Easy Lemon Bars

Six-ingredients are all you need for these easy lemon bars. Bursting with great sweet-tart lemon taste and a buttery shortbread base, they are everything a lemon bar should be. Perfect for every day or a special occasion.

Editors Note: Originally published February 7, 2017.  It is being republished to be part of the 2018 Super Bowl Recipe roundup with expanded discussion and updated photos. It is a great recipe for get-togethers and is sure to please.

My wife had a knitting group, and a treat was needed to go with the tea. My wife suggested Lemon bars from a particular cookbook. Unfortunately, it was not there. I searched various cookbooks but nothing worth discussing. So online time.

I started at Cooks Illustrated as usually, but the recipe went on and on and on and on. I got some hints, but I wasn't jumping through all those hoops.

I finally zeroed in on All Recipes - The Best Lemon Bars. With a 4.5 star rating, simple instructions, and not too many ingredients, it was for me. I read several hundred of the reviews and had my plan with modifications from comment land.

My Rating

A 4 or 5 depending on if you're a "lemon bar person" or not. But even the "not" will enjoy this. Better than any lemon bar I have tasted.

Pro Tips: Recipe Notes on Easy Lemon Bars

The Baking Dish

The model recipe suggested ungreased, while Cooks Illustrated goes with a two crossed sheets of parchment paper. Other recipes greased the pan and some just the sides. Quite some variation.

I suggest parchment on the bottom and grease sides. You will still need to use a knife around the outside to remove. Do not follow the "ungreased" recommendation.

Other Notes

Lots of recipes add some lemon zest for more taste. That is fine if you want, but I don't feel it is needed.

This would be an easy recipe to cut in half with a smaller baking dish.

The bars should be refrigerated for storage and should be good for 3-4 days. I'm not convinced that these would freeze well.

You can use fresh lemons. A medium lemon will have 2 1/2 to 3 tablespoons of juice so for the 2/3 cup of juice, use 4 medium lemons.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prep a 9 by 13 baking dish. Give it a light brush of butter then cover the bottom with parchment paper.

Soften 1 cup (two sticks) of butter in the microwave. Mix the softened butter, 2 cups flour and 1/2 cup sugar. If unsalted butter, add 1/4 teaspoon salt. It will look crumbly.

Press into the bottom of prepared pan. Bake for about 20 minutes until firm and golden.

Whisk together 1 1/2 cups sugar and 1/3 cup flour. Add 4 eggs and the juice of 4 medium lemons (or 2/3 cup lemon juice.) Mix well.

Pour the lemon/egg mixture over the baked crust. Bake for an additional 20 minutes.

Remove from oven and dust with powdered sugar.

Cool in refrigerator before cutting into 2-inch squares.

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Easy Lemon Bars

From Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan

Six-ingredients are all you need for these easy lemon bars. Bursting with great sweet-tart lemon taste and a buttery shortbread base, they are everything a lemon bar should be. Perfect for every day or a special occasion.

4.82 from 16 votes

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Prep Time 15 mins

Cook Time 40 mins

Total Time 55 mins

Servings #/Adjust if desired 24

Ingredients

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Crust

• 1 cup butter - 2 sticks
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 cups flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt - if using unsalted butter

Filling

• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup flour
• 4 medium lemons - 2/3 cup of lemon juice
• 4 large eggs

Topping

• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prep a 9 by 13 baking dish. Give it a light brush of butter then cover the bottom with parchment paper.
• Soften 1 cup (two sticks) of butter in the microwave. Mix the softened butter, 2 cups flour and 1/2 cup sugar. If unsalted butter, add 1/4 teaspoon salt. It will look crumbly. Press into the bottom of prepared pan.
• Bake for about 20 minutes until firm and golden.
• Whisk together 1 1/2 cups sugar and 1/3 cup flour. Add 4 eggs and the juice of 4 medium lemons (or 2/3 cup lemon juice.) Mix well.
• Pour the lemon/egg mixture over the baked crust. Bake for an additional 20 minutes.
• Remove from oven and dust with powdered sugar. Cool in refigerator before cutting into 2-inch squares.

Recipe Notes

Pro Tips:

1. An easy recipe to cut in half using an 8 by 8 baking dish.
2. You may use fresh lemons or lemon juice.
3. Be sure to cool completely before cutting.
4. The bars should be refrigerated for storage and should be good for a few days. I'm not convinced that these would freeze well.

Have More Questions?Make it Perfect First Time and Every Time. Don't miss out, check the full post above. Almost every recipe includes easy step by step photo instructions so you can visualize yourself cooking this recipe along with helpful tips and options.

TO ADJUST THE RECIPE SIZE:You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.

Nutrition

Calories : 189kcalCarbohydrates : 27gProtein : 2gFat : 9gSaturated Fat : 5gPolyunsaturated Fat : 0.1gMonounsaturated Fat : 0.3gCholesterol : 56mgSodium : 99mgPotassium : 27mgFiber : 0.4gSugar : 17gVitamin A : 300IUCalcium : 10mgIron : 0.5mg

Serving size is my estimate of a normal size unless stated otherwise. The number of servings per recipe is stated above. This is home cooking, and there are many variables. All nutritional information are estimates and may vary from your actual results. To taste ingredients such as salt will be my estimate of the average used.

Course :Dessert

Cuisine :American

Originally Published February 7, 2017