Description
These bright and zingy lemon bars feature a buttery, tender shortbread crust topped with a smooth, tart lemon filling. Perfectly balanced between sweet and tangy, these bars are easy to make and ideal for dessert or a refreshing treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Crust
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (300g)
- 2/3 cups powdered sugar (66g)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 12 tbsp unsalted butter, melted (170g)
Filling
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (60g)
- 3 cups sugar (600g)
- 3 tbsp lemon zest (zest of three lemons)
- 8 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup fresh lemon juice (240mL)
- Powdered sugar for dusting, as needed
Instructions
- Prepare the Oven and Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a 9×13-inch baking dish with parchment paper, allowing some overhang for easy removal of the bars.
- Make the Crust: In a bowl, whisk together 2 1/2 cups (300g) of flour, powdered sugar, and salt. Pour in the melted butter and mix until thoroughly combined. Alternatively, use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment for convenience. Optionally, add a dash of vanilla with the butter for extra flavor.
- Bake the Crust: Evenly press the dough into the bottom of the prepared pan, creating a flat, compact layer. Bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes or until the crust turns a light golden color.
- Prepare Zesty Sugar: While the crust bakes, pulse the sugar and lemon zest in a food processor until the zest is fully incorporated and the sugar lightens in color. If you don’t have a food processor, finely mince the zest and mix it thoroughly into the sugar by hand.
- Mix Filling: In a large bowl, combine the zested sugar mixture with the remaining 1/2 cup (60g) flour. Pour in the fresh lemon juice and add the eggs. Mix very well until the filling is smooth and fully combined.
- Assemble and Bake: Pour the lemon filling over the warm baked crust. Return the pan to the oven and bake for approximately 25 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking to ensure even cooking.
- Cool and Chill: Once baked, remove the lemon bars from the oven and allow them to cool at room temperature for about one hour. After cooling, refrigerate the bars for at least two hours to set properly.
- Serve: Dust the top generously with powdered sugar. Using a clean, sharp, damp knife, cut into bars, cleaning and re-wetting the knife between each cut for neat slices.
Notes
- For extra flavor, a dash of vanilla can be added to the crust mixture.
- Using room temperature eggs helps the filling mix uniformly.
- Make sure to allow the bars to cool completely and chill before cutting to prevent cracking.
- Cleaning and wetting the knife between cuts ensures tidy slices.
- Lemon zest can be adjusted based on desired tartness.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 385 kcal
- Sugar: 46 g
- Sodium: 113 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 66 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 111 mg
