My easy lemon bars are made in one bowl—no fuss, no pre-cooking—secretly simple with a silky, bakery-style filling and buttery crust.
- 1 ¼ cups (6 ¼ oz/177 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 10 tablespoons (5 oz/142 g) butter , cubed and softened
- 8 large egg yolks , at room temperature
- ½ cup (4 oz/115 g) butter , at room temperature
- 1 ½ cups (12 oz/340 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (2 ½ oz/71 g) all-purpose flour (See Notes)
- zest of 4 lemons
- ¾ cup (6 fl oz/180 ml) lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- powdered sugar , for dusting
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Preheat your oven to 325°F (170°C) then butter and line an 8x8 inch (20 x 20 com) baking tin, set aside.
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In a large bowl combine flour and sugar. Next rub in the butter until you've reached the texture of coarse breadcrumbs. Continue to bring the shortbread together using your hands until the dough forms a ball.
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Transfer the shortbread dough to your lined baking tin and press it into one even layer using your fingertips and the palm of your hands. Then prick the crust all over with a fork.
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Bake the shortbread crust for 25 minutes. While the base is baking, make the lemon filling.
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In a medium bowl whisk the softened butter and sugar together until combined.
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Next, whisk in the egg yolks and flour until the mixture is smooth and no lumps. Lastly whisk in the lemon zest, juice and vanilla extract. (If the mixture looks a bit separated, don't be alarmed).
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Pour the lemon filling over the baked shortbread crust.
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Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the top has set.
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Allow to fully cool before dusting with powdered sugar and cutting into squares.
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Enjoy with a cup of tea! Store leftover bars in the fridge, covered, for up to 4 days. I do not recommend freezing these bars.
Watch the Recipe Video!
- Use fresh lemon juice. It gives the brightest, most vibrant flavor.
- Press the crust down evenly. This is important to create even, easy-to-cut bars.
- Pre-bake the crust: The rich, sweet crust bakes ahead of the filling in these easy to make lemon bars to ensure it’s cooked through.
- Zest first. Zest lemons before juicing them.
- Remove from oven while there's still a slight jiggle in the middle. Take care not to over-bake the lemon squares.
- Fully cool the lemon bars before serving. Lemon bars are easier to cut into squares when they are fully cooled. This is an important step in setting the center of them.
- Wipe off your knife in between cuts. This helps create the neatest-looking bars.
- Switch up the flavor. Use orange juice and zest in place of lemon to make orange bars.