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Sweet, tangy and so delicious, these easy lemon bars are the perfect Springtime dessert. Full of fresh flavors, these simple bars are quick and easy to make.
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I love all things lemon, and these bars are one of my favorite treats. Super simple to make, they are bursting with flavor.
These are a great dessert to enjoy for Easter and throughout the summer. Fresh and zingy, one bar is definitely not enough! These are simply the best lemon bars!
If you like these, be sure to check out my homemade lemonade and healthy lemon blueberry muffins.
Why you will love this lemon bars recipe!
- Easy: Most of the time spent in this recipe is hands-off baking and cooling time. It takes minutes to mix the base and filling together.
- Simple ingredients: This easy lemon bar recipe is made with everyday ingredients, most of which you will have on hand already.
- Make ahead: These lemon squares have a really good shelf life, so they are great to make several days ahead of time if you are planning to serve them as part of a bigger feast.
Ingredients
- Flour: You can use all-purpose or gluten-free flour in this recipe.
- Sugar: Use granulated or an alternative granulated sweetener.
- Salt: A little salt really helps to bring out the sweetness.
- Vanilla: For flavor or sweetness.
- Butter: Use unsalted butter. If you use salted, reduce the amount of added salt.
- Eggs: For the filling. Use free run / organic eggs if you can.
- Lemon: We use both the zest and juice in this recipe for a really fresh flavor.
- Powdered sugar: To dust the lemon bars.
Ingredients for shortbread crust Ingredients for lemon curd
How to make lemon bars
- Preheat the oven to 350 F and line the bottom and sides of a 9 x 13 dish with parchment paper.
- To make the crust, combine the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in a medium bowl. Add the softened butter, egg and vanilla extract and fold it several times to make a dough.
- Spread the crust over the bottom of the prepared dish and spread it out evenly using a glass/measuring cup and plastic wrap.
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 18 – 20 minutes or until the edges are just getting lightly browned. Remove from the oven and cool for 20 minutes or until it’s not hot.
- To make the lemon filling, whisk the sugar and flour together until well combined. Stir in the eggs, lemon juice & zest, and pinch of salt, and whisk together to combine. Don’t overmix it. The filling will be runny.
- Pour the filling on top of the cooled crust and bake for 25 – 28 minutes or until relative set. Remove from the oven and cool for 20 – 30 minutes on the counter, then refrigerate until cold and firm.
- Remove bars from pan and dust with powdered sugar, then cut into squares.
Making the crust 
Make the lemon curd and pour over crust Dust w/ powdered sugar and cut in squares
How to store them?
Refrigerate them: Once your homemade lemon bars have fully cooled, place them in an airtight container in the fridge. They will keep well for 5 to 6 days, if they last that long that is! The bars can be enjoyed straight from the fridge, or you can let them come up to room temperature for 30 minutes before enjoying.
Freeze them: Yes, these lemon bars are freezer-friendly, so be sure to make a double batch! Cut them into squares, but don’t add the powdered sugar. Freeze them solid on a baking sheet before wrapping them in foil or plastic and placing them into a freezer bag. They will keep well for around 3 months. Thaw them overnight in the fridge before dusting them with the sugar.
Can you make them with other citrus fruits?
Yes! If lemon isn’t your thing, or you fancy a change, you can easily make these bars with other fruits. Grapefruit, orange, lime, and blood orange are all great alternatives! Make a batch of each!
Are these lemon squares healthy?
To make these healthy lemon bars, make sure you use gluten-free flour (I prefer Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 flour) and also use alternative granulated and powdered sweetened. This recipe is perfect and fool-proof if you are looking for gluten-free lemon bars and low carb and keto friendly lemon bars.
TIPS FROM NELI’S KITCHEN
Recipe Notes and Tips
- Use freshly squeezed lemon juice rather than bottled. The flavor is so much more vibrant.
- If the eggs are at room temperature they are easier to combine with the other ingredients, but if they are cold it won’t affect the taste or texture of these classic lemon bars.
- Make sure the baking dish and its sides are lined with parchment paper so you can easily remove it from the dish. Make a cut in each corner so you can fold it and create a perfect corner with no wrinkles.
- Make sure that the shortbread crust and filling are fully cooled before moving on with the next steps of the recipe.
- These lemon bars are gluten-free, low carb, and keto-friendly if you use gluten-free flour and alternative sweetener.
More Bar Recipes
If you liked these easy lemon squares recipe, you will also like these desserts:
Lemon Bars
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INGREDIENTS
- 2 cups flour, (or gluten-free flour)
- ½ cup granulated sugar or alternative granulated sweetener
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 egg
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
Lemon Filing
- 2.5 cups granulated sugar or alternative granulated sweetener
- ¾ cup flour, or gluten-free flour
- 6 large eggs
- 1 Tablespoon lemon zest, zest from 1 lemon
- 1 cup fresh lemon juice, about 5 lemons
- Pinch of salt
- Powdered sugar, (or alternative powdered sweetener)
INSTRUCTIONS
Shortbread Crust
- Preheat the oven to 350 F and line the bottom and sides of a 9 x 13 dish with parchment paper.
- To make the crust, combine the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in a medium bowl. Add the softened butter, egg and vanilla extract and fold it several times to make a dough.
- Spread the crust over the bottom of the prepared dish and spread it out evenly using by laying a plastic wrap and then spreading it out with a glass/measuring cup.
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 18 – 20 minutes or until the edges are just getting lightly browned. Remove from the oven and cool for 20 – 30 minutes or until it’s not hot.
Lemon Curd
- To make the lemon filling, whisk the sugar and flour together until well combined. Stir in the eggs, lemon juice & zest, and pinch of salt, and whisk together to combine. Don’t overmix it. The filling will be runny.
- Pour the filling on top of the cooled crust and bake for 25 – 28 minutes or until relatively set. Remove from the oven and cool for 20 – 30 minutes on the counter, then refrigerate until cold and firm.
- Remove bars from pan and dust with powdered sugar, then cut into squares.
- Store lemon bars covered in the refrigerator, they will last 5 – 6 days if there are any leftovers.
TIPS & NOTES
- Use freshly squeezed lemon juice rather than bottled. The flavor is so much more vibrant.
- If the eggs are at room temperature they are easier to combine with the other ingredients, but if they are cold it won’t affect the taste or texture of these classic lemon bars.
- Make sure the baking dish and its sides are lined with parchment paper so you can easily remove it from the dish. Make a cut in each corner so you can fold it and create a perfect corner with no wrinkles.
- Make sure that the shortbread crust and filling are fully cooled before moving on with the next steps of the recipe.
- These lemon bars are gluten-free, low carb, and keto-friendly if you use gluten-free flour and alternative sweetener.
NUTRITION
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