Real Recipes From Real Home Cooks ®

classic lemon bars

Recipe by
Darci Juris
Scottsdale, AZ

If you like lemon flavor, this is the recipe for you. Super lemony, light and refreshing dessert. Huge crowd favorite, so much so, I get requests for parties and camping trips to make these. These are your classic rendition of lemon bars. For parties, I like to cut these into smaller 1 inch squares. For gluten-free, just switch out the flour to all-purpose gluten-free flour (Bob's Red Mill brand is good).

yield 24 -48 bars (depending on size)
prep time 20 Min
cook time 50 Min
method Convection Oven

Ingredients For classic lemon bars

  • CRUST
  • coconut spray oil
  • 1 1/2 stick
    butter
  • 2 c
    flour
  • 1/4 c
    brown sugar
  • 1/4 tsp
    salt
  • 1/2 c
    powdered sugar
  • FILLING
  • 4 lg
    eggs, plus 3 egg yolks
  • 2 c
    sugar
  • 1/3 c
    flour
  • 3 tsp
    lemon zest, grated
  • 1 1/4 c
    fresh lemon juice (about 8 lemons)

How To Make classic lemon bars

  • 1
    For the crust - Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  • 2
    Grease a 9x13 glass casserole dish with oil, then line with tin foil, leaving overhang on all sides, then grease the foil as well with oil.
  • 3
    In a food processor (or blender) pulse the butter, flour, both sugars and salt until the dough comes together, about 1-2 minutes.
  • 4
    Press the dough evenly into the bottom of the dish. You can go about 1/2 inch up the sides as well if you prefer outside edge crust. Make sure there are no cracks.
  • 5
    Bake until the crust is golden brown, about 25 minutes.
  • 6
    For the filling - While the crust is baking, prepare the filling.
  • 7
    Using a hand-help mixer, combine the whole eggs and yolks with the sugar and flour in a large bowl, until smooth.
  • 8
    Add the lemon juice and zest, and mix well.
  • 9
    When the crust is done, remove from oven, and reduce oven to 300 degrees F.
  • 10
    Pour the filling over the warm crust and return to the oven.
  • 11
    Bake until the filling is just set, approximately 30 minutes.
  • 12
    Remove from oven when done, and let cool on a wire rack.
  • 13
    Move dish to refrigerator and cool until firm, at least 2 hours or more.
  • 14
    When ready, carefully lift out of the dish using the foil, and cut into desired bar size.
  • 15
    Place on serving dish, and dust with confectioner's sugar. If not serving right away, or storing extra, keep in refrigerator for up to 3 days.
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