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The Best Homemade Lemon Bars

May 4, 2016 by thedomesticrebel | 10 Comments

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Homemade Lemon Bars arranged on parchment with lemon wedgesThese Homemade Lemon Bars are absolutely divine. Buttery shortbread crust topped with a thick, glossy and sweet lemon filling. Finished off with powdered sugar, it’s simple, perfect, and classic.

It took me a long while to perfect these bars, to be honest. There are some things that I can do that are really challenging to others but super simple to me, like learning a new language or pulling off a tutu (truth). But there are other things that are totally brainless that I cannot seem to master, baking potatoes to perfection and a bumpless ponytail, to name a few.

And of course, lemon bars. Before today.

These bars are super easy and come together in minutes! And they’re so buttery, gooey and lemony – essential for any respectable lemon bar!

First, you whip up your shortbread crust. Cut some butter into a mixture of flour and a little sugar. This takes a little bit of time, so ponder your existence on this little grain of sand we call Earth or, you know, thumb through the latest Us Weekly. I’ll let you guess which one I did.

Once the mixture resembles coarse crumbs, press it into a foil-lined and lightly greased 13×9″ baking pan. Bake it off for a few minutes and while it bakes, make your filling (aka, the best part of this existence on this little grain of sand we call Earth).

For the filling, you’ll whisk together some eggs, sugar (lots!), lemon juice, lemon zest, and a teensy bit of flour which helps thicken it and hold the whole shebang together. Whisk it until it’s super smooth, then pour it over the par-baked crust, throw it back into the oven, and bake it up for a good 20 minutes. Once it’s baked & cooled, pop it in the fridge to set for about 2 hours. This gives everything time to settle and form into perfectly cut gooey lemon bars. But if you absolutely can’t wait, just let it come to room temperature after baking before cutting into bars. I won’t tell.

Closeup of Lemon Bars stacked on parchment with lemon wedgeAnd yeah. That’s it. Super simple, straightforward, and oh so delicious. Novice bakers and experts alike will appreciate this fantastic, classic recipe. And then we’ll all collectively agree that this is one of the best parts of living on Earth.

Enjoy!

Lemon Bars stacked on parchment with lemon wedges and powdered sugar dusting tool

Print Recipe

The Best Homemade Lemon Bars

These Classic, Homemade Lemon Bars are absolutely divine! Buttery shortbread is topped with a gooey, glossy lemon filling that's to-die for. Recipes don't get easier or more delicious than this!
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time27 mins
Total Time37 mins
Course: Bars, Dessert
Cuisine: American, Dessert
Servings: 15
Author: Hayley Parker, The Domestic Rebel

Ingredients

  • FOR CRUST:
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) butter cut into cubes
  • FOR FILLING:
  • 1½ cups sugar
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 4 eggs
  • 2/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice from about 5 medium lemons
  • Zest of 2 lemons
  • Powdered sugar for dusting on finished bars

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 13x9" baking pan with foil, extending the sides of the foil over the edges of the pan. Spray the foil lightly with cooking spray; set aside.
  • In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar and salt. Cut in the butter cubes with a pastry blender or two forks until coarse crumbs form. To test if it's done, grab a fistful of the crust dough; if it holds together in one piece, it's done.
  • Pour the crust into the prepared pan and pat it into an even layer. Bake for approx. 7-8 minutes or until lightly golden brown.
  • While the crust bakes, make your filling. In another medium bowl, whisk together the flour and sugar together. Whisk it really well so all those clumps of flour are broken up. Alternatively, you may sift the flour into the sugar mixture. Add in the eggs, lemon juice and lemon zest and stir to combine. Pour the mixture over the crust.
  • Bake for approx. 20 minutes or until the center is just about set and only very slightly jiggly. Do not over bake! Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours to set. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.

Closeup of Lemon Bars stacked on parchment with bite missing and lemon wedgesGooey, supremely lemony and perfect, these bars are a classic for a reason!

Homemade Lemon Bars collageHave a super sweet day!

xo, Hayley

 

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Comments

  1. Michele @ Alwayzbakin says

    May 4, 2016 at 1:54 pm

    I’ve actually never made lemon bars. I know, weird, right?? These look like heaven on a plate. Totally pinning for later!

    Reply
    • thedomesticrebel says

      May 4, 2016 at 2:56 pm

      To be honest, I had only made the pre-packaged boxed kind before this. (Well, before I attempted making versions of this recipe that were unsuccessful) 🙂 They are so good!

      Reply
  2. Karen says

    May 5, 2016 at 5:34 pm

    Mmm, I love lemon anything! Anything citrusy actually. Now that spring is finally here for real, I’m all about these and some key lie pie!

    Reply
    • thedomesticrebel says

      May 5, 2016 at 7:34 pm

      You’ll LOVE these bars, Karen! They would be equally amazing as key lime bars – but shh, I plan on making those and posting them, too! 🙂

      Reply
      • Karen says

        May 8, 2016 at 6:11 am

        Well, they didn’t turn out as pretty as yours, but they sure tasted amazeballs! Not a crumb left!

        Reply
        • thedomesticrebel says

          May 8, 2016 at 6:29 am

          Karen, so glad you loved them! They’re one of my new favorites!

          Reply
          • Karen says

            May 8, 2016 at 7:49 am

            Everyone loved them! Next time I’m gonna mix up the filling a little better so there are no weird white spots. But really, nobody even cared lol

          • thedomesticrebel says

            May 8, 2016 at 8:06 am

            That’s happened to me too – I like whisking the flour and sugar together really well before adding the eggs, lemon juice & zest. Plus, if nothing else, cover it up with powdered sugar! 😉

  3. Olivia says

    March 14, 2017 at 2:02 pm

    Hi there, can’t wait to make this but what if you have pre made lemon curd, would that work for this recipe? 🙂

    Reply
    • thedomesticrebel says

      March 14, 2017 at 4:47 pm

      Hi Olivia, I have not tried this with premade lemon curd so I can’t be too sure. If you try it, let me know how it goes!

      Reply

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About me

Welcome to The Domestic Rebel! My name is Hayley and I am the 31-year old writer, photographer, recipe developer, taste-tester and creator of this blog. I’m so glad you’ve stopped by my little slice of sprinkly, butter-laden heaven on the interwebs. If it wasn’t apparent, I like to bake… a lot. Read More…

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