Description
These Easy Lemon Bars with Shortbread Crust combine a buttery, crisp base with a tangy lemon filling, perfect for a bright and refreshing dessert that’s simple to make.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Shortbread Crust
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Lemon Filling
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 6 lemons)
- 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
For Serving
- Powdered sugar for serving
Instructions
- Prepare Your Setup. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang for easy removal.
- Create the Buttery Base. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, granulated sugar, and salt. Add the cold butter cubes and cut them in using a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in vanilla extract.
- Form and Pre-bake the Crust. Press the mixture evenly into your prepared pan and bake for 15-20 minutes until lightly golden brown at the edges.
- Prepare the Lemon Filling. While the crust bakes, whisk together eggs, sugar, flour, fresh lemon juice, and lemon zest until smooth and well combined.
- Complete the Bars. Pour the filling over the hot crust and return to the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the filling is set but still maintains a slight wobble in the center.
- Cool and Set. Allow the bars to cool completely at room temperature, then refrigerate for 1-2 hours until fully set.
Notes
- Line the pan with parchment paper leaving overhang to easily remove the bars after baking.
- Let the bars cool completely before refrigerating to ensure the filling sets properly.
- The slight wobble in the center indicates the perfect texture before cooling.
