Classic Lemon Bars with Shortbread Crust

Many people are intimidated by baking, but it’s really not that hard. These classic lemon bars with shortbread crust are a great dessert to start with because they’re easy and delicious. 

A lot of people avoid baking because they think it’s too difficult or time-consuming. But homemade lemon bars are actually a really easy dessert to make.

In this blog post, we’ll show you how to make easy lemon bars from scratch. You only need a few simple ingredients, and the recipe is really straightforward. So go ahead and give it a try!

Lemon Squares Ingredients

The ingredients you choose for these homemade lemon squares really make a difference in the final product.  Don’t skimp on quality!  Choose real butter, free-range eggs, freshly squeezed lemon juice, and pure cane sugar. 

I find that the easiest way to juice fresh lemons is to use a wooden lemon reamer.  Here are the ingredients you need to make lemon bars from scratch:

To make a shortbread crust you need:

1 cup (2 sticks) softened butter
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar
1/2 tsp salt

To make the fresh lemon filling you need:

4 eggs
2 cups granulated sugar
6 TBSP unbleached all-purpose flour
6 TBSP lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
1 TBSP grated lemon zest
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

You also need confectioner’s sugar for dusting once the lemon squares cool.  These classic lemon bars with shortbread crust are seriously delicious, with a tart and creamy filling that will make it hard to eat just one!

More Lemon Dessert Recipes

If you love this Classic Lemon Bars Recipe with Shortbread Crust, here are a few more simple lemon dessert recipes you might want to try:

• Homemade lemon pudding: Made from scratch with fresh lemons, this easy lemon pudding is creamy and delicious!
• Lemon and Raspberry Parfait: Delicious layers of creamy lemon pudding, crunchy granola, and tart raspberries.
• Lemon Rosemary Olive Oil Cake: Rich, delicious olive oil cake with a sweet and savory lemon flavor.

Classic Lemon Bars Recipe

Yield: 15

Classic Lemon Bars with Shortbread Crust

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These easy lemon bars are loaded with fresh lemon flavor. Just the right balance of sweet and tart.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Additional Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 55 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup (2 sticks) softened butter
• 2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 4 eggs
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 6 TBSP unbleached all purpose flour
• 6 TBSP lemon juice
• 1 TBSP grated lemon zest
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• confectioner's sugar for dusting

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

2. Butter a 9 x 13-inch baking dish

3. For the crust:  Mix the butter, flour, confectioner's sugar, and salt in a bowl then pat into the prepared baking dish. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden.

4. For the filling:  Beat the eggs in a large bowl and mix in the granulated sugar, flour, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla. Beat until fluffy. Pour over the baked crust and return to the oven for 30 minutes or until the filling is set. Transfer to a wire rack to cool and then dust with confectioner's sugar and cut into squares.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

15

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 248Total Fat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 52mgSodium: 105mgCarbohydrates: 54gFiber: 1gSugar: 38gProtein: 4g

Nutrition information not always accurate

 

Diane Hoffmaster

Diane is a professional blogger and nationally certified pharmacy technician at Good Pill Pharmacy.  She earned her BS in Microbiology at the University of New Hampshire and has worked in cancer research, academics, and biotechnology. Concern over the growing incidence of human disease and the birth of her children led her to begin living a more natural life. She quickly realized that the information she was learning along the way could be beneficial to many others and started blogging and freelance writing to share this knowledge with others. Learn more about her HERE.