Lemon Bars
Tart lemon custard & subtly sweet shortbread make these bright and tasty Lemon Bars the perfect summer treat! These highly portable dessert bars can be cut to any size you need, and are great for all your picnics in the park, outdoor barbecues, and pool parties all season long.
Lemon Bars
My newfound obsession with all things lemon is intense and these Lemon Bars fulfill all of those citrus cravings!
All my life, I’ve been an orange girl. Oranges are not bitter or tart – they’re nice and sweet and just mouth-puckering enough to satisfy my taste buds.
When I starting dating my husband, he introduced me to the world of limes, and for a while, it was all about them.
He uses lime a lot in his cooking, plus I went through a short-yet-eye-opening stint where I was hooked on fresh agave margaritas.
Needless to say, our house is never without limes.
Lemons, however, those are new to our countertop fruit basket.
It all started last month when I found out the hard way that I have a peptic ulcer. Booooo.
Having to cut back on my coffee intake forced me to drink tea for the small amount of caffeine it offers.
I’m not one of those people that need caffeine to function properly, but I think it’s more of the ritual of drinking the coffee than anything that motivates me.
My favorite part of the day is waking up to let my dog out and firing up my coffee machine.
Those first few sips are heaven. Just thinking about it makes me want a cup right now.
A cup of coffee and a few of these lemon bars, actually.
Not being able to have my morning cup o’ joe made me try hot tea, which I’ve never really cared for.
We have it in the house for visitors and the rare occasion one of us gets a cold or the flu, but otherwise it just kind of sits in the cupboard.
To jazz it up, I started adding a bit of lemon – with the hopes that it wouldn’t flare up the ulcer.
Luckily, no flare-ups – the only side effect was a new love of hot tea! And of course, lemon.
I guess this means I could now easily survive living in the UK. Bonus!
How to Make Lemon Bars:
Like many lemon bar recipes, this one requires two bakes but is otherwise very simple!
Shortbread Crust
-
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 13×9 baking pan with a sheet of parchment, then grease well. Set aside.
-
With a hand mixer or in a stand mixer, cream the butter for 2-3 minutes until pale and fluffy. Add the sugar and flour and mix well.
-
Transfer the dough to the prepared baking pan. Spread it into an even layer with your fingers. Chill for 15 minutes, then bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes until just barely golden brown. Cool.
-
In a large bowl, whisk together all ingredients until well incorporated. Pour the mixture over the cooled crust.
-
Bake for 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees F until the custard is set. Remove from the oven and let cool. Dust with powdered sugar as desired and serve. You may also chill the bars and serve them cold.
These lemon bars are absolutely scrumptious.
The lemon custard is very tart, but not in a bad way.
You can easily adjust the sugar to lemon juice ratio in the recipe if you prefer a sweet lemon bar, but my husband and I devoured them.
As for the shortbread base, it’s supremely buttery – it smells so good, you might be tempted to sneak a taste after pre-baking the crust!
If you like an equal cookie-to-custard ratio, double the shortbread recipe and bake it a bit longer until it’s a nice golden brown.
Over-baking isn’t a terrible fate with these since the custard softens the base during the second bake.
More Tasty Lemon Recipes:
Helpful Kitchen Tools For This Recipe:
Let’s Connect!
I created a fun little group on facebook and I’d love for you to join in! It’s a place where you can ask questions and see what’s new with Sugar & Soul! If you’d like to check it out, you can request to join HERE.
Be sure to follow me on Instagram and tag #sugarandsoulco so I can see all the wonderful recipes YOU make from this site! You can also Subscribe to my Newsletter so you never miss a delicious recipe again!
Lemon Bars
Ingredients
Shortbread Crust
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Lemon Custard
- 5 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup lemon juice (from about 5 lemons)
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest (from about 2 lemons)
- Powdered sugar, for garnish
Instructions
Shortbread Crust
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 13×9-inch baking pan with a sheet of parchment paper, then grease well. Set aside.
- With a hand mixer or in a stand mixer, cream the butter for 2-3 minutes until pale and fluffy. Add the sugar and flour and mix well.
- Transfer the dough to the prepared baking pan. Spread it into an even layer with your fingers. Chill for 15 minutes, then bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes until just barely golden brown. Cool.
Lemon Custard
- In a large bowl, whisk together all ingredients until well incorporated. Pour the mixture over the cooled crust.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees F until the custard is set. Remove from the oven and let cool. Dust with powdered sugar as desired and serve. You may also chill the bars and serve them cold.
Video
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?
Don’t forget to share it with me on Instagram @sugarandsoulco and follow on Tiktok @sugarandsoulco and Pinterest @sugarandsoulco for more!
Everyone in the family loves these…my wife asked for them for her birthday!
How can u make this gluten free or organic.
Hi Susan, you can use a 1 for 1 gluten free flour instead of all-purpose flour. This is the one I have had the best luck with in baked goods. https://amzn.to/2rZoBJp
Lemon desserts are my favorite! Not only are these lemon bars delicious but they are also gorgeous and perfect for serving guests.
Mmmm…bright delicious lemon bars – the stuff of summer dreams! Thanks so much for sharing this lovely recipe. Your blog is gorgeous!