If lemon desserts are your favorite, then today's recipe is for you! A small batch of lemon bars in a bread loaf pan to make 4 bars, or a double batch in an 8-inch pan to serve more people. The choice (and the serving size) is yours!
Since this is a small-batch baking site, I have a recipe for a small batch of lemon bars. It's made in a standard 9-inch bread loaf pan, though an 8-inch one will work fine, too. But over the years, this recipe has become so popular and I've received so many messages about you wanting to scale it up.
So, I'm sharing both today: the small batch and the large batch recipe.
My preference for lemon bars is a slightly sour, fresh lemon tasting bar with plenty of pucker. This recipe contains plenty of fresh lemon zest for that intense lemon flavor, and plenty of juice for the sourness. The extra rich, buttery shortbread crust on the bottom is the perfect counterbalance.
Just look at the ratio of filling to crust, and tell me you didn't just fall in love:
You will love this recipe for Lemon Bars
I made a small batch of lemon bars in my standard 9" bread loaf pan. <--Here's a link to the exact pan I use.
The recipe uses just 1 lemon, or however many lemons it takes to get 3 tablespoons of juice. It's packed with lemon zest.
My lemon bar recipe is slightly different from other lemon bars. Instead of the standard shortbread crust, mine has a bit more sugar, making it taste like a sugar cookie. I use powdered sugar in the crust to give it a subtle sweetness that still lends itself to being a tender yet crisp crust.
One note about this lemon bar recipe: the crust mixture seems overly powdery the first time you make it. You'll think 'this needs water or an egg, or something to hold it together!' But fret not, the crust will hold together after the heat of the oven melts the butter and bakes it.
This lemon bar recipe requires two bakes: first, the crust bakes separately. While you're waiting for the crust to bake, do not skip ahead and make the lemon filling, ok? Acidic lemon juice and eggs aren't the best of friends, and it's a small miracle that citrus curd actually exists in our world.
So, let the crust bake on its own; clean the sink, prep for the filling. Only when the crust is golden brown around the edges and fully ready to come out of the oven should you begin making the lemon filling.
The lemon filling just requires some steady but not vigorous whisking. You want to dissolve the flour and baking powder, but if you whisk too much, you'll make air bubbles in the filling. However, tiny air bubbles on top after baking are okay--we'll cover them with powdered sugar anyway, but it's best to try to limit the big air pockets.
Easy Lemon Bar ingredients
- Butter. For the shortbread crust, we need 12 tablespoons (6 ounces) or unsalted butter. It should be slightly cool--do not fully soften it.
- Powdered Sugar. We’ll use powdered sugar in the shortbread crust and sprinkle it on top when the bars are done.
- All-Purpose Flour. We need regular plain all-purpose flour for the crust and for the filling.
- Granulated Sugar. We will use granulated white sugar for the filling only.
- Lemons. It will probably require 2-3 lemons to create 2 teaspoons of fresh lemon zest and 6 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice. It depends on the size of your lemons, of course, but it’s better to have an extra lemon than not enough zest or juice!
- Eggs. The filling here is a baked custard that requires two whole eggs and two additional egg yolks. Reserve the leftover egg whites for another use.
- Baking Powder. A small amount of baking powder helps the filling rise and set.
Substitute for Meyer Lemon juice:
Sometimes, I use Meyer lemons to make this lemon bars recipe, but regular lemons are completely delicious here, too! If you want to approximate the Meyer lemon flavor, use 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of freshly squeezed orange juice. The floral notes from the orange mimic the unique fragrance of the Meyer lemon.
How to make Lemon Bars
Preheat the oven to 350°. The best pan for these bars is a square glass or ceramic pan measuring 8” x 8”. If you only have a metal pan, line the pan very well (in both directions) with parchment paper. You do not want the acidic lemon curd to touch the sides of the metal pan. First, make the shortbread crust: In a medium bowl, add all crust ingredients. Use your fingers or a pastry blender to rub the butter into the flour, sugar and salt. You should have a coarse meal.
Press this mixture into the bottom of the loaf pan firmly. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the edges are slightly browned and the top is not wet to the touch. Once you remove the pan from the oven, you may then start making your filling. (Do not make the filling ahead of time and let it sit---eggs and lemon juice aren't the best of friends).
In a small bowl, beat with a hand-held electric mixer the granulated sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, whole eggs and egg yolks. Beat this mixture very well until it becomes frothy--about 1 minute.
Finally, beat in the baking powder and flour until no lumps remain.
Pour this mixture over the crust that has been cooling. Return the pan to the oven for another 20-23 minutes, or until the filling is set.
Immediately remove the bars from the loaf pan and allow to cool before dusting with powdered sugar and cutting into squares.
How to serve Homemade Lemon Bars:
Lemon bars should be served slightly chilled to room temperature, sliced into neat squares and dusted with powdered sugar. The surface of a lemon bar can contain small bubbles after baking, so powdered sugar makes them prettier.
How to store these Easy Lemon Bars:
Slice up the lemon bars into squares, and place them in an airtight container. If you need to stack them, place a piece of parchment paper between the pieces so they don’t stick. They keep covered tightly in the fridge for up to 3 days. Beyond that, the crust may begin to turn a bit soggy.
Easy Lemon Bar Recipe notes
One final note: this recipe uses one whole egg plus one egg yolk. This means that you'll have a leftover egg white. Click here to check out my recipes that use egg whites.
