With only a few ingredients and a blender these Easy Lemon Bars come together in minutes. A sweet cookie crust adds the perfect touch to the tart and creamy lemon curd filling. Make the Best Lemon Bars for spring parties, showers, picnics, or bake sales.

Add this Strawberry Cream Pie recipe and your dessert table will be full of lemon dessert goodness.

Lemon Bars with a Cookie Crust

These shortbread lemon bars are responsible for changing my mind about sweet and sour desserts. I used to avoid all sour things because they would make me pucker. 

Even thinking about lemon desserts would make me shiver, but then I am happy to report that I decided to give lemon another chance. Adding a sweet cookie layer balances out that sour flavor for me.

These classic lemon bars and these Lemon Sugar Cookie Bars made me realize that I DO like lemon…with lots of sugar. LOL!

I have decided that when life gives you lemons, you should definitely make the world’s best lemon bars!

A few years ago I had a friend who runs a local bakery, and she needed a lemon bars recipe because her resident baker had left.  She said the current recipe in their folder was not working at all because the former baker had been tweaking it.

After much research on lemon bars and baking quite a few versions, I came up with what I like to call the best lemon bars.

Since I’m a fan of sweet lemon desserts, I made a sweet cookie crust for the base by tweaking the shortbread crust on this Caramel Squares recipe.

Recipe Ingredients:

These lemon bars only use 7 simple ingredients. Most of them are probably ones you have in your pantry or fridge already. 

• Flour – used in both layers to provide structure to the lemon bars
• Sugar – powdered sugar and granulated sugar add sweetness to the crust and filling
• Butter – softened butter makes a soft dough for the buttery cookie crust
• Salt – balances out the sweetness. If you are using salted butter, reduce this amount.
• Lemon Juice & Lemon Zest – they are lemon bars after all. 
• Eggs – add structure to the custard filling

How to make Easy Lemon Bars:

  Step One: Make the Crust.

1. Mix together flour, powdered sugar, and butter with a fork or pastry blender until soft crumbs forms. If you use a stand mixer it may form a soft dough if you mix too long.
2. Press it into the bottom of a greased 8×8 pan going up the sides of the pan slightly to keep the filling from going under it.
3. Bake the cookie crust for 20 minutes.

Step Two: Make the Lemon Filling: 

1. Add all the filling ingredients into a blender and pulse until light and foamy.
2. When the crust is done baking, pulse one more time, then pour the filling on top of the hot crust.
3. Bake it for another 25 minutes.

Step Three: Let cool.

1. Let the baked lemon bars cool to room temperature.
2. Refrigerate for a few hours to set completely.

Step Four: Cut and Serve. 

1. Lift the cooled bars out of the pan and cut into squares.
2. Sprinkle the lemon bars with a hefty dose of powdered sugar right before serving.

BRUCREW TIP: Substitute other citrus juices to make different variations. See my Blood Orange Bars and Key Lime Bars!

Tips for the Best Lemon Bars:

• If you are a lemon lover, add more zest to the lemon curd filling! You could also add some lemon zest to the shortbread crust if you wanted to give it a lemon flair.
• Line your pan with parchment paper or foil, so you can lift the lemon bars out easily after they cool.
• Use a blender to mix all your lemon curd filling ingredients together. It’s so quick and easy doing it this way. You may see some white bubbles rising to the top as it bakes. To avoid this, do not over mix the lemon mixture.
• One of my favorite kitchen tools is this little dusting wand.  It makes it so easy to dust these easy lemon bars with of powdered sugar.
• Make sure to add the powdered sugar right before serving because it will soak into the bars the longer it sits out.

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Recipe Questions:

Can you use bottled lemon juice?

You sure can. In fact, I have found that bottled lemon juice gives the best ever lemon bars a little more tart flavor which actually pairs really well with the sweet cookie crust in these lemon bars. Freshly squeezed lemon juice also works well, but seems to be a little sweeter in my opinion.

Do lemon bars need to be refrigerated?  

Yes, because the lemon filling is basically a custard. If you are not serving the lemon bars the same day you bake them, they need to be stored in the refrigerator in a tightly sealed container. for 5-7 days. If you are serving them at a party, they will be fine at room temperature for a few hours. 

Do lemon bars freeze well?  

Yes, after the bars cool completely, wrap them tightly in foil or plastic wrap and freeze for up to one month.  Thaw completely before serving.

What is the best way to cut lemon bars?  

Line your pan with foil or parchment paper, so you can lift the bars out easily once they are cooled. Cool the bars to room temperature, then refrigerate until firm. Use a sharp knife that has been dampened in warm water and dried off to make clean cuts. Wipe the knife after each cut.

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More lemon desserts recipes:

• Fresh Fruit Danish
• Lemon Meringue Cupcakes
• Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt Cake
• Lemon Coconut Cupcakes
• Strawberry Snacking Cake

Other no bake lemon desserts:

• Strawberry Cheesecake Salad
• Fruit Parfait
• Lemon and Strawberry Cake
• No Bake Strawberry Cream Pie
• Whipped Cream Fruit Dip

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Continue to Content

Easy Lemon Bars Recipe

Yield: 16 bars

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

With only a few ingredients these Easy Lemon Bars come together in minutes. A sweet cookie crust adds the perfect touch to the tart and creamy lemon curd filling. These best lemon bars are the perfect dessert to share at spring parties, showers, picnics, or bake sales.

Print

Ingredients

For the Crust

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

For the Filling

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 Tablespoons all purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 2 Tablespoons lemon zest
• 2 large eggs
• powdered sugar, for garnish

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8x8 pan with foil and spray with nonstick spray.
2. Mix the flour, powdered sugar, and butter together until crumbs form. (Using a stand mixer may produce a soft dough.)
3. Press the crumbs/dough firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan going up the sides slightly, so the filling doesn't go under it. Bake 22-25 minutes.
4. While the crust is baking, pour the filling ingredients into the blender and pulse until light and foamy.
5. Pour onto the hot crust and bake another 25 minutes. Remove and let cool completely. They will set up as they cool.
6. Sprinkle with powdered sugar right before serving. Makes 16 bars.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 16 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 224Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 46mgSodium: 46mgCarbohydrates: 34gFiber: 0gSugar: 23gProtein: 2g

Nutrition facts are an estimate and are not guaranteed to be accurate. If you need special diet advice, please see a registered dietician.

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*The post for Best Lemon Bars was first published February 18, 2016. The photos and post were updated and republished April 7, 2021.

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