Super Easy Lemon Bars. Using only 5 basic ingredients!
Super Easy Lemon Bars. New and improved, with a deeper lemon layer! With only 5 simple ingredients and an incredibly easy recipe. Bake these luscious lemon bars and anyone who tastes them will just rave about them!
Great lemon bars are an absolute baking classic. Over the last 10 years this recipe has been one of the most used and raved about cookie recipes on this blog.
Since we have over 200 Cookie recipes, on site, that is a very substantial endorsement indeed.
Easy is the operative word in this recipe. They start with simple 3 ingredient crispy shortbread bottom, which couldn't be easier to put together and then press into the bottom of a baking pan.
The simple whisked-together lemon custard top is also oh so easy.
With only 5 simple ingredients, these lemon bars are sure to become a new stand by recipe in your house like it did in mine.
Once you see how fast and easy it is to throw together a batch of these incredibly tangy and delicious lemon bars, you'll never waste another lemon again.
2021 Lemon Bars Update (originally published March 2011.)
Although, I find the original recipe to be excellent, I had a thought while recently making another batch. Can I make these with even more lemon punch?
A lemon bar could never be too tangy for me, so I thought, why not a thicker lemon layer? I modified the recipe slightly to try it.
All I did was simply increase the ingredients in the lemon layer by 50% to get even more of that silky lemon layer on top. It worked out very well indeed.
I sampled more than a few myself and then sent the remainder to friends, who raved about them as well. They were just too good to keep to myself.
The other tweak I tried was adding just a little baking powder to the shortbread bottom layer. With the extra weight of the topping, I wanted to be sure the shortbread base would not get soggy.
It worked perfectly and is well worth trying when you make your next batch.
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Super Easy Lemon Bars
Super Easy Lemon Bars. New & improved with a deeper lemon layer. Using only 5 simple ingredients & a very quick preparation time, this is the easiest & best lemon bars recipe I've ever tried in almost 40 years of baking.
Ingredients
For the pastry base
- 1 cup cold butter, cut in small pieces
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 cups flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder (optional. See notes below)
For the lemon layer (See notes below for ingredient amounts to use for a thicker lemon layer)
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- ¼ cup flour
- 4 eggs
- zest of two lemons, very finely chopped
- juice of 2 lemons, (about ⅔ cup juice)
Instructions
To make the pastry base
- Using a pastry cutter or in a food processor blend together the butter sugar and flour.
- Press evenly into the bottom of a greased and parchment paper lined 9×13 inch baking pan.
- Bake for 20 to minutes at 350 degrees F ( 325 degrees F if you are using glass bake-ware) The bottom should just be beginning to brown slightly at the top edges.
For the lemon topping
- Simply whisk together the sugar flour, eggs, zest and lemon juice until the sugar is dissolved.
- Allow the topping to sit for about 10 minutes before whisking together well again and pouring over the baked shortbread base.
- Bake at 350 degrees F for about another 20- 25 minutes or until the top is slightly browned and the custard appears to be set. Cool completely. Sprinkle with icing sugar when cool or try adding a meringue topping.
Notes
Making a deeper lemon layer.
! For a thicker lemon layer (See notes below for ingredient amounts to use for a thicker lemon layer)
2 ¼ cups sugar
⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon flour
6 eggs
zest of three lemons, very finely chopped
juice of 3 lemons, (about 1 cup juice)
Note on the shortbread bottom.
I added just a little baking powder (¼ tsp) to the shortbread bottom layer. With the extra weight of the topping, I wanted to be sure the shortbread base would not get soggy.
It worked perfectly and is well worth trying when you make your next batch.
Recommended Products
Rock Recipes a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Our product recommendations are almost exclusively for those we currently use or have used in the past.
Nutrition Information
Yield
36Serving Size
gAmount Per Serving Calories 125Saturated Fat 3gCholesterol 31mgSodium 52mgCarbohydrates 17gSugar 11gProtein 1g
When you say whisk the custard....i assume you were making a lemon curd and I wished over the stove...I think now . Should not have...
No, just whisk together and pour on.
This recipe is my go to recipe. It's the simplest dessert recipe I have, yet it's my husband's and my sister's favorite.
For glass pans, you recommend baking the pastry bottom at 325. After you pour in the filling, do you still bake it at 325 or bring up the heat to 350?
