Easy lemon bars are delicious and simple to make in under an hour. These homemade lemon squares are a perfect dessert treat with a crispy, buttery shortbread crust and tangy and sweet lemon filling—a small batch 8X8 recipe you can scale to your needs.
🍋Ingredients
Lemon—lemons or lemon juice
Sugar—white granular sugar
All-purpose flour
Egg
Butter
Powdered sugar for topping
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Featured Comment by Nancy:
"Delicious! Quick & easy. It's citrus season here. I had to make two pans of it this week to keep up with family demand."
We frequently make these homemade lemon bars the day ahead as a treat for small groups, such as coffee meetups, bake sales, or special family meals. Give your friends some great old-fashioned goodness with a delicious shortbread crust and a tangy, sweet custard filling.
For other easy recipes for small groups, see Blueberry Cream Cheese Bars, Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Bars, and New York Cheesecake Bars.
👨🍳How to Make Lemon Bars—Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
1. Mix the shortbread crust of softened butter with sugar and flour.
2. Press the crust into a prepared 8X8 pan and bake for 17 to 20 minutes until light brown.
3. Mix the custard filling with sugar, flour, eggs, and lemon juice. Add lemon zest if available.
4. Pour the filling into the baking dish after the crust is cool and bake at 350° for 20 to 22 minutes until the center is set.
5. Remove from oven, cool for 1 hour at room temperature, then dust with powdered sugar.
6. Cool in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours before cutting with a sharp knife into about 2-inch squares.
For more details, keep reading. See the Recipe Card below for complete instructions and to print.
🤔When are lemon bars done?
They are done when the edge is "set," and the center has just set with no jiggle—it will finish setting during cooling. You can give them a few more minutes, but look at that center jiggle.
👍Make it right every time
Add a sheet of parchment paper to the bottom of the pan to help release the shortbread crust. You can cover the bottom or use two sheets of parchment paper, which will help lift the bars out of the pan more easily.
You can use some butter on the baking dish to help parchment paper stay in place.
You can easily mix the crust by hand if you soften the butter.
Fresh lemon is preferred, but buy the brand name if you must use juice.
Bake the crust until lightly brown—about 17-20 minutes if your oven is preheated well, but check it early. Do not skip cooking the crust.
Dust with powdered sugar while still warm. But get it completely cold before cutting.
Be sure they are cooled before cutting. Use a sharp, long knife that is slightly moist, and keep it clean between cuts.
🍋About the Lemons and Lemon Juice
A medium lemon will have 2 ½ to 3 tablespoons of juice. Fresh lemons are preferred for freshness. Plus, you can add some optional zest using fresh fruit.
An advantage of bottled lemon juice is that this recipe becomes a complete pantry recipe with ingredients I always have on hand.
Other Juice: You can get different flavors using orange or other juices.
🥣How to Make the Optional Graham Cracker Crust
If you wish, a Graham cracker crust can be used instead of the shortcake crust.
Crush 8-9 sheets of Graham crackers to make about 1 ⅓ cups of crumbs. Add 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, and ⅛ teaspoon salt if using unsalted butter. Mix to combine. Melt 5 tablespoons of butter and mix in well.
Press into the bottom of the properly prepared dish and run up the side about ¼ inch. Bake at 350° for 8 to 10 to firm up.
↕️How to make a half or double size recipe
A full recipe (already a small batch recipe) makes 12 two-inch lemon squares in an 8X8 or similar pan. A double recipe needs a full-size 9X13 cake pan for 24 lemon squares. A half recipe needs a 5X5 or 6-inch round pan for 6 lemon bars.
- Use the recipe card and adjust the number of servings to double or half.
- Use the amount of ingredients in the ingredient list, not the instructions—those do not adjust.
- A half recipe needs a 5X5 or 6-inch round baking pan, while a double recipe fits in a 9X13 baking pan.
- Bake until the edge is set, and then the center has no jiggle. For a half recipe, about 15 minutes, or for a double recipe, about 25 minutes.
❄️How to store lemon bars
Do not store leftovers at room temperature. They may be at room temperature for a few hours but should otherwise be refrigerated.
Refrigerate for 3 days in an airtight container. On the 4th day, they start to lose texture.
To freeze, skip the dusting of powdered sugar, if possible. Cut into serving pieces and freeze for a few hours, separated on a tray. After the initial freeze, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and seal in a Zip-Lock bag. They should be good for 3-4 months.
❓FAQs
A full recipe, which is what I usually make, uses an 8X8 or 6X9 dish. A 9-inch round will also work. I prefer glass or good non-stick.
A double recipe fits a 9X13 baking pan or cake pan.
Use parchment on the bottom and butter the sides. You will still need a knife around the outside to remove it.
Helpful Tip: Putting a few dots of butter in the corners of the bottom of the pan will keep the parchment from shifting.
