The BEST Lemon Bars

Lemon Bars
These are the BEST lemon bars – ultra tangy, full of flavor, and the perfect proportion of crust to lemon topping, because everyone loves a good traditional lemon bar! I mean, if you like lemon that is.

In my search for the perfect lemon bar, I read through hundreds of the reviews and then looked at some of the highest rated, best lemon squares recipes. I found the biggest complaint for the highest rated lemon bars recipes was that there is not enough lemon flavoring, too much crust to not enough lemon flavor, and that the crust needs more flavor. So I went about fixing these things to bring you what I believe to be the best homemade lemon bar!

Lemon bars aren’t inherently difficult to make, but they do require some time. Here’s a quick overview.
How do you make lemon bars?

    Use a glass pan – a metal pan often transfers a metallic taste to the lemon bars
    Line the pan with parchment paper – this will make it much easier to get the lemon bars out
    Use REAL lemons – the bottled lemon juice won’t cut it on these. Since this lemon bar recipe calls for actual lemon zest, you’ll need real lemons anyways.
    Chill overnight – the flavors meld together really well in the fridge, making the bars that much more flavorful and tangy. Chilling overnight is not a must for this recipe, but if you have the time and plan ahead, I highly recommend it!

The BEST Lemon Bars

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours, 50 minutes

Ingredients

Shortbread Crust

•     1 cup (230g; 2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
•     2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
•     1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
•     2 cups + 2 Tablespoons (265g) all-purpose flour
•     1/2 teaspoon salt

Lemon Filling

•     2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
•     6 large eggs
•     6 Tablespoons (48g) all-purpose flour
•     1 cup (240ml) lemon juice (about 4 lemons)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F (163°C). Line the bottom and sides of a 9×13 baking pan* with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides to lift the finished bars out (makes cutting easier!). Set aside.
2. Make the crust: Mix the melted butter, sugar, vanilla extract, and salt together in a medium bowl. Add the flour and stir to completely combine. The dough will be thick. Press firmly into prepared pan, making sure the layer of crust is nice and even. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until the edges are very lightly browned.
3. Make the filling: Sift the sugar and flour together in a large bowl. Add the eggs and lemon juice and whisk until completely combined.
4. Pour filling over warm crust. Bake the bars for 22-26 minutes or until the center is relatively set and no longer jiggles. (Give the pan a light tap with an oven mitt to test.) Remove bars from the oven and cool completely at room temperature. I usually cool them for about 2 hours at room temperature, then stick in the refrigerator for 1-2 more hours until pretty chilled. I recommend serving chilled.
5. Once cool, lift the parchment paper out of the pan using the overhang on the sides. Dust with confectioners’ sugar and cut into squares before serving. For neat squares, wipe the knife clean between each cut. Cover and store leftover lemon bars in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
6. Freezing Instructions: Lemon bars can be frozen for up to 3-4 months. Cut the cooled bars (without confectioners’ sugar topping) into squares, then place onto a baking sheet. Freeze for 1 hour. Individually wrap each bar in aluminum foil or plastic wrap and place into a large bag or freezer container to freeze. Thaw in the refrigerator, then dust with confectioners’ sugar before serving.

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