These are my favorite lemon bars! Our recipe combines the most delicious shortbread crust with a creamy lemon filling.
I’m not sure I can convey how much I love these incredible lemon sticks. Let’s start with the shell. If you have crispy cookies before, our lemon bar crust will remind you of them. I loved it so much that I was happy to eat all the crusts myself (that was great).
The lemon filling is delicious, too. I use fresh lemon juice and lemon zest to wrap it with as much lemon flavor as possible. These lemon sticks are essential! I love these lemon cheesecake bars too!
Key Ingredients
- butter: Since these lemon sticks have a crispy crust, I made it with melted butter. Salted butter is perfect, but salt-free is OK. Just follow my tips and add a little salt to the recipe below.
- flour: All-purpose flour is perfect here or use your favorite gluten-free all-around flour blend.
- sugar: I use pelleted sugar and lemon filling.
- lemon: I usually buy 5 lemons when shopping for this recipe to make sure I have enough juice. For these sticks, you will use a lemon or two zest and use 4 to 5 lemon juice.
- egg: These are the basis for our lemon filling.
- vanilla: I added some herbs to make the crust taste even more delicious. I highly recommend it!
How to make lemon bars
The lemon bar is such an easy dessert! I started with the shell. We are picky when it comes to earth’s crust (homemade pies are a great example). First, rub the lemon zest and vanilla into the sugar to make the lemon sugar more delicious.
Then, add the melted butter. I used melted butter instead of soft butter to make the best lemon bar zest. Melting butter is easier, it makes the crust crisper and perfect with the creamy lemon filling relative to the creamy filling.
You bake the crust until golden brown is added, then add the filling and add it to the hot toast crust. Filling is easy to make. You will whisk the sugar, flour, salt, lemon zest, eggs and lemon juice and pour in.
The bar bakes for longer and then needs to be cooled before cutting. Simple! By the way, I store them in the refrigerator (they lasted about 1 week!).
Simple lemon bars
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These simple lemon bars have the most delicious shortbread crust and creamy egg lemon filling. Making a shell with melted butter is much easier than softening butter, which is common in other recipes. Don’t skip the ice crust before baking, which really helps keep the crust crisp and crispy.
Make 16 lemon bars
You will need
Crispy shell
12 tablespoons (170g) salted butter, melt and cool
1/2 cup (100g) sugar
1 teaspoon lemon peel
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups (260g) all-purpose flour, spoon smooth
Lemon topping
1½ cups (300g) sugar
3 tablespoons (25g) all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 teaspoons lemon peel
4 big eggs
3/4 cup (180 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice, from 4 to 5 lemons
2 tablespoons powdered sugar for the top of the sieve
direction
- Making crust
1Liner the straight 13×9-inch metal baking tray with foil, leaving a dangling on both opposite sides. (This will help when removing the cooled rod from the pan.) Gently apply to the sides of the foil, but without adhering cooking spray or extra melted butter to prevent the lemon filling from sticking.
2In a medium bowl, stir with a spatula and whisk together with sugar, salt, 1 teaspoon of lemon zest and vanilla extract until moisturized and fragrant. Stir the flour and melt the butter until a brittle, firm dough forms.
3Press the dough evenly on the bottom of the prepared baking pan (it may not look enough for the dough at first, but it can cover the bottom well). Use a fork to get dough everywhere to prevent bubbles when baking.
4Freeze the dough for 5 minutes or until firm (or refrigerate for 30 minutes).
5When the shell is chilling, place the oven rack near the center of the oven and preheat the oven until 325°F (162°C).
6Bake the crispy shell until light golden brown and set for 25 to 30 minutes.
- Make lemons
1While the crust is baked, stir in sugar, flour, salt and 2 teaspoons of lemon zest. Whisk in the eggs until smooth, then stir in lemon juice.
2After the crust is baked, sprinkle the lemon on the hot crust. Return the pot to the oven and Increase oven temperature to 350°F (177°C). Bake until the topping is set in the center and then stop shaking as the pan moves for 20 to 25 minutes.
3Place the pan on a cooling rack and cool until the lemon stick is firm and the bottom of the pan is no longer warm, about 1 hour. (You can speed up once the pot is no longer hot after putting the rebar in the refrigerator).
4Once cooled, carefully lift the rod from the pan with a foil draped overhang and place it on the cutting board. Peel the foil and cut the strips into 16 or 32 small strips. Place the powdered sugar on the stick.
Adam and Joanne’s Tips
- storage: Place the cooled and cut lemon bars in an airtight container lined with parchment. Refrigerate for up to a week. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- butter: I use salted butter, but you can use unsalted butter. For unsalted butter, add 1/4 teaspoon of fine sea salt to the crust.
- Measuring flour: Break the flour into its container and gently scalp it into a measuring cup until it accumulates slightly. Use a knife to disengage the top for accurate measurements. For more accuracy, use the scale and measure the flour by weight (g).
- Case recipes are inspired by beautifully cooked shortbread crusts.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
Service size
1 item
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Calories
260
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protein
4G
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carbohydrate
40g
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Dietary fiber
1G
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Total sugar
25g
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Total fat
10g
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Saturated fat
6G
/
cholesterol
69mg
We are Adam and Joanne, a couple who are passionate about cooking and sharing delicious, reliable recipes since 2009. Our goal? Inspire you to enter the kitchen and cook fresh and delicious meals confidently.
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