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Beautiful plate of lemon bars dusted with powdered sugar on a white serving plate, golden shortbread crust with bright yellow lemon custard layer, one bar bitten showing the silky filling, fresh le...
Sarah Mitchell

Lemon Bars With Buttery Shortbread Crust

If you've ever had a lemon bar that was too sweet, too tart, or had a soggy crust — forget all of that. These lemon bars are perfectly balanced: a buttery, crumbly shortbread base topped with a silky smooth lemon custard that's bright and tangy without making your face pucker.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings: 16 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 250
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2/3 cup fresh lemon juice (about 4 lemons)
  • 2 tablespoons lemon zest
  • Powdered sugar for dusting

Method
 

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
  2. For the crust: cream the butter and powdered sugar together. Mix in the flour and salt until a crumbly dough forms.
  3. Press the dough evenly into the bottom of the pan.
  4. Bake the crust for 18-20 minutes until lightly golden around the edges.
  5. While the crust bakes, whisk together the eggs, sugar, flour, lemon juice, and lemon zest until smooth.
  6. Pour the lemon filling over the hot crust as soon as it comes out of the oven.
  7. Return to the oven and bake for 20-22 minutes until the filling is set and no longer jiggly.
  8. Let cool completely in the pan, then refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
  9. Dust generously with powdered sugar and cut into 16 bars.

Notes

Use fresh lemon juice — bottled juice doesn't have the same bright, vibrant flavor. Pour the filling over the hot crust, not a cooled one — this helps them bond together and prevents a soggy bottom. For the prettiest finish, dust with powdered sugar right before serving. Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.