Lemon Bars

Here’s a recipe for easy, classic Lemon Bars.

You’ve probably tried lemon bars at some point in your life, right?  Bakeries always have them on their display.  They’re a common treat to bake for a potluck to share with friends.  And they’re an easy treat to make at home too.

What’s the appeal of a lemon bar?

It’s the filling!  The buttery crust is something to talk about too, but the filling is the droolworthy part.  A combination of sugar, eggs, lemon zest and juice, baking powder and flour bake together and turn into a gooey lemon layer that forms a light crust on top.  That gooey lemon layer is pretty darn amazing.  And it’s what keeps you coming back for a 2nd and 3rd lemon bar.

See the close-up of that lemon bar right there??  That’s what I’m talking about.  That gooey lemony layer is all there in plain sight.  Your fingers might get a tiny bit of goo on them when you pick up these bars, but it’s nothing to worry about.  They’re finger lickin’ good 🙂

Here’s what these lemon bars look like from up above.  Classic lemon bars are usually dusted with a little bit of powdered sugar at this point. I didn’t do that, but they are definitely prettier if you do the dusting.

If you’re looking for a good, classic lemon bars recipe… this is it.

Fresh lemon juice is wonderful in recipes.  If you’re looking for more recipes that use fresh lemon juice, try some of these!

Savory Recipes Using Lemon Juice:

• Lemon Chicken Rice Soup
• Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken
• Creamy Lemon Parmesan Shrimp
• Rosemary Lemon Chicken Skewers

Sweet Recipes Using Lemon Juice:

• Lemon Sour Cream Pie
• Lemon Pound Cake
• Glazed Lemon Zucchini Bread
• Blueberry Lemon Loaf Cake

4 from 1 vote

Lemon Bars

By RecipeGirl.com

Delicious, classic lemon bars!

Prep: 15 minutes mins

Cook: 40 minutes mins

Total: 55 minutes mins

Servings: 24 bars

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Ingredients

CRUST:

• ▢ 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
• ▢ 2/3 cup powdered sugar
• ▢ 2 cups all purpose flour

FILLING:

• ▢ 2 cups granulated white sugar
• ▢ 4 large eggs
• ▢ 1/4 cup (about 5 lemons) finely grated lemon zest
• ▢ 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• ▢ 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ▢ 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• ▢ additional powdered sugar for dusting, optional

Instructions 

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 13x9-inch pan with nonstick spray.

PREPARE THE CRUST:

• In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the butter until fluffy. Beat in 2/3 cup powdered sugar. Add the 2 cups of flour a little at a time, beating until lumps begin to form.  Press dough over the bottom of the prepared pan (use a fork or clean hands to press into an even layer). Bake until crust is light golden, about 20 minutes.

PREPARE THE FILLING:

• While the crust is baking, beat the sugar and eggs in a medium bowl until blended. Beat in the lemon juice and zest, baking powder, and then flour.  Pour the lemon filling over the hot crust. Bake until the filling is set in the center and browns on top (about 20 minutes). Transfer to a rack to cool.
• When completely cooled, cut into bars. Dust with powdered sugar, if desired.

Notes

• *These bars may be made one day ahead. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Nutrition

Serving: 1bar, Calories: 203kcal, Carbohydrates: 29g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Cholesterol: 55mg, Sodium: 81mg, Potassium: 50mg, Sugar: 20g, Vitamin A: 285IU, Vitamin C: 3.2mg, Calcium: 18mg, Iron: 0.7mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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