Best Lemon Bars | What’s Cookin’ Italian Style Cuisine

A bright addition to your dessert table welcomes a bit of sunshine-bright lemon filling with a simple and gourmet, irresistible combination of flavors.

These lemon bars strike the perfect balance between sweet and tart, but silky smooth in every bite, with an almost pudding-like topping that melts in your mouth.

Bars that are simple, quick, gourmet in taste, and perfect for any social gathering or even an addition to a holiday tray of desserts.

We just love recipes made easy, and from scratch, they’re so worth the little extra time to make.

You can even dress them up with a dollop of whipped cream and some lemon shavings for a beautiful presentation.

Why You Will Best Lemon Bars Recipe

• Perfect balance of tangy lemon and buttery rich crust
• Smooth, pudding-like filling that sets beautifully, just like a mini pie
• All made from scratch with the freshness of lemons
• Make ahead, as these freeze perfectly for last-minute unexpected company dessert
• Crowd-pleasing and perfect for any occasion

Substitutions and Crust Ideas

• Graham Cracker Crust – Buttery and slightly sweet
• Chocolate Cookie Crust – Great contrast to tart lemon
• Almond Flour Crust – Gluten-free and nutty flavor
• Coconut Crust – Add shredded coconut for tropical flair
• Oat & Honey Crust – Rustic and wholesome
• Vanilla Wafer Crust – Light and subtly sweet

Tips:

• Using a plastic knife works great for cutting after the bars are cooled, or use a sharp stainless steel knife
• For more lemon flavor, add 1/2 teaspoon of lemon extract along with zest
• Keep the knife you are using clean in between cuts
• Always use fresh lemon and lemon zest
• The bars are cooked when no imprint is left in the center
• Use lime or orange flavoring and zest to change them for another dessert
• Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container up to 5 days
• Freezer: Freeze (without powdered sugar) up to 2 months
• Serve chilled or room temp depending on preference
• Dust powdered sugar just before serving to prevent melting
• The recipe can be cut in half for a smaller family

Switch Up the Filling

• Strawberry Lemon Bars – Add pureed strawberries to the filling
• Blueberry Citrus Bars – Swirl in blueberry compote
• Orange Cream Bars – Swap lemon juice for orange juice + zest
• Mango Bars – Use mango puree with a splash of lime
• Pineapple Bars – Add crushed pineapple (well-drained)
• Key Lime Bars – Replace lemon with key lime juice
• Coconut Lime Bars – Add coconut milk and lime zest

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American

Yield: 30

Author: Claudia Lamascolo

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Best Lemon Bars

One of the most popular classic lemon bar recipes made with this rich, buttery shortbread crust never gets old.

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 40 MinTotal time: 55 Min

Ingredients

• Bottom Crust
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 sticks of butter (1 cup)
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• pinch of salt
• Lemon Filling:
• 2 cups of sugar
• 4 eggs
• 5 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest, grated, optional 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
• Garnish: sprinkle with powdered sugar

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees and line a 13 x 9 -inch pan with parchment paper.
2. Using a fork or a pastry blender, combine in a bowl the flour, salt, sugar, and butter and mix until a crumbly dough forms.
3. Press into the parchment-lined pan and bake 20 minutes or until edges start to brown.
4. In a medium bowl, add the filling ingredients and just whisk until all are blended together.
5. Pour over the partially baked crust and bake 25 more minutes until the middle is set.
6. Cool completely.
7. Cut into squares, cleaning the knife in between cutting rows, to keep from sticking.
8. Store bars in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
9. Alternate Recipe for  Making a Sour Cream Lemon Bar Filling
10. Same Crust recipe as above
11. Filling:
12. 4 large eggs
13. 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
14. 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
15. 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 3–4 lemons)
16. 1 tablespoon lemon zest
17. 1 cup sour cream (full-fat for best texture)
18. 1/4 teaspoon salt
19. Powdered sugar, for dusting
20. Whisk eggs and sugar until smooth.
21. Add flour, lemon juice, zest, and salt, mix well.
22. Gently fold in the sour cream until fully incorporated.
23. Same Crust and directions as the above recipe. Bake, then pour this filling over the hot crust. Baked around 18 to 20 minutes.

Notes

Switch Up the Filling

• Strawberry Lemon Bars – Add pureed strawberries to the filling
• Blueberry Citrus Bars – Swirl in blueberry compote
• Orange Cream Bars – Swap lemon juice for orange juice + zest
• Mango Bars – Use mango puree with a splash of lime
• Pineapple Bars – Add crushed pineapple (well-drained)
• Key Lime Bars – Replace lemon with key lime juice
• Coconut Lime Bars – Add coconut milk and lime zest

Tips:

• Using a plastic knife works great for cutting after the bars are cooled, or use a sharp stainless steel knife
• For more lemon flavor, add 1/2 teaspoon of lemon extract along with zest
• Keep the knife you are using clean in between cuts
• Always use fresh lemon and lemon zest
• The bars are cooked when no imprint is left in the center
• Use lime or orange flavoring and zest to change them for another dessert
• Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container up to 5 days
• Freezer: Freeze (without powdered sugar) up to 2 months
• Serve chilled or room temp depending on preference
• Dust powdered sugar just before serving to prevent melting

Substitutions and Crust Ideas

• Graham Cracker Crust – Buttery and slightly sweet
• Chocolate Cookie Crust – Great contrast to tart lemon
• Almond Flour Crust – Gluten-free and nutty flavor
• Coconut Crust – Add shredded coconut for tropical flair
• Oat & Honey Crust – Rustic and wholesome
• Vanilla Wafer Crust – Light and subtly sweet

Nutrition Facts

Sodium (milligrams)

60 mg

Cholesterol (grams)

40 mg

The default measuring system for this website is US Customary. Unit conversions are provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. While we strive to provide accurate unit conversions, please be aware that there may be some discrepancies.

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