No you can continue to bake at 325 for glass bakeware.
How big of a pan do I use?
9x13 is listed.
Barry, the same exact recipe is listed on dessertsthendinner website, but it says to use an 8x8 pan. 9x13 is quite a bit larger. I’m afraid there won’t be enough crust to cover the bottom & definitely not be able to come up the sides. How thick is the crust when fully pressed out?
I don't like the crust too thick. Lemon bars are traditionally thinner than a lot of other cookie bars but to each their own.
Barry, how thick should the crust be when pressed into the bottom of the pan?
First time making lemon bars, thank you for sharing this easy recipe they came out delicious!!
Do these freeze ok? Trying to get the rest of my christmas baking done and want to make these and hoping they can be frozen. I have all 3 of the Rock Recipe cook books and love trying the recipes. Great gift for people how live away like myself!
They do freeze okay but freeze them on a cookie sheet before freezing them in airtight containers with parchment paper between the layers.
Twice I have made these, first time with a gluten free flour replacement. Worked out fine, a little more dense base than with flour. The lemon seem to be overpowering. as I used the zest and juice of two lemons. Having to top up the lemon juice to 2/3 cup with real lemon concentrate. I wasn't completely satisfied with the outcome. It was worth a try.
Second attempt I used a little less lemon zest, zest of 1 1/2 lemons. Juice of 4 smaller lemons. Regular flour. I have yet to try them as they are in the cooling process. Smelling, looking awesome. Am a huge fan of your recipes Barry.
Thanks So Very Much For Sharing a piece of the "ROCK"
Made these last Christmas and have this Christmas' in the oven. My favourite and will always be on my annual Christmas baking list! Delicious and simple.
I don't have a food processor, I have a bullet, kitchen aide and a food chopper. Suggestions on what to use to make crust?
Just cut the butter in with 2 butter knives held between your fingers if you don't own a pastry cutter.
This is my new go-to recipe. They are literally fool proof!
The only thing I do differently, at the advise from a fellow baker, is I melt the butter and mix in the flour/sugar for the crust and pat down in pan and bake per instructions. I would have never thought this was a good idea--now I don't know if I will ever use my pastry cutter again. I have made these 3 times this way and the crust is awesome this way and what a time saver!!!!
Still laughing about the paper on the bottom and when to remove. And great analogy about a cupcake!
Anyway, thank you for such a great recipe using more than a lousy tablespoon or two of lemon juice!
Melted butter? Really?!
I am apprehensive about trying it (who has time to start over?), but am intrigued.
Do you do this for all crusts?!
I melt my butter too. Turns out great.
Anybody know the serving size and calories per serving?
Is the amount of lemon juice a whole cup or 2 lemons? I've never seen 2 lemons that would produce 1 cup of juice. They would need to be the size of oranges. Just want to be sure. They look divine.
There was an error in the word order with recent the new recipe format software. It is now fixed.
I made these at Christmas and gave to neighbors with other cookie treats and I am asked to make more!!!! My truly favorite part is the crust! I've never been able to make pie crust but you're instructions made it easy and perfect! Thank you!
I am a little worried about the lemon zest part. What do you mean by "finely chopped"? I have never zested a lemon, but I know I would need a zester. Right? Would it be necessary to chop the zest?
I actually use the fine side of a box grater to zest lemons. The goal is to avoid as much of the bitter white part of the peel as possible. I then put the grated zest on a cutting board and finely mince it into specks using a chefs knife.
Just wanted to say that this recipe was a real "find"... am presently in Mexico and wanted a recipe for lemon bars that used ingredients I have on hand... which was everything except the confectioners sugar. So I looked up online how to make confectioners sugar from regular sugar. I used my blender and just blended it into powdered sugar... for the sprinkle of powdered sugar topping. I may never buy powdered sugar again.
I also want to say it's a good idea to let these set a little while after cooking before serving them. But then they are perfect! Thank YOU!
Follow the recipe exactly and you will NOT be disappointed. They dough may look like it won't fill out the bottom of a 9x13-don't worry, it will and the lemon topping will be watery when you place it in the oven-don't worry, it will stiffen up.
Never made before tonight, will make again for sure! Big hit and super easy.
Recipe made about 15 bars (appx 2in by 2in) but you can get more out of it easier by cutting differently.