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This classic Lemon Bars recipe gives you bright and tangy treats, and it’s a total must-make, especially when you need some citrus in your life!
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Today … drum roll, please … I’m showing you the BEST ever lemon bars recipe!
It’s true, y’all. You know I like to tinker with recipes, but there are just some recipes I don’t mess with because they are (in my humble opinion, best-ever best ever lemon bars? Well, they’re the best ever, of course!
If you come to my house to eat, I can promise you that some of the recipes on this blog will always be the same. Always. As in, they never vary. Ever.
The best ever lemon bars?! They fall into that “never ever change them” category.
You might be thinking, why? These lemon bars have the perfect balance of buttery crust with an incredibly delicious sweet pop of lemon filling. They’re not too tart, and they’re not too sweet – they’re just right!!
It’s good that it’s easy to whip u a batch or three! You just might need that many with how addicting these things are!
Sometimes, y’all, there’s no changing a good recipe…and this lemon bars recipe? A VERY good one! Let me show you how they’re made …
Easy Lemon Bars: Ingredients & Substitutions
For this Lemon Bars recipe, you’ll need …
Ingredients
- all-purpose flour – there are many kinds of flour out there, each suited for a different purpose. When it comes to baking something like these best-ever lemon bars, you’ll want all-purpose!
- sugar – powdered. For added sweetness!
- butter – softened. Butter in any recipe acts as a binding agent and “fat,” which adds to the texture.
For the frosting:
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- sugar – this time, granulated. Again, for sweetness!
- grated lemon peel and lemon juice – you can’t have lemon bars without that gorgeous citrus-y flavor. These will give you the tangy taste you know and love!
- baking powder – in recipes where you don’t use yeast, the baking powder helps the sweet treat rise a little.
- salt – believe it or not, salt in a sweet recipe brings out the flavors of the other ingredients. I say this in almost every blog post, but it’s true, y’all. You definitely taste the difference without it! Don’t leave it out if possible.
- large eggs – two of ‘em! Remember to leave them out at room temperature for a few hours first! Room temp eggs always blend smoother.
- additional powdered sugar – as a topping, if you want!
Easy Lemon Bars Recipe: FAQs
About 20-25, depending on how you cut them. Enough for a party, I think!
Almost an hour and a half. You’ll want about an hour total to cook the bars and 25-ish minutes to prep the ingredients beforehand.
They’ll be good for about a week after baking! Specifically, when kept in an airtight container, they should be good for about three days at room temperature without much loss in quality.
You can line the baking pan with parchment paper, leaving the edges slightly hanging over the sides of the pan for you to grab. That should make it so they are easier to lift out!
Other recipes you may enjoy
- Homemade Lemon Curd
- Lemon Lush Delight
- White Chocolate Lemon Truffles
- Lemon Lover’s Bundt Cake
- Lemon Pudding Cookies
The BEST Lemon Bars EVER
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Ingredients
For the crust
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup butter, softened, 1 stick
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
For the filling
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- additional powdered sugar for topping, if desired
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a medium bowl, mix the flour, butter, and powdered sugar until well combined. Press into an ungreased 8x8x2-inch or 9x9x2-inch baking pan, building up the edges about half an inch.
- Bake the crust for 20 minutes.
- Beat the filling ingredients with an electric mixer on HIGH speed for about 3 minutes or until the mixture is light and fluffy. Pour the mixture over the hot crust.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until no indentation remains when the center is lightly touched. Cool in the pan on a wire rack.
- Just before serving, dust with powdered sugar, if desired. Cut into 1-1/2 to 2-inch bars.
Notes
- Line the baking pan with parchment paper that hangs slightly over the edges to make it easier to get the bars out!
- These bars can be left at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerated for up to 7 days!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Originally published on March 4, 2014. Updated on August 13, 2022.
These are perfect lemon bars! Totally irresistible!
These really are the BEST!