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 to make 2 big lemon bars. However, you can double and use an 8-inch square pan for more servings.
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 like this Recipe for Lemon Bars
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 (Easy Lemon Bar Recipe)
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°. If you only have a metal 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 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
Lauren at KeepItSweet says
You just made me REALLY want to live in California (although i already kind of did)!
Christina says
You should come visit! :)
life and kitchen says
I love lemons! It makes me want to move out west! Or down to Florida :)
Miss @ Miss in the Kitchen says
I can't help it, I am so jealous! Your lemon bars look just lovely! I have been considering trying to grow a Meyer Lemon tree in a pot, so I could bring it in over the winter. Probably a lost cause in Wyoming!
Christina says
The taste was delicious but made a big mistake of using an electric mixer and caused a lot of bubbles. Will make again though!
Amber | Bluebonnets & Brownies says
I am so jealous! I've never had a Meyer Lemon, and I want to try them SO bad. Even when we were in Texas last week, there was snow. It sucked! At least there was barbecue and mexican food to console me :) The lemon bars look so so good. I want to make them!
ASHLEA says
Lemon bars have been my favorite dessert since I was a little girl and oddly enough, I have never taken the time to try and find a favorite recipe for them. They are just such a must living in the south :)
Thanks for sharing.
Katie@Cozydelicious says
Your lemon bars look lovely! They look just like my grandmother's , but I bet the meyer lemons bring them to a whole new level. Yum!
Priya (Yallapantula) Mitharwal says
wow, love your lemon bars, look so good.
blackbookkitchendiaries says
They look absolutely delicious! i love lemon bars:) my grandma used to me them all the time! your recipe sounds so good. thank you for sharing this, and have a great weekend.
Christina @ Sweet Pea's Kitchen says
Mmmmm...I love lemon bars! These look amazing! :)
Kim - Liv Life says
I have never had good luck at Lemon Bars... many times they taste wonderful but don't look so pretty. Yours look like they fit both bills!
I'm from just north of San Francisco, in San Rafael (currently in San Diego, though) and I always loved the fruit stands and markets!! Later, living in Vacaville I worked in Woodland and would drive through fields and fields of corn and sunflowers. I always kick myself for not stopping and taking pictures of those towering flowers.
Enjoy the citrus!!