These lemon bars are a perfect balance between sweet and tart. Made with fresh lemons and a shortbread crust, these lemon bars will become a favorite dessert.
I am ready for spring and I thought we were almost there. The snow is gone (except up in the mountains.) Bulbs are starting to pop up. The days are longer and the sun....oh the sun has been shining!
Then yesterday hit! Cold, rainy snowy mix, dark clouds, cold temperatures. Sigh.... I need a little sunshine back so I am sharing with you these lemon bars!
They are just like a little slice of sunshine. Just one look puts a smile on your face 🙂 And the taste....puts an even bigger smile on your face!
I love lemon and these lemon bars bring out the full lemon flavor. They aren't too sweet...just the perfect balance between sweet and tart.
I hope these lemon bars bring a bit of sunshine into your day!
Tips for making lemon bars
- Always use fresh squeezed lemon juice
- Don't skip the lemon zest. The zest provides more flavor than the juice itself
- Let lemon bars cool completely before slicing
- Bars are best eaten the same day they are made
How much juice do you get from a lemon?
Lemons vary in size and some are juicier than others, but on average you can get 2 tablespoon of juice from a lemon.
Recipes with fresh lemon juice
If you are looking for additional recipes that use lemon, you won't want to miss Raspberry Lemon Muffins, Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Buttercream, Blueberry Lemon Bars and Mini Lemon Tarts.
If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment below and snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @beyondthechickencoop
Check out all my delicious desserts!
Lemon Bars
Equipment
Ingredients
Crust
- ¾ cup butter (cut into small pieces)
- 1 ½ cup flour
- 1 cup powdered sugar
Filling
- 6 whole eggs
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 1 cup flour
- 1 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 2 Tablespoons lemon zest
Serving
- powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
Crust
- For the crust: Add butter, 1 ½ cups flour and powdered sugar into a food processor.¾ cup butter, 1 ½ cup flour, 1 cup powdered sugar
- Pulse until crumbly. This mixture will appear very dry.
- Pour into a 8x11 inch baking dish. Pat down with hands so it is slightly compacted. The powdered sugar will seem dry and powdery.
- Bake crust in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes.
Filling
- Meanwhile in the same food processor bowl, add eggs, sugar, flour, lemon juice and zest. Puree until well mixed.6 whole eggs, 1 ½ cups sugar, 1 cup flour, 1 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice, 2 Tablespoons lemon zest
- When crust comes out of oven, let cool for 5 minutes. While still warm, pour lemon mixture over crust. Return to oven for 30 minutes.
- Let cool completely.
Serving
- Cut into squares and sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.powdered sugar for dusting
Notes
Nutritional Disclaimer:
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. To obtain the most precise nutritional information in a provided recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the exact ingredients you are using when preparing the recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Nutrition
Barb says
Can you please let me know what size of pan you used for this recipe?
Kathy says
Hi Barb,
I'm sorry I left that out! I used a 8x11 inch pan.
Enjoy!
Kathy 🙂
Fred G says
Fresh lemons make a great bar.
Christina says
You know, I've eaten many a lemon bar in my life but I've never actually made them myself. Whelp, that's all about to change bc this recipe looks too tempting to pass up!!