Lemon Bars
Updated Oct. 11, 2023

- Total Time
- 1 hour, plus 4 hours’ cooling
- Prep Time
- 5 minutes
- Cook Time
- 55 minutes, plus 4 hours’ cooling
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- Nonstick cooking spray
- 10tablespoons/140 grams unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- ¼cup/50 grams granulated sugar
- 1teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 to 4lemons
- 1½cups/200 grams all-purpose flour
- 1¼cups/250 grams granulated sugar
- ¼cup/33 grams all-purpose flour
- 4large eggs, room temperature
- ⅔cup fresh lemon juice (from the lemons above)
- Powdered sugar, for dusting (optional)
For the Crust
For the Lemon Layer
Preparation
- Step 1
Prepare the crust: Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom and sides of a 9-inch square metal pan with foil. Lightly coat with nonstick cooking spray.
- Step 2
Combine the butter, sugar, vanilla and salt in a large bowl. Finely grate in the zest of 2 lemons (reserving the zested lemons for the lemon layer), then mix until well combined. While stirring, gradually add the flour and stir just until the dough comes together into a mass. Scrape into the prepared pan and gently press the dough into an even layer.
- Step 3
Bake until the center is dry and the edges are golden, 15 to 18 minutes.
- Step 4
While the crust bakes, make the lemon layer: Squeeze ⅔ cup juice from the zested lemons and more fruit if needed. In the same bowl used for the crust, whisk the sugar and flour. Whisk in the eggs until smooth, then whisk in the lemon juice just until incorporated.
- Step 5
When the crust comes out of the oven, whisk the lemon mixture again and then gently pour it over the hot crust. Turn the oven down to 300 degrees.
- Step 6
Bake until the lemon layer is set around the edges and jiggles a tiny bit in the center, about 20 minutes.
- Step 7
Cool completely in the pan, then refrigerate uncovered until cold and fully set, at least 3 hours. Use the foil to lift the bars out of the pan to slice. Serve cold or at room temperature. The bars can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days. If you’d like, dust with powdered sugar right before serving.
Private Notes
Comments
This recipe is very similar to one for Danish Lemon Bars shared by a friend over 40 years ago, especially the composition of the crust. I've enhanced the crust both with lemon zest and by substituting almond meal for 1/4 to 1/3 of the flour. Increasing the amount of lemon juice in the filling, as Ko's recipe does, and decreasing the sugar enhances the lemony-ness of the final product.
For the crust, zest the lemon into a bowl with the measured amount of sugar, then rub the mixture together with your fingers. The oils get released into the sugar, further enhancing the lemon flavor. Then add the rest of the ingredients. By the way, the amount of lemon juice needed for the lemon layer (2/3 cup) is missing from the ingredient list. It is listed in the directions though.
STEP 8: Put lemon bar in a bowl and cover with fresh blueberries and whipped cream.
Prepare the crust? That’s it? How are the ingredients for the crust combined, what order, no instructions here? You’ve got to be kidding
I’ve made these twice now and they are perfect! Lemon bars can seem like an intimidating recipe, but these were very manageable for an amateur home pastry chef like me. I find that they looked pretty even without the powder
cooked at 300 dg. for 20 minutes and was liquid so added 10 more minutes and overcooked with some burn marks....wondering if its my oven, or if keeping temp at 350 would work better in future. someone please reply, thanks