Tart, chewy, sweet, citrusy — my lemon bars recipe has it all! Warning: you may have a hard time eating just one of these bright lemon cookies. They’re perfect for potlucks, picnics, dinners, and more, any event where you need to bring cookies or the ever-popular cookie bars.
My lemon bars recipe gives you wonderful squares of fruit cookies deliciousness with an easy-to-make crust, rich filling, and delightfully sweet-tart flavor. Best served with a tall glass of milk, a cup of tea, or straight out of the pan!
When life gives you lemons, make lemonade and bake some extra lemony baked goods like my luscious lemon cream cheese pound cake, lemon sugar cookies, lemon brownies, and lemon white chocolate chip cookies!
Let’s get baking!
What I Love About Lemon Bars Recipe
- 30-Minutes start to finish
- The perfectly balanced lemon flavor
- That CRUST! Sweet and chewy
- Crowd-pleasing magic
Lemon Bars Recipe Notes
- Juice: Most grocery stores put their citrus on sale, and you can get a huge bag for super cheap. Next time you see lemons like that, buy them, cut them, and store the juice in the freezer. You’ll thank me! You can also freeze the zest too!
- Butter: For the crust, you’ll want your butter as cold as possible. Why? This helps your crust retain as much structure as possible, standing up against the strong lemon curd.
- Cutting: If you want cleaner cuts for your lemon bars recipe, make sure your knife is cold and wipe it with a chilled damp towel between cuts. My grandma taught me to let the knife sit in a tall glass filled with ice water for a few minutes before I use it.
How To Make Luscious Lemon Bars
- Make the Crust: In the bowl of a food processor add flour, powdered sugar, and sliced butter. Pulse until the butter pieces are about the size of peas.
- Pour mixture into prepared baking dish and press evenly into dish. Bake.
- Make the Filling: In a small bowl combine baking powder and flour and set aside.
- In a bowl, whisk the eggs until smooth. Add sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice and combine. Add flour mixture and combine.
- Pour filling over hot crust and bake.
- Cool bars in pan. Add powdered sugar on top. Serve.
***See the full instructions below.
Storing + Freezing + Make-Ahead
- How Long Can You Keep This? My lemon bars recipe will last up to 4 days in the fridge. Once fully done, be sure to let them cool, then chill them until they’re firm. Slice them, and store them in an airtight container with wax or parchment paper between the layers to keep them from sticking to each other.
- Can You Freeze This? Yes! After your lemon bars recipe has completely cooled — pop them in the fridge for 30 minutes to speed up this time — cut your bars and wrap each one separately in cling wrap or zipper seal bags.
- They can be stored for up to one month in the freezer without losing the delicious flavor and quality texture.
- Make-Ahead Tips: You can easily make this lemon bars recipe ahead of time. The crust and filling can both be made separately and stored until you need to finish up the dish.
- The custard filling will last up to 3 days in the fridge while the crust should be treated like a cookie and stored in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Food Safety: If you’d like more info on food safety check out this link.
More Favorite Lemon Recipes
- Lemon Dump Cake
- Lemon Pound Cake
- Lemon Zucchini Bread
- Creamy Lemon Chicken
- Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta
- Lemon Chicken Soup
- Lemon Buttermilk Cake
- Lemon Lush
Lemon Bars
Perfectly tangy, and lusciously sweet, these lemon bars do double time on flavor without taking hours to make! You’ll have a hard time eating just one.
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients
Crust:
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, very cold
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
Filling:
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 large eggs
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon zest
- 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
- powdered sugar
Instructions
- Make the Crust: Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a 9 X 13-inch baking dish with a double thickness of aluminum foil, allowing 2-3 inches to extend over long sides. Spray generously with nonstick cooking spray.
- Slice each stick of cold butter (1 cup) into about 8 slices. In the bowl of a food processor add flour (2 cups), powdered sugar (3/4 cup), and sliced butter. Pulse until butter pieces are about the size of peas. Pour mixture into prepared baking dish and press evenly into dish. Bake in preheated oven for 18-20 minutes until the edges of the crust begin to brown.
- Make the Filling: In a small bowl combine baking powder (1/2 teaspoon) and flour (1/4 cup) and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk the eggs (4) until smooth. Add sugar (2 cups), lemon zest (2 1/2 teaspoons), and lemon juice (1/3 cup), and combine. Add flour mixture and combine. Pour filling over hot crust and bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes or until filling is set. Cool bars in the pan set on top of a cooling rack for about half an hour. Remove bars from pan and cool on rack completely.
- Lift a generous layer of powdered sugar onto bars. Cut bars and serve.
Fans Also Made:
Notes
- Juice: Most grocery stores put their citrus on sale, and you can get a huge bag for super cheap. Next time you see lemons like that, buy them, cut them, and store the juice in the freezer. You’ll thank me! You can also freeze the zest too!
- Butter: For the crust, you’ll want your butter as cold as possible. Why? This helps your crust retain as much structure as possible, standing up against the strong lemon curd.
- Cutting: If you want cleaner cuts for your lemon bars recipe, make sure your knife is cold and wipe it with a chilled damp towel between cuts. My grandma taught me to let the knife sit in a tall glass filled with ice water for a few minutes before I use it.
© Gonna Want Seconds. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media/website/blog is strictly prohibited.
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These lemon bars are FABULOUSLY WONDERFUL! My husband gave them 2 thumbs up! I have definitely saved this recipe & will be making them again & again! I took them over to a friends home & they were a hit! Thank you so much for sharing!!!
Audra, I’m so happy you and your hubby enjoyed these. My hubby wanted me to open a bakery after one bite of these. Seriously!!!
Here in Florida, spring is in the air. I know this because my car is covered in pollen and my sinuses are feeling angry. But I also know because I want something lemony. It’s not often that I go out of my way for something with lemon, but lately I’ve been getting my mouth watering. Besides, what is spring without a little fresh lemon? To satisfy the urge, I knew I had to make my dreamy lemon cream bars, the easiest, creamiest lemon bars ever.
I’ve tried these bars before, and will make it again
Thanks, Lacie! ? Happy to hear you like it!
I love so many of your recipes!! This looks like another hit! Can’t wait to try it.
1 question. In step #2 of the instructions, it says for the crust, to “set aside and cool”, then step #4 says to “pour filling over hot crust”. hmmm?
Hi Bev! Happy your liking so many of our recipes <3. Well, those instructions are a big ooops. Do not cool the crust, pour the filling into the hot crust <3
Wow, these luscious lemon bars are to die for!!! You weren’t kidding when you said bakery quality, even better!!!my husband loved them as well.i had to make a second batch. These will be a beautiful addition to all the Christmas cookies I’m making for gifts. Thank you so much for the best recipe!!!!!!
You’re so welcome, Leslie 🙂
I want to try these lemon bars, but for some reason can’t find the recipe. Am I just not looking in the right place?
Hi Raelynn. The recipe is back up on the site. Sorry for the confusion. We had to reformat all of our pages recently.
Hey Kathleen, definitely wanna give these a try but need some help. Any suggestions on making the crust without a food processor? I know this may sound silly. But I have a blender…..lol thanks from San Francisco. CA
Hi Ebony. No Prob. Just put all the ingredients in a bowl and use a pastry blender or two knives to cut the butter in until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
Made bars last night – delish. However, followed instructions, cool crust and then added lemon filling. Took for ever to cook. Reread instructions – and found “pour filling onto hot crust – I am thinking the cooled crust was the problem?????
Hi Anne. It’s hard to believe that it would affect the cooking time so much but I think it does. The hot crust must bring the filling up to temperature quickly! I’m glad they ultimately turned out well for you. I love these bars 😉
I can attest that these lemon bars are absolutely delicious! No doubt, this is my go to recipe as I will be making them for the 5th time this year!
Hi Dawn thanks so much for sharing your experience with these Lemon Bars. This is my go to recipe as well!
They look fab!
Do they freeze well?
Hi Bonnie. Thanks! Yes I like the way they freeze. I freeze them in a single layer until they’re hard them pop them in a ziplock. When I pull them out of the freezer, I sprinkle them again with powdered sugar. Hope that helps.
It does, thank you!!
These look DELICIOUS!
Thanks girlfriend!!! Let me know if you make these bars!
Though it is raining in Vancouver B.C. tonight the house smells heavenly while the lemon bars are cooling off…can’t wait to sample! Thanks for sharing1
Hey Georina I hope your family loves them as much as we do!