A treat for all seasons! Savour the zestful delight of Super Easy Lemon Bars, featuring a perfectly balanced tang and sweet on a buttery crust.
Super Easy Lemon Bars Recipe
This Super Easy Lemon bar is a perfect blend of tart lemon curd and a buttery shortbread crust. This delightful dessert can quickly become a household favorite, bringing a burst of citrus joy to any gathering. With just a few simple ingredients and clear, straightforward instructions, anyone can whip up this treat in no time. Ideal for both casual snacking and special occasions, these lemon bars promise to deliver a satisfying zesty flavor in every bite.
INGREDIENTS
SHORTBREAD CRUST
- ½ cup Unsalted Butter (room temperature)
- 1 cup All-Purpose Flour
- ¼ cup Powdered Sugar
LEMON CURD FILLING
- ½ cup Lemon Juice (2-3 lemons)
- 1 tablespoon Lemon Zest (finely grated)
- 3 Large Eggs (room temperature)
- 1 ½ cups Granulated Sugar
- ½ cup All-Purpose Flour (sifted)
- Powdered Sugar (for dusting)
INSTRUCTIONS
SHORTBREAD CRUST
- Lightly spray an 8” x 8” baking pan with a flour-based baking spray. Set to the side.
- If you'd like, you can spray the pan, then place a parchment paper sling into the pan which can help make for easier cutting later. To prevent the sides from collapsing into the bars during baking, you can place a binder clips on top of the paper.
- Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together the unsalted butter, all-purpose flour, and powdered sugar until the shortbread bottom layer forms. It will resemble light yellow loose crumbs. Pat the shortbread layer into the bottom of the prepared 8″ x 8″ pan.
- Then place in the freezer or refrigerator for about 10-15 minutes to chill. You can skip the chilling if you're using a glass baking dish.
- ½ cup Unsalted Butter,1 cup All-Purpose Flour,¼ cup Powdered Sugar
- While the shortbread layer chills, adjust the oven rack to the 2nd level position (just above center) and preheat the oven to 350ºF.
- Place the pan in the oven and bake for 15-18 minutes at 350ºF or until it's light golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly while you prepare the lemon curd filling.
- You can choose to leave the oven on, or you can turn it off while you make the lemon curd filling. If you turn it off, remember to preheat it again to 350ºF.
LEMON CURD FILLING
- Grate a lemon with a fine grater, adding the zest to a small bowl. Then cut each lemon in half and with a lemon juicer, squeeze out the lemon juice from each lemon. Sift the all-purpose flour into a small bowl.
- Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, mix together the lemon juice, lemon zest, eggs, granulated sugar, and all-purpose flour on medium-high speed until well blended.
- ½ cup Lemon Juice,1 tablespoon Lemon Zest,3 Large Eggs,1 ½ cups Granulated Sugar,½ cup All-Purpose Flour
- Pour the lemon curd filling into the slightly cooled crust, then place back into the oven to bake for 25-30 minutes at 350ºF or until the top is almost set with the center jiggling a little.
- Note: Leaving them in too long can cause a thin crust to form over the top. The lemon bars are still good though if this happens!
- Remove from the oven and allow lemon bars to cool completely. Then cover and place into the refrigerator to chill and set for a minimum of 1 hour (overnight is my preference). When ready to serve, dust with powdered sugar and cut using a well-sharpened knife.
Powdered Sugar - Keep lemon bars stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Serving Suggestions
- Fresh Berries
- Whipped Cream
- Mint Garnish
- Coconut Whipped Cream
- Raspberry Coulis
Tips and Tricks
- Line your pan with a parchment paper sling as suggested for easy removal of the bars. Secure with binder clips to prevent the paper from collapsing into the batter.
- Ensuring that the half cup of all-purpose flour for the lemon curd filling is sifted can prevent any lumps for a smooth and consistent lemon curd.
- Use a sharp knife to cleanly cut the lemon bars into squares. Cleaning the knife between cuts helps ensure each piece has smooth edges.

Super Easy Lemon Bars Recipe
A treat for all seasons! Savor the zestful delight of Super Easy Lemon Bars, featuring a perfectly balanced tang and sweet on a buttery crust.
Ingredients
- SHORTBREAD CRUST
- ½ cup Unsalted Butter (room temperature)
- 1 cup All-Purpose Flour
- ¼ cup Powdered Sugar
- LEMON CURD FILLING
- ½ cup Lemon Juice (2-3 lemons)
- 1 tablespoon Lemon Zest (finely grated)
- 3 Large Eggs (room temperature)
- 1 ½ cups Granulated Sugar
- ½ cup All-Purpose Flour (sifted)
- Powdered Sugar (for dusting)
Instructions
SHORTBREAD CRUST
- Lightly spray an 8” x 8” baking pan with a flour-based baking spray. Set to the side.
- If you'd like, you can spray the pan, then place a parchment paper sling into the pan which can help make for easier cutting later. To prevent the sides from collapsing into the bars during baking, you can place a binder clips on top of the paper.
- Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together the unsalted butter, all-purpose flour, and powdered sugar until the shortbread bottom layer forms. It will resemble light yellow loose crumbs. Pat the shortbread layer into the bottom of the prepared 8″ x 8″ pan.
- Then place in the freezer or refrigerator for about 10-15 minutes to chill. You can skip the chilling if you're using a glass baking dish.
- ½ cup Unsalted Butter,1 cup All-Purpose Flour,¼ cup Powdered Sugar
- While the shortbread layer chills, adjust the oven rack to the 2nd level position (just above center) and preheat the oven to 350ºF.
- Place the pan in the oven and bake for 15-18 minutes at 350ºF or until it's light golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly while you prepare the lemon curd filling.
- You can choose to leave the oven on, or you can turn it off while you make the lemon curd filling. If you turn it off, remember to preheat it again to 350ºF.
LEMON CURD FILLING
- Grate a lemon with a fine grater, adding the zest to a small bowl. Then cut each lemon in half and with a lemon juicer, squeeze out the lemon juice from each lemon. Sift the all-purpose flour into a small bowl.
- Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, mix together the lemon juice, lemon zest, eggs, granulated sugar, and all-purpose flour on medium-high speed until well blended.
- ½ cup Lemon Juice,1 tablespoon Lemon Zest,3 Large Eggs,1 ½ cups Granulated Sugar,½ cup All-Purpose Flour
- Pour the lemon curd filling into the slightly cooled crust, then place back into the oven to bake for 25-30 minutes at 350ºF or until the top is almost set with the center jiggling a little.
- Note: Leaving them in too long can cause a thin crust to form over the top. The lemon bars are still good though if this happens!
- Remove from the oven and allow lemon bars to cool completely. Then cover and place into the refrigerator to chill and set for a minimum of 1 hour (overnight is my preference). When ready to serve, dust with powdered sugar and cut using a well-sharpened knife.Powdered Sugar
- Keep lemon bars stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Line your pan with a parchment paper sling as suggested for easy removal of the bars. Secure with binder clips to prevent the paper from collapsing into the batter.
- Ensuring that the half cup of all-purpose flour for the lemon curd filling is sifted can prevent any lumps for a smooth and consistent lemon curd.
- Use a sharp knife to cleanly cut the lemon bars into squares. Cleaning the knife between cuts helps ensure each piece has smooth edges.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 16 squares Serving Size: 55gAmount Per Serving: Calories: 186cal (9%)Total Fat: 4g (25%)gCarbohydrates: 30.3g (10%)gSugar: 22.6g (25%)gProtein: 2.2g (4%g
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