Bright Fresh Simple Lemon Bars (Printable Version)
Zesty lemon bars with buttery shortbread crust and tangy citrus filling, easy to bake and crowd-pleasing.
# What You Need:
→ Shortbread Crust
01 - 1 cup unsalted butter, melted
02 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
03 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
04 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
→ Lemon Filling
05 - 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
06 - 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
07 - 4 large eggs
08 - 2/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 3 to 4 lemons)
09 - Zest of 2 lemons
→ Topping
10 - Powdered sugar, for dusting
# How To Make:
01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides for easy removal.
02 - In a medium bowl, combine the melted butter, granulated sugar, all-purpose flour, and salt. Stir until a soft dough forms. Press the mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan.
03 - Bake the crust for 18 to 20 minutes, or until lightly golden across the surface. Remove from the oven but keep the crust in the pan.
04 - While the crust bakes, whisk together the granulated sugar and flour in a large bowl. Add the eggs, freshly squeezed lemon juice, and lemon zest. Whisk until the mixture is completely smooth and well combined.
05 - Pour the lemon filling evenly over the warm pre-baked crust. Return the pan to the oven and bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until the center is set and only has a slight jiggle.
06 - Allow the bars to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Once fully cooled, lift the slab out using the parchment overhang, slice into 12 bars, and dust generously with powdered sugar before serving.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The shortbread crust comes together in one bowl with melted butter, so no cold butter cubing or pastry cutter required.
- That filling sets into a perfectly sliceable layer with a custard like tang that makes people close their eyes on the first bite.
- They look fancy enough for a bake sale but come together with zero special skills and basic pantry ingredients.
02 -
- Patient cooling is nonnegotiable because if you slice while warm, the filling will smear and you will lose those clean, pretty edges.
- Parchment overhang is the difference between effortlessly lifting out a perfect slab and chiseling broken bars from the corners of your pan.
03 -
- Rub the lemon zest into the sugar with your fingertips before adding wet ingredients to release the essential oils and double the lemon flavor throughout the filling.
- Always zest your lemons before juicing them because a flat, zested lemon is maddeningly difficult to squeeze properly.