lemon bar

On the verge of spring, when you're craving fresh flavors, but few fruits are in season, lemon bars are just the thing. My version is something of a cross between lemon curd and lemon meringue pie, soft and rich with egg yolks, but thick enough to slice into neat squares—no cornstarch required.

Sunny Lemon Bars Recipe

For the Crust:

(1 cup; 130 grams) all-purpose flour

(1 tablespoon; 4 grams) freshly grated lemon zest

(1 stick; 115 grams) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch dice

For the Custard:

eggs,

eggs

(1 1/3 cups; 270 grams) granulated sugar

kosher salt

(1 packed tablespoon; 8 grams) freshly grated lemon zest

(1 1/3 cups; 310 grams) lemon juice,

For Garnishing:

(1/2 cup; 55 grams) powdered sugar (optional)

(1 cup; 170 grams) Lemon Chantilly (optional)

(1 cup; 140 grams) Crispy Citrus-Candied Pistachios (optional)

For the Crust: Adjust oven rack to middle position, preheat oven to 350°F, and line an 8- by 8- by 2-inch anodized-aluminum baking pan with a piece of parchment paper long enough to overhang the pan's edges. Combine flour, powdered sugar, salt, lemon zest, and butter in the bowl of a food processor; pulse to form a dry but pebbly meal, about twelve 1-second pulses. Scatter into the prepared baking pan, press into an even layer, and bake until pale gold and firm, about 30 minutes. Use hot or set aside until needed, up to 48 hours at room temperature if tightly covered.

For the Custard: Combine whole eggs, yolks, sugar, salt, and lemon zest in a 3-quart stainless steel saucepan, then whisk in lemon juice. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly but not vigorously, until warm to the touch, about 3 minutes. Increase heat to medium-low and continue cooking and stirring until thick and steaming-hot (custard should register 170°F on an instant-read thermometer), about 8 minutes. Immediately strain into the prepared crust, smooth into an even layer, and cover with aluminum foil. Bake until smooth and firm, about 10 minutes. Remove foil and cool to room temperature, then re-cover and refrigerate until cold and firm, about 1 hour.

To Serve: Loosen chilled custard from sides of pan with a bench or butter knife, then carefully tug loose and lift using overhanging parchment and transfer to a cutting board. Cut into 16 two-inch squares, rinsing the knife clean between each slice. Serve plain, lightly dusted with powdered sugar, or topped with Lemon Chantilly and Crispy Citrus-Candied Pistachios. Store up to 1 week in an airtight container.

This is a really lemony treat you can enjoy for breakfast, afternoon tea, or as a midnight snack. It's super easy to whip up! You probably have the ingredients in your pantry and fridge. We loved the creamy lemon curd filling. And, the crunchy sugar topping is perfect!

Easy Crescent Dough Lemon Bars

can(s) refrigerated crescent rolls

stick(s) butter, softened

lemon

lemons

cup(s) sugar

Sweet and tangy Meyer lemon brown butter bars make the best treat! You'll love these easy lemon bars with a generous dusting of powdered sugar.

Meyer Lemon Brown Butter Bars

unsalted butter

sugar

vanilla

salt

all-purpose flour

Tbsp all-purpose flour, sifted

Tbsp fresh Meyer lemon zest

Meyer lemon juice

sugar,

Preheat oven to 350°F and line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper.

Make the crust

Cook butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly until it foams, turns clear, and then turns a medium brown, about 5 minutes. Pour browned butter into a large mixing bowl and let cool for 5 minutes.

Add sugar, vanilla, and salt; whisk in until smooth. Fold in flour until incorporated.

Press dough evenly into bottom of prepared baking pan. Bake the crust for 22 to 24 minutes, until the top is set and the edges are golden.

Make the filling

 When the crust is almost finished baking, make the filling. Sift together flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk in eggs, Meyer lemon zest, and juice until smooth and fully incorporated.

Reduce oven temperature to 325°F and slowly pour filling over hot crust. Carefully return pan to oven and continue baking until filling is firm, 22 to 25 minutes. Remove bars from the oven and cool for 1 hour on a wire rack, then chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours.

To serve, carefully lift parchment and place bars on a cutting board. Cut into squares with a sharp knife and dust squares with powdered sugar just before serving.

These bars are so delicious and I can't wait to make them again for my family at Easter! This recipe is going in the forever-rotation.

The perfect recipe for my Meyer lemons! Such easy and delicious lemon bars!

This Lemon Bar Magic Cake has three gorgeous layers of deliciousness in one super easy cake!

