Classic Lemon Bars

Lemon Bars stacked on top of each other on a white plate

This Lemon Bar Recipe is the quintessential party dessert, baking up perfectly sweet while still lemony and tart. Very few, simple ingredients are needed to make this recipe from scratch and they always are the first to go at any get-together.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword how to make lemon bars, lemon bar recipe, lemon bars

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 40

Total Time 50

Servings bars

Calories 144kcal

Author Katie Cooksey

Ingredients

For the Shortbread Crust:

1/2 cup salted butter softened
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

For the Lemon Filling:

1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup lemon juice fresh
3 whole eggs
1/4 cup all purpose flour
powdered sugar for garnish

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Spray 8x8 or 9x9 square glass baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and line parchment paper (optional). Lightly spray parchment with more cooking spray and set aside. Preheat oven to 350° F.
In a medium-sized bowl, mix butter, flour, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until a dough starts to form. If you notice the dough not coming together, your butter may be too cold. Mix with your hands so the heat from your hands can help bring the dough together.
Press dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake 12-15 minutes or until edges are barely golden brown.
While crust bakes, make the lemon filling. Whisk sugar together with lemon juice, eggs, and flour. Once the crust is done baking, pour lemon filling over the hot crust.
Bake 20 minutes or until set. Cool completely, cut into squares and top with powdered sugar.

Nutrition