Classic Lemon Bars
These Classic Lemon Bars with a shortbread crust are the lemon bars that you remember! The recipe is from a vintage church cookbook, and it’s packed with lemon flavor.
Lemon lovers, THIS is your dessert!
These Classic Lemon Bars are simple, straightforward, and exactly what you remember: soft and custard-like lemon filling on top of a buttery shortbread crust.
I tested a few recipes to land on this one. Most vintage church cookbooks had very similar recipes, with minor changes to ingredients. Some had baking powder, some didn’t. Some had lemon zest, some didn’t. Some had salt in the filling, others had it in the crust.
After a few rounds of trials and some taste testing, this lemon bar recipe was determined to be the winner.
It has the perfect amount of lemon flavor. Salt in the crust complements the sweetness without detracting from the lemon in the filling. And the texture is spot-on: gooey and custard-like, but not runny.
If you love citrus desserts, don’t miss this classic Lemon Poke Cake, Lemonade Pie, or this Lemon Poppy Seed Bread!
Jump to:
Ingredients
Be sure to check the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and instructions!
You just need some simple pantry/refrigerator staples for this recipe. Here are a few things to note:
- You’ll need one, maybe two lemons. It depends on how juicy/big they are.
- Don’t skip the baking powder. It gives the bars the classic every-so-slightly chewy texture and a crackly crust on top. Bars made without it are a little soft.
- Need to soften butter in a hurry? Check the “Notes” section of the recipe card (below) for a shortcut!
How to make classic lemon bars
For the shortbread crust, cream together the softened butter, powdered sugar, and flour with a hand mixer. It won’t form a dough—it’ll be more dry and only stick together when you smush it together with your hands.
Pat it into a parchment-lined 8×8-inch dish. Press firmly but don’t pack it in super tightly.
Bake the crust at 350°F for 18–22 minutes, or until light brown around the edges.
While the crust is baking, whisk together the filling: eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, flour, and baking powder. The baking powder adds a slight chewiness to the filling, and gives it the characteristic crackly crust on top.
Pour the lemon mixture over the hot-from-the-oven crust, and bake for about 25 minutes, or until lightly golden on the edges, and the center doesn’t jiggle when you jostle it.
Let cool completely, then dust with powdered sugar and slice into bars.
Storage and freezing
Store the lemon bars either at room temperature or in the refrigerator, in an airtight container. They’ll last for about a week before they start to get hard.
You can freeze lemon bars, tightly sealed, for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator or at room temperature.
The lemon Bars are runny. What happened?
If the bars are runny, one of two things is the culprit:
- They haven’t baked long enough. If you jostle the pan a bit as you’re taking them out of the oven, the center should not jiggle at all.
- You cut them while still warm. The bars should be fully cool before cutting for the cleanest slices.
Thankfully this recipe has some flour in the filling, which helps the lemon bars set up as well.
More old fashioned Bar Cookies You’ll love
- Toll House Cookie Bars (made 3 different ways!)
- Rhubarb Custard Bars
- 7 Layer Bars
- Special K Bars (also known as scotcheroos)
- Grandma’s Chewy Coconut Bars
📖 Recipe
Classic Lemon Bars
Ingredients
For the crust:
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For the filling:
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- Zest of one lemon
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment paper or spray with cooking spray.
For the crust:
- In a large bowl, cream together the butter, flour, powdered sugar, and salt with a hand mixer.
- Pour into the prepared pan and flatten into an even, compact layer with your hands (press firmly but don’t pack it super tightly).
- Bake for 18–22 minutes, or until lightly brown around the edges.
For the filling:
- While the crust is baking, whisk together all of the filling ingredients in a large bowl.
- Remove the crust from the oven and immediately pour the filling over the top. Return to the oven for 23–27 minutes, or until the center no longer jiggles when you shake the pan gently.
- Let cool and sprinkle with additional powdered sugar. Slice and serve.
Comments
No Comments