Lemon Bar Magic Cake

Vanilla cake mix (plus ingredients needed to make - eggs, oil, water)

lemons (zest)

lemon juice

1.4 oz sugar free instant lemon pudding mix

milk (cold)

oz Cool Whip (thawed)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9x13" cake pan and set aside.

Prepare the cake mix according to package instructions and pour into the prepared cake pan. DO NOT BAKE, set aside.

Combine the 2 cups sugar, flour, eggs, lemon zest and lemon juice in a bowl and whisk together until sugar is dissolved. Pour over the prepared cake mix. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Let the cake cool completely before frosting! Whisk together the lemon pudding mix with the cold milk until smooth and thickened (about 2 minutes), then fold in the thawed Cool Whip, until fully combined.

Spread the frosting over the cake and enjoy right away or chill, covered, in the fridge until ready to serve. Enjoy!

https://mediavine-res.cloudinary.com/video/upload/t_original/v1653512759/iLQAlh0aG.mp4

This multi-layerd cake is always a hit at parties!

This mandarin citrus bar is filled with vitamin C, simple, and the best weeknight dessert to make ahead of time. 

Mandarin Citrus Bars

mandarin juice

flour

mandarin

AP flour

butter

Heat oven to 350F and line a 9x13 baking dish with parchment paper.

Add flour, salt, sugar in a large bowl. Mix well to combine.

Pour in melted butter and mix with a spatula or a paddle attachment on your stand mixer.

Transfer the dough into the baking dish and press down flat in an even layer. Make sure to let out all the air and the crevices are filled.

Using a fork, poke holes in the dough.

Bake for 20-22 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned.

Shortcrust Pastry

While the crust is baking, make the citrus filling. Combine all the ingredients together and mix.

Pour the citrus filling on top of the short crust pastry. You can do this process while the pastry is hot.

Transfer the citrus tart into the oven and bake for 25 minutes. Make sure to cool the pastry overnight or in the fridge for 1-2 hours.

Sprinkle 1-2 tbsp granulated sugar over the mandarin citrus bars. This adds a nice crunch and can also cover up any cracks if the filling doesn’t look “perfect.”

Torch on low heat until the top has bruleed. Cut into desired shapes and enjoy!

Citrus Filling

Homemade Lemon Bars are a crowd-pleasing dessert and perfect for sharing! This easy lemon bar recipe is bright, tart-sweet and perfectly balanced with a crisp shortbread crust. They’re a quick recipe to bake, too, and are ready in less than an hour!

Easy Lemon Bars

unsalted butter (melted)

lemon juice (from 3-4 lemons)

¼ all-purpose flour

baking powder

lemon zest (from 1 lemon)

Make the shortbread crust

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9”x13” baking dish with parchment paper, and spray with nonstick baking spray. Set it aside.

Measure the flour and sugar into a large bowl.

Pour the melted butter into the dry ingredients, and mix until combined. You can use your hands or a rubber spatula.

Press the shortbread crust into your prepared baking dish, then transfer to the preheated oven.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Let cool slightly while you make the lemon curd filling.

Make the lemon curd filling

In a large bowl, beat together eggs, sugar and lemon juice with a hand mixer or a whisk.

Sift the flour and baking powder into the egg mixture, and stir until combined.

Pour this mixture over the slightly cooled shortbread crust.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the center isn’t jiggly.

Let the lemon bars cool until they are almost at room temperature, then lift them out of the pan with the parchment paper.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar and slice into bars with a sharp knife.

Enjoy immediately.

We absolutely loved these bars! Lemon is one of our favorites and the tart lemon was a great contrast with their sweetness.

This is one of my absolute favorite desserts. So lemony and delicious. I will be making it again for sure!

Lemon Bars are addicting! I always want one more.  Your recipe is perfect with a great balance of crust to bar and the right amount of sweet to tart.  Yum!

Just the right amount of sweet and tart. These are the perfect dessert for a bridal shower and yes, to the small bitesize pieces.

Making them this week for my MIL birthday!  I just love all your recipes!  Thanks for sharing!

These lemon bars are the perfect dessert for any occasion!

Top 6 lemon bar recipes from across the web

The most viewed lemon bar recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

Top Tags

Sunny Lemon Bars Recipe

Easy Crescent Dough Lemon Bars

Meyer Lemon Brown Butter Bars

Lemon Bar Magic Cake

Mandarin Citrus Bars

Easy Lemon Bars

Top 6 lemon bar recipes from across the web

The most viewed lemon bar recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Sunny Lemon Bars Recipe

Easy Crescent Dough Lemon Bars

Meyer Lemon Brown Butter Bars

Lemon Bar Magic Cake

Mandarin Citrus Bars

Easy Lemon Bars

The most viewed lemon bar recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine