The Best Lemon Bars
My lemon bars are the absolute best: a buttery shortbread crust topped with smooth, tangy lemon curd and a heavy dusting of powdered sugar. They are so easy to make and this recipe absolutely takes them up a notch with the addition of brown butter and fresh lemon juice. Only 7 ingredients, too!
Essentially, you just make the crust by browning some butter and letting that cool, then adding the rest of the crust ingredients. Then, you spread that dough into a parchment-lined glass pan (9″x13″ is best) and pre-bake it in the oven for about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, make your lemon mixture by combining all the ingredients (no need to cook it on the stove as you would for basic lemon curd). Pour the mix over your prebaked crust from a small distance (if you pour from a big height, the liquid might break the crust since it’s not yet fully baked). Bake at a low temp for another 20 minutes, then let them cool completely. I like to chill them in the fridge for at least an hour before slicing. Then, dust with powdered sugar, slice, and enjoy!
Check out some of my other dessert recipes here, especially this strawberry mango tart with tangy lemon mascarpone cream.
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 cup butter, unsalted
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 2 cups all purpose flour
Filling
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 6 tbsp flour
- 6 eggs
- 1 cup lemon juice (5-6 lemons)
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
Crust
- Start by browning the butter. Add the butter to a small pan over medium high heat and stir continuously for about 5-7 minutes until you see brown flecks swirling around. Immediately transfer to the bowl where you will be making your dough. Let cool for 5 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 325ºF.
- To the cooled brown butter, add your sugar, vanilla, salt, and flour. Mix with a rubber spatula until a stiff dough forms.
- Line a 9″ x 13″ glass baking pan with parchment paper, making sure it goes up the sides for easier removal of the bars later. Dump the dough into the lined pan, and press it into an even layer.
- Bake for about 25-30 minutes until the shortbread is lightly golden. Poke a few holes in it with a fork, making sure to only go halfway through the crust (this helps the filling bind later).
Filling
- While the shortbread is baking, combine the lemon juice, eggs, granulated sugar, flour, and salt with a whisk until smooth. Pour gently over the partially baked shortbread, then place into the oven for another 20-25 minutes until the lemon filling is mostly set.
- Let cool to room temperature, then chill in the fridge for at least an hour. Then, use the parchment paper to life the whole situation out of the pan, dust with powdered sugar, slice into 12 (or more) pieces, and enjoy!
The Best Lemon Bars
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 2 cups all purpose flour
Lemon Filling
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 6 tbsp flour
- 6 eggs
- 1 cup fresh lemon juice 5-6 lemons
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
Crust
- Start by browning the butter. Add the butter to a small pan over medium high heat and stir continuously for about 5-7 minutes until you see brown flecks swirling around. Immediately transfer to the bowl where you will be making your dough. Let cool for 5 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 325ºF. To the cooled brown butter, add your sugar, vanilla, salt, and flour. Mix with a rubber spatula until a stiff dough forms.
- Line a 9" x 13" glass baking pan with parchment paper, making sure it goes up the sides for easier removal of the bars later. Dump the dough into the lined pan, and press it into an even layer.
- Bake for about 25-30 minutes until the shortbread is lightly golden. Poke a few holes in it with a fork, making sure to only go halfway through the crust (this helps the filling bind later).
Lemon Filling
- While the shortbread is baking, combine the lemon juice, eggs, granulated sugar, flour, and salt with a whisk until smooth. Pour gently over the partially baked shortbread, then place into the oven for another 20-25 minutes until the lemon filling is mostly set.
- Let cool to room temperature, then chill in the fridge for at least an hour. Then, use the parchment paper to life the whole situation out of the pan, dust with powdered sugar, slice into 12 (or more) pieces, and enjoy!