Lemon Bars
A buttery shortbread crust topped with a tart, sunny lemon filling — the perfect not-too-thick, not-too-thin lemon bar.
- Prep Time
- 15 min
- Cook Time
- 1 hr 5 min
- Total Time
- 1 hr 20 min
- Servings
- 16 bars
I'd been on the hunt for recipes a little different from what usually comes out of my kitchen, and stumbled across lemon bars while flipping through a recipe book at dinner one night. My husband admitted he'd never actually had one, but figured he'd like them since he's a fan of anything lemon-flavored — he's always game to try something new when it comes to food.
After combining a few different approaches I liked best, I landed on this version, and the texture turned out exactly how I wanted: not too thin, not too thick. If you want a dessert with a tart, lemony punch, this is it — just don't forget them on the counter like we did, because apparently neither of us can be trusted to remember leftovers.
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp. salt
For the Filling
- 4 eggs
- 1 1/2 cups white sugar
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup lemon juice
- Powdered sugar, for dusting
Instructions
- 1Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl, blend together the crust ingredients with an electric mixer. Press into the bottom of an ungreased 8x11 inch baking dish.
- 2Bake the crust for 35-40 minutes, or until firm and golden.
- 3Whisk together the sugar and flour for the filling in a mixing bowl. Add the eggs and lemon juice, and whisk until combined.
- 4Pour the filling over the baked crust and bake for an additional 25 minutes.
- 5Cool completely, then cut into squares and dust with powdered sugar.
Tips
- Using a 9x13 inch pan will give you thinner bars and a shorter bake time — I like the slightly smaller 8x11 for a thicker bar.
- The powdered sugar soaks into the bars over time, so add another dusting right before serving if they've been sitting a while.
Storage & Reheating
Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days to keep them firm.
