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5 from 1 vote

Easy Classic Lemon Bars with Shortbread Crust

Servings: 15 bars
Author: Sally Humeniuk

Ingredients

For the crust:

For the filling:

Instructions

Make the crust:

  • Preheat oven to 350℉. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch pan and line with parchment paper. Greasing the pan first helps the parchment to adhere to the pan when pressing crust dough into pan.
  • Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment, about 3 minutes. Combine flour and salt, add to butter mixture and mix on low until a soft dough forms.
    1 cup unsalted butter, ½ cup granulated sugar, 2 cups all-purpose flour, ¼ tsp sea salt
  • Distribute the dough evenly in the pan and press down into a flat layer. Bake 15-20 minutes until the edges turn golden and center looks set. Remove from oven and allow to cool while making the filling. Leave oven on.

Make the filling and finish the lemon bars:

  • In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and egg yolks, then strain through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any bits of egg.
    4 large eggs, 3 large egg yolks
  • Place sugar in a separate bowl and sift flour over sugar. Whisk together. Stir in the lemon juice until smooth. Add the lemon zest and egg mixture. Mix well with whisk or large spoon.
    3 cups granulated sugar, 1 cup lemon juice, ¾ cup all-purpose flour, 2 Tbsps grated lemon zest
  • Slowly pour filling over crust and bake about 25 minutes until the center is just set with a slight jiggle.
  • Let cool at room temperature for about 1 hour, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours before cutting.
  • Dust with powdered sugar and cut into bars using a clean, sharp, damp knife. Clean and re-wet the knife after each cut.
    powdered sugar

Notes

  • Strain the eggs for a smoother filling
    This removes any bits of egg and helps prevent an uneven texture.
  • Use fresh lemon juice
    Bottled juice won’t give the same bright flavor.
  • Don’t overbake
    The center should still have a slight jiggle—it will finish setting as it cools.
  • Chill before cutting
    This makes a big difference for clean, neat bars.
  • Wipe your knife between cuts
    For the cleanest edges, wipe and re-wet your knife each time.