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The Best Classic Easy Lemon Bars With Shortbread Crust Recipe – buttery crust and fresh and tangy lemon curd on top. Simple dessert, you can make any time of the year!
These Easy Lemon Bars With Shortbread Crust taste heavenly! You won’t believe how easy to make they are, too!
I can’t believe it, but I did not crave sweets almost throughout my entire pregnancy. These classic lemon bars are no exception.
They are meant to be served cold.
I was scared looking at Pinterest or facebook, or visit my favorite blogs, because every single dessert I see, I need to have it!
My recent obsession – lemon bars!
The combination of shortbread and lemon curd in these classic lemon bars is a winner. You can also check out my Meyer lemon curd recipe and these Berry Lemon Tartlets that I made a while back.
They are very easy to make and require some staple ingredients, you probably already have. Did I mention, I love anything “shortbread”? Like these Nutella shortbread cookies and this Blackberry Cheesecake With Shortbread Crust.
What ingredients do you need to make homemade lemon bars?
To make the crust the crust:
- butter
- sugar
- flour
- salt
For the lemon curd filling:
-
eggs
-
sugar
-
flour
-
lemon juice
How to make these Easy lemon Bars from scratch at home?
-
Preheat oven to 350F.
-
Line a 9×9 baking dish with parchment paper.
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In a food processor, process butter, sugar, flour and salt until crumbs are formed. You can do this by hand, incorporating the butter into the dry ingredients, but it si a little messy.
-
Spread dough onto the baking dish in an even layer.
-
Bake crust for 15 -18 minutes, until the edges are golden. Let it cool for 15 minutes.
-
While the crust is baking, prepare the filling.
-
In a bowl, whisk eggs and sugar. Add flour, whisk again, make sure there are no lumps. Add lemon juice and whisk to incorporate.
-
Pour mixture over the crust.
-
Bake for 30 minutes, until the top is set.
-
Let it cool in the pan for 1 hour, then cover with foil and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
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Remove from pan together with the foil.
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Slice into squares.
-
Dust with powdered sugar and serve.
The shortbread crust is on the thick side here! If this is too thick for your taste, you can reduce all ingredients of the crust in half and also reduce the baking time.
These classic lemon bars do remind me of my childhood.
My grandmother used to make similar bars, but she would cut them into smalled squares, this way they were more like cookies than bars.
Should you use regular lemons or Meyer lemons for lemon bars?
If Meyer lemons are in season, feel free to use them. Just remember that they are less acidic and you might want to reduce the amount of sugar for the curd.
These lemon bars are bursting with flavor and make the perfect citrusy dessert for any time of the year. The ultimate holiday treat, too! These classic lemon bars are so good!
You can also swipe some lime juice for the lemon juice in the lemon bars curd filling for an even more citrusy flavor.
Toppings to add to these easy, buttery and tart lemon bars:
- berries
- lemon slices
- lemon zest
- powdered sugar
- mint for garnishing
How to store lemon bars? Howl long will they keep in the fridge?
Store lemon bars in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
I don’t recommend freezing these, but they could be frozen in an air tight container for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge and serve.
Classic Lemon Bars With Shortbread Crust Recipe
Video
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 2 sticks, , 112grams each (1 cup) butter, softened
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 cups flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
For the filling (curd):
- 4 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1/4 cup flour
- 2/3 cups lemon juice (fresh squeezed is recommen
Instructions
For the crust:
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Line a 9×9 baking dish with parchment paper.
- In a food processor, process butter, sugar, flour and salt until crumbs are formed. You can do this by hand, incorporating the butter into the dry ingredients, but it si a little messy.
- Spread dough onto the baking dish in an even layer.
- Bake crust for 15 -18 minutes, until the edges are golden. Let it cool for 15 minutes.
For the filling:
- While the crust is baking, prepare the filling.
- In a bowl, whisk eggs and sugar. Add flour, whisk again, make sure there are no lumps. Add lemon juice and whisk to incorporate.
- Pour mixture over the crust.
- Bake for 30 minutes, until the top is set.
- Let it cool in the pan for 1 hour, then cover with foil and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- Remove from pan together with the foil.
- Slice into squares.
- Dust with powdered sugar and serve.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I have been making different versions of lemon bars for many years. These are, by far, my favorite. Someone asked about freezing them. I freeze mine uncut in the pan. Just cover well to prevent freezer burn. I make them every year for Christmas and make them a month in advance. When I’m ready to put them on my cookie trays, I simply take them out of the freezer and let them set for 15 minutes or so. They cut much easier and are less crumbly while still a little frozen…..Hope this helps…..
Thank you so much Jeri! I’m glad you liked these! I’ll add the note that they can be freezes uncut. Thank you so much for the nice words and have a great day!
This Lemon Bar recipe is the BEST! Out of the dozens of recipes that I’ve tried, this is the PERFECT recipe for lemon bars! You will NOT be disappointed! So yummy! Thank you so much for this recipe. Will be using it every Christmas and thanksgiving for many years to come!Â
after all these raving reviews, i was sooooooooooo excited to try this recipe for a picnic tomorrow. I made the shortcrust, let it cool for over 30 min and then poured the lemon mix on top… when I check on it in the oven, all the lemon mixture seeped in to the crust!!! I followed the recipe to a t – perplexed! But the lemony shortcrust still tastes yummy! Any ideas what could have gone wrong? Your photos look gorgeous!
OMG, I’m so sorry this happened to you! I’ve never had this happen with this particular recipe, but it is possible… Did you line the pan with parchment or foil? If the shortbread is not sticking to the bottom of the baking dish, the liquid can easily lift it up. That’s why foil that is sticking up the walls of the baking dish can help keep the crust down and filling on top of it.
Best ever…love them
Better than any I’ve had in a bakery! Seriously… The shortbread crust!!! So dang good!?
This recipe is so good. Love how tart they are and the shortbread crust is amazing. Love making this for my family! Would not change a thing
Wonderful recipe, these turned out amazing!
My crust was a bit tough though, any idea why that happened?
Can you used bottled lemon juice?
Hi Linda,
Yes, bottled lemon juice will work.
Hola, cuánto tiempo pueden estar fuera se la heladera (refrigerador)?
Hi, up to 1 week.
Hi! Do you know why I’m ending up with a white film on the top of the bars after baking? Thanks
I’ve never had this happen, but I’d think it may have something to do with the butter in the shortbread crust, or you may be over beating the lemon mixture and bubbles may be formed, which could make a “white filk” after baking.