Easy Lemon Bars FAQ
Before removing the pan from the oven, give it a slight nudge on the side. The filling should not be overly jiggly. Curd will continue to set as it cools. You can also press a finger pad gently on the surface of the curd--if no indentation reminds, they are done.
Lemon bars can crack two ways: if you over-beat the eggs when mixing and added too much air to the batter, the air will escape in the heat of the oven. Just mix the eggs in until they’re fully incorporated, but resist the urge to beat until foamy. Two, lemon bars can crack from drastic temperature changes. Upon removing them from the hot oven, place them near the oven on a cooling rack to gently cool. Never take hot custard and place it in a fridge immediately after cooking.
Remove your lemon bars from the oven before they turn brown on top. Browning means they’re over-cooked, and the custard mixture can curdle. They will be pale yellow, only very slightly jiggly and will not hold a fingerprint when they are done. For a prettier presentation, they are sprinkled with powdered sugar before being served.
More Lemon Recipes to Try!
I'm a true lemon lover, and have so many lemon desserts on this site to share with you: Meyer Lemon Scones, Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake, and Lemon Cake for Two are my favorite recipes here on the site.
Also, if lemon curd is your jam like it is mine, then you've got to try my Microwave Lemon Curd recipe!
So, if you're lucky enough to have Meyer lemons, use them here for this lemon bars recipe, but either way, the recipe will be perfect!
Homemade Lemon Bars
The best ever lemon bars.
Ingredients
FOR THE SHORTBREAD CRUST:
- 12 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 ½ cups flour
- pinch of salt
FOR THE LEMON FILLING:
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons packed lemon zest
- 6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 large eggs
- 2 large egg yolks, white reserved for another use
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 2 tablespoons flour
- powdered sugar for sprinkling
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°. The best pan for these bars is a glass bread loaf pan measuring 9” x 5” x 3”. If you only have a metal loaf pan, line the pan very well with parchment paper. You do not want the acidic lemon curd to touch the sides of the metal pan.
- First, make the shortbread crust: In a medium bowl, add all crust ingredients. Use your fingers or a pastry blender to rub the butter into the flour, sugar and salt. You should have a coarse meal. Press this mixture into the bottom of the loaf pan firmly. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the edges are slightly browned and the top is not wet to the touch.
- Once you remove the pan from the oven, you may then start making your filling. (Do not make the filling ahead of time and let it sit---eggs and lemon juice aren't the best of friends). In a small bowl, beat with a hand-held electric mixer the granulated sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, whole egg and egg yolk. Beat this mixture very well until it becomes frothy--about 1 minute.
- Beat in the baking powder and flour until no lumps remain. Pour this mixture over the crust that has been cooling. Return the pan to the oven for another 20-23 minutes, or until the filling is set.
- Immediately remove the bars from the loaf pan and allow to cool before dusting with powdered sugar and cutting into bars.
Notes
For the small batch version: Use a 9-inch of 8-inch bread loaf pan, lined with parchment. Here are the shortbread measurements for a small batch: 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, ¼ cup powdered sugar, ¾ cup flour, pinch of salt. Here is the small batch filling recipe: ½ cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon packed lemon zest, 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 1 large egg, 1 large egg yolk (egg white reserved for another use), ¼ teaspoon baking powder, 1 tablespoon flour. Follow the recipe instructions as written; the baking time is the same.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
9Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 420Total Fat: 18gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 144mgSodium: 78mgCarbohydrates: 60gFiber: 1gSugar: 42gProtein: 6g
sylvia says
I am surprised at the difference of your instructions between the written recipe and the video.
In written recipe you say to bake in a glass pan because the lemon acidity and metal don't work well.
In the recipe you say to mix the egg mixture with mixer, in video you used a whisk 'so you don't create bubbles.'
Christie says
No wonder when I beat my egg mixture until frothy like the written instructions, the lemon bars turned out weird...
I'm guessing the video is more accurate on that point.
Otherwise I love this recipe, though.
Sarah Costa says
These lemon bars are delicious!
Amanda says
I made these and they were delicious. More like dessert for one! I would have put a picture but they were gone too quickly. I will definitely be making them again. Love your website and your recipes. Thanks
Alanna says
Thanks for sharing this recipe! I have it in the oven now. Your blog is a go to for me and has been for a few years. I love the scaled down versions!
Tam says
Recipe tastes so good! But I followed the directions in the recipe card and it *looked* awful. Important to note, for anyone else who’s reading: DO NOT use the electric mixer in step 3. I typically jump to recipe and only use that part but doooont use the mixer lol
Hannah says
I made these with my 12yr old son and we followed the video. They came out perfectly! Delicious and look very impressive.
Vicky says
In the video you stated "all purpose" flour, in the written recipe here, you just say flour?
If you use all purpose flour, is there a need for baking powder?
Thanks for any response.
V.
Christina Lane says
All purpose flour does not contain baking powder.
Mary Y. says
Awesome lemon bars! Not too tart or sweet. Will be making these again.
Deb says
Absolutely wonderful lemon bars. I made this exactly according to the recipe and they came out perfectly. Adding to my repertoire!
Deb says
I made these last week for a friend (and snuck one piece for myself first). OMG, it is so good! I’m not normally a lemon fan but this recipe has changed that. I’m finding your website to be constant and reliable. All five recipes I’ve tried so far have been successes. Thank you for your work. You’ve got a faithful follower!