Sure. That is where this recipe shines. Make them the day ahead and refrigerate. They will still look great the next day. Get a good sharp cut on them the day ahead or the day of serving with a sharp, moist knife you clean between cuts.
📖 Recipe
Easy Lemon Bars
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Ingredients
Crust
- ½ cup butter - 1 stick
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ⅛ teaspoon salt - if using unsalted butter
Filling
- ¾ cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs
- 1 medium lemon - 3 tablespoons of lemon juice
- 1 tablespoons lemon zest - optional
Topping
- 1 tablespoons powdered sugar
Instructions
- NOTE: The images are for a double recipe. Preheat the oven to 350°. Prepare an 8 by 8 baking dish by lightly brushing it with butter, then cover the bottom with parchment paper. You may also use crossed sheets of parchment paper.
- Soften ½ cup (one stick) of butter in the microwave. Mix the softened butter, 1 cup of all-purpose flour, and ¼ cup of sugar. If unsalted butter, add ⅛ teaspoon salt. It will look crumbly. You can mix by hand, but it is easier with a small mixer.
- Press the dough into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 17 to 20 minutes until firm and lightly brown.
- Whisk together ¾ cup of sugar and 2 tablespoons of flour. Add 2 eggs and the juice of 1 medium lemon or 3 tablespoons of lemon juice. Add lemon zest if available. Mix well.
- Pour the lemon custard mixture over the cooled baked crust. Bake for 20-22 minutes until the filling is set.
- Remove from oven, cool for 1 hour at room temperature, and dust with powdered sugar.
- Cool in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours before cutting with a sharp knife into about 2-inch squares.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- You may use fresh lemons or lemon juice.
- If you would like a Graham cracker crust instead of shortbread, please see the details in the post.
- Adjustments for a half or double recipe are in the recipe post.
- If using fresh lemon, add some lemon zest for more taste–about 1 tablespoon will do.
- Be sure to cool completely before cutting.
- The bars should be refrigerated for storage and should be good for 3-4 days.
Your Own Private Notes
To adjust the recipe size:
You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.
Nutrition Estimate
© 101 Cooking for Two, LLC. All content and photographs are copyright protected by us or our vendors. While we appreciate your sharing our recipes, please realize copying, pasting, or duplicating full recipes to any social media, website, or electronic/printed media is strictly prohibited and a violation of our copyrights.
Based on All Recipes - The Best Lemon Bars, with a few modifications and simplifications.
Editors Note: Originally published February 7, 2017. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
Julie says
I adore lemon bars. Can these be made in a steam only oven (no crust browning)?
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Julie,
Welcome to the blog.
I doubt it would be good. The browning of the crust keeps the custard from soaking in.
Dan
Joanne Goglia says
Can these lemon bars be made using Splenda in place of sugar?
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Joanne,
Welcome to the blog.
There is a granular Splenda they suggest for baking. (I think that is still right, it has been a few years.) I have always found it leaving an odd taste. I have not tried it in this recipe.
So I suspect yes but I wouldn't. This is all about that taste balance of the lemon with the sweetness,
Dan
Nancy Dugger Weeks says
Delicious! Quick & easy. It's citrus season here. I had to make two pans of it this week to keep up with family demand.
laurajay says
Lemon bars are one of my favorites and have never tried from scratch, can't wait, am sure as yummy as all your recipes, Thank you!
I look so forward to your posts :) and picts of the puppies
Carolyn says
I halved the recipe and made an 8" square pan size. These were really good and very easy. I needed to add a few minutes more to the cook time when browning the base. I wasn't sure what the lemon filling's appearance should look like when finished (it puffed up a little while cooking) but I cooked it till it was set without any wet spots. My only problem was when I poured the lemon filling in and some flowed under one edge of the cookie base. I think next time I might make a bit of a ridge at the edge to keep the filling enclosed at the sides. I'm also wondering about storage - refrigerate or room temp, tightly or loosely covered?
Thanks so much for the recipe!
Carolyn says
This recipe looks delicious, but I noticed that he filling directions say to mix in 1/4 cup flour, however the ingredients show 1/3 cup flour, which is the correct amount of flour for the filling? Also, I'm wondering if this recipe can be halved using an 8" square pan?
DrDan says
1/3 is correct. I had to up the flour for some extra lemon juice. Fixed.
The area of the 13X9 pan is 117 sq. inches. The 8x8 is 64 so close enough. A 6X8 baking dish would also do. A nine inch round is about 64 sq. inches also.
Dan
Carolyn R. says
This recipe looks delicious, but I noticed that he filling directions say to mix in 1/4 cup flour, however the ingredients list 1/3 cup flour, which is the correct amount of flour for the filling?
Dee says
This looks delicious. Is that icing/powdered/confectioners sugar in with the eggs?
DrDan says
No that is just the flour before I did the whisking.
Dan