Bright Tangy Sweet Lemon Bars (Printable)

Tangy lemon bars with a crisp buttery shortbread base, dusted with powdered sugar for a light finish.

# What You Need:

→ Shortbread Crust

01 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
02 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
03 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
04 - 1/4 teaspoon salt

→ Lemon Filling

05 - 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
06 - 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
07 - 4 large eggs
08 - 2/3 cup fresh lemon juice (approximately 3 to 4 lemons)
09 - Zest of 2 lemons

→ Topping

10 - Powdered sugar, for dusting

# Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang for easy removal.
02 - In a medium bowl, cream together the softened butter and 1/2 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Add flour and salt; mix until just combined. Press evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan.
03 - Bake the crust for 18 to 20 minutes until lightly golden.
04 - While the crust bakes, whisk together 1 1/2 cups sugar, 1/4 cup flour, eggs, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a large bowl until smooth and fully combined.
05 - Pour the lemon filling carefully over the hot crust immediately after removing it from the oven.
06 - Return to the oven and bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until the filling is just set and no longer jiggly in the center.
07 - Remove from oven and cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Once cooled, lift out using the parchment overhang and cut into bars.
08 - Dust bars generously with powdered sugar before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The shortbread crust stays buttery and tender instead of hard, because you're not overthinking it.
  • One pan, one oven, and you've got sixteen pieces of sunshine that taste nothing like a box mix.
  • They're tangy enough to feel sophisticated but sweet enough to disappear in two bites.
02 -
  • If the filling is still jiggly in the center when you pull it out, it will keep cooking as it cools—don't overbake or you'll end up with a rubbery, grainy texture.
  • The parchment overhang is not optional; it's the difference between a beautiful bar and a broken mess.
03 -
  • A hot crust makes all the difference—pour that filling over it straight from the oven so the bottom edge seals properly and stays tender instead of soggy.
  • If you don't have fresh lemons, you genuinely cannot make this recipe the same way, but you can make something respectable with good quality bottled juice and double the zest if you've frozen some ahead.

Return