.

    1. Oh that recipe has lots of promise and I saw that one in my research. I reduced an egg and added more lemon juice. And just going by that photo of theirs, it looks a little bit dry (but it could just be the photo) but mine are moister than that. If you try my version, would love to know how you think the two compare!

  2. I love knowing that you are like Goldilocks with your lemon bars! I always find it fascinating learning what people are more selective about… and I totally get why these are Goldilocks approved: I think the zest is what makes it. Lovely lemon bars, Averie!

    1. Well I’m super picky about EVERYTHING I make/bake but with these there were so many possible pitfalls, issues, etc to solve so it made for a fun research project of sorts. Not something I want to do every day but I like a good challenge like this for myself sometimes!

  3. Averie, can I come over to taste test it? I am sure it’s really good! :) I haven’t tried a lemon bar I liked so much to get a second bite, and the fact that I don’t like sweets has nothing to do with it. I love lemons and add lemon juice and zest almost in anything I cook. I even made a tiramisu yesterday and snicked a dash of lemon zest in it! :) To me you can’t spoil anything with the lemon. From your photo I can tell I’d like a second bite, and even a third. Oh well, I’ll have a whole piece of that not too sweet and not too tart, and I may even have a cup of coffee with it! :)

  4. Your pictures are gorgeous! I rarely think to make lemon/citrus desserts, but when I do I’m always pleasantly surprised at how much I like them. I’m a chocoholic at heart, but lemon bars, lemon pudding, or lemon *anything* is a much needed, refreshing break from dense, rich chocolate. So glad you created the perfect recipe! Keeping this one in mind for when I need a break from chocolate overload.

    1. “I’m a chocoholic at heart, but lemon bars, lemon pudding, or lemon *anything* is a much needed, refreshing break from dense, rich chocolate” <--- me too on all accounts! I don't normally go for something like this if there was chocolate around but trying to lighten things up this time of year and embrace citrus season was the plan!

  5. We love lemon bars! My neighbor (who happens to be a huge baker like you) has a Meyer lemon tree that is going crazy with lemons. She has been dropping off lemons on my doorstep everyday along with batches of lemon bars, because that is one of John’s favorite desserts. Your bars look perfect and when my neighbor gets tired of making lemon bars, I will have a great recipe to use to make John some. xoxo, Jackie

    1. I used to live in a house with a huge!!! lemon tree as well as a Meyer lemon tree and had more lemons than I knew what to do with but never really embraced them like I should have. If you try this recipe, would love to know your thoughts since it seems you guys know your lemons/lemon bars!

    1. In editing, I kick up the saturation a bit because with pale yellow, if I don’t, it just gets washed out on screen. I try to just do it very slightly and not make it look artificial but it’s hard with light colors to find that balance. I try to make them look on the screen exactly how they looked in person and the color on screen IS what they looked like. Nice and yellow!

  6. They are gorgeous indeed. I too am picky about lemon bars. I don’t like them too sweet and the crust has to crumbly and not soggy at all. Nice work!

  7. I love lemons period. I’m the weirdo that steals your lemon from your tea or water glass if you’re not using it so I can eat it. Plain. I can’t remember the last time I had a lemon bar though. Reminds me of the yummy insides of a lemon meringue pie.

    1. Yes it IS sort of like inside of a lemon meringue pie but b/c of the zest, it’s not quite as smooth and custardy but along those lines. If you like lemon, I bet you’d love these!

  8. I shy away from sour tastes–I never buy grapefruit or citrus fruits related to it and I generally go for clementines or tangelos when I do buy citrus. So, I’ve never made lemon bars but I have tried them and liked the ones that are sweet enough (no surprise there with my sweet tooth, huh?!?). My husband adores lemon bars–I know he’d love these and I think I would too (the crust to filling ratio looks great)! The shortbread is a sweeter version of my favorite pie crust–I use a little powdered sugar rather than granulated.

    1. I don’t normally go for something like this if there was chocolate or other things around, but trying to lighten things up this time of year and embrace citrus season was the plan. And my daughter loves sour things and she had never had lemon bars, so figured, what the heck! The shortbread crust, if nothing else, was a good experiment and one to have in my arsenal. Loved it and will be very versatile!

  9. I LOVE lemon bars! One of my favorite treats to make. Hmmmm, now that I think about it, I don’t know if I ever posted my recipe….I’ll have to look back! thanks for sharing Averie!

    1. I was shocked a few weeks ago when I was on your site and realized all the orange and citrus recipes you have. Seriously so many – I was impressed!

  10. Ha, you beat me to it – I was just about to say that your fillings ingredient-list and the photos made it look like some sort of yummy lemony custard, which I can definitely get behind. You are the bar QUEEN.

    1. It’s very lemon custardy, with a bit of texture from the zest. So good! Bar queen, yep that’s me!

  11. You’re right about lemon bars–they’ve got to be made “right”. These look just like the ones I love–that my Mom used to make. Whenever I see lemon bars now, they just aren’t the same. Not enough lemon! They tend to be too floury and dry. These sounds perfect!

    1. There are so many issues and pitfalls that can plague lemon bars and I tried to overcome them all! If you ever need a recipe like the ones your mom probably used to make, I have a feeling these are very similar. They remind me of the ones my grandma used to make.