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–+ servings
Lemon bars stacked up with powdered sugar sprinkled all over.

Easy Lemon Bars

Classic Lemon Bar Recipe. I love this recipe because it has a thicker crust than most. So perfect for a spring or summer get together.
5 from 4 votes
Yield: 16 squares
Prep Time:20 minutes
Cook Time:40 minutes
Cooling & Refrigeration Time:2 hours 10 minutes
Total Time:3 hours 10 minutes
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Ingredients
 

Crust:

  • 2 cups flour
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup salted butter, cut into small cubes

Filling:

  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 4 large eggs
  • 3 lemons, zest and juice (about 2 1/2 tablespoons zest, and about 1/2 cup juice)
  • Powdered sugar (for sprinkling on top)

Instructions
 

  1. Prep: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-by-13-inch pan with butter.
  2. Make Crust: In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, and salt for the crust. Add the cut-up butter to the bowl and use a pastry cutter to cut it all together until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. (If you don't have a pastry cutter, use your hands.)
  3. Bake Crust: Press the crumb mixture into the prepared pan and bake for about 20 minutes.
  4. Make Filling: While the crust bakes, whisk together the sugar and flour for the filling in a small bowl. In a separate mixing bowl (we recommend using the same one you used for the crust to save on dishes!), whisk together the eggs, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and whisk until fully incorporated.
  5. Bake with Filling: Pour filling over the crust and bake for another 20 minutes or until the lemon topping is solidified.
  6. Cool: Allow to cool 10-15 minutes and then refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours.
  7. Serve: Sift powdered sugar over the top before cutting into squares.

Notes/Tips

  • Want your bars to be a bit thicker? Use an 8x8 pan. Cooking time will be a bit longer.
  • We are all about shortcuts around here, but we highly recommend NOT using bottled lemon juice.
  • Let lemon bars cool before slicing. Otherwise edges will be uneven. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1 bar | Calories: 283 kcal (14%) | Carbohydrates: 40 g (13%) | Protein: 3 g (6%) | Fat: 13 g (20%) | Cholesterol: 71 mg (24%) | Sodium: 144 mg (6%) | Fiber: 0.5 g (2%) | Sugar: 26 g (29%)
If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe!
Author: Polly Conner