Lavender Lemon Bars
User Reviews
4.9
Lavender Lemon Bars
Description
This Lavender Lemon Bars recipe starts with a rich shortbread-style crust of softened butter, all-purpose flour, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract mixed until crumbly and pressed into a baking dish. Baking this crust first provides a stable base that will hold the moist filling securely. The crust is lightly colored when baked, preserving its tender texture.
The filling is distinctive for its inclusion of culinary dried lavender sugar and lavender extract alongside classic lemon ingredients. The sugar and dried lavender can be mixed in advance to deepen the floral flavor. Eggs and lemon juice create a bright, tangy base that thickens as it bakes. The filling sets with a slight crack on top but remains tender and curd-like inside, offering a delicate balance between lemon tartness and gentle lavender aroma.
After baking, dusting with powdered sugar adds a touch of sweetness and visual appeal. These bars are especially enjoyable chilled from the refrigerator to maintain firmness but can be served at room temperature for a softer texture. The bars pair well with tea for a refined dessert or snack.
The original recipe was slightly adapted to enhance flavor and texture. Storing the bars in the fridge preserves their freshness and firmness, while slicing when completely cooled ensures neat portions.
Ingredients
crust
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
filling
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 teaspoon lavender dried, culinary
- 4 egg large
- 6 tablespoons lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 4 tablespoons flour
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest freshly grated
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon lavender extract
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
- In the bowl of your electric mixer, beat the butter, flour, powdered sugar and vanilla extract until combined. It will be crumbly. Press it into a 9x13 inch baking dish. Bake it for 20 minutes, until slightly set.
- While the crust is baking, whisk together the sugar and dried lavender. You can even do this a few days ahead of time to really flavor the sugar!
- In the bowl of your mixer, beat together the 4 eggs and lemon juice. Beat in the lavender sugar, flour, lemon zest, vanilla and lavender extracts. Beat in the salt until combined. Pour the filling over the crust.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the top is slightly cracked and set. The inside filling will still be somewhat soft and curd-like! Sprinkle the lemon bars with powdered sugar. Let cool completely before slicing.
- I like to store these in the fridge because they are delicious cold! You can always keep them at room temperature and slice too - they will be softer! Still delish.
- Note: if you don't want to use the dried flowers, you can up the lavender extract to 1/2 teaspoon. If you don't want to use the extract, you can increase the dried flowers by an extra 1/2 teaspoon and also let the lavender sugar sit for a day or two!
Notes
- The sugar can be mixed with dried lavender several days in advance to intensify the floral aroma.
- Chilling the lemon bars before slicing helps achieve cleaner cuts and firmer texture.
- These bars taste excellent when kept refrigerated but can also be served at room temperature for a softer experience.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.9
You'll Also Love
