Easy Lemon Bars

These lemon bars are easy to make in a 9x13 pan with a buttery shortbread crust and vibrant lemon custard filling. A classic recipe with sweet and tart taste!

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 40

Chill time: 1

Total Time: 1 55

Servings:

Ingredients

Crust

1 cup (226 grams) salted butter , at room temperature
½ cup (50 grams) powdered sugar , can sub with granulated sugar
2 cups (260 grams) all-purpose flour

Lemon Filling

4 large eggs
1 ¾ cups (350 grams) granulated sugar
¼ cup (32 grams) all-purpose flour
⅓ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice , about 3 lemons
½ Tablespoon lemon zest
½ teaspoon baking powder
Powdered sugar , to sprinkle on top

Instructions

Crust

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9x13-inch glass pan with parchment paper.
In a medium sized bowl, mix together 1 cup salted butter, 1/2 cup powdered sugar, and 2 cups flour with a pastry cutter or mixer.
Press evenly into the bottom of the pan. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, or a toothpick inserted into the center comes clean. Be careful not to brown.

Lemon Filling

In a medium bowl, whisk 4 eggs. Whisk in 1 3/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup flour, 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice, 1/2 Tablespoon lemon zest and 1/2 teaspoon baking powder until smooth and combined. Pour over the baked crust.
Bake 20 minutes, or until the filling is firm and no longer jiggles, watching closely so the filling doesn't brown. Let cool. Place in the refrigerator at least 1 to 2 hours before serving.
Once cooled, sprinkle with fresh powdered sugar and cut into 24 bars.

Notes

Easy clean-up: Line your pan with parchment paper or foil to easily remove the bars from the pan.

Up the Lemon: If you'd like a more tart lemon flavor, add in a Tablespoon of lemon zest to the filling.

Storage: Store the bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months (I tend to freeze half of the recipe, because it makes quite a few).

Halve the recipe: You can cut the recipe in half and make the bars in a smaller 9x9" baking pan if preferred. Use the same oven temperature, but bake both the crust and filling a few minutes less than called for. Make sure to keep an eye on both so that they don't brown.

Nutrition