Perfect Lemon Bars
User Reviews
4.7
Perfect Lemon Bars
Description
Perfect Lemon Bars start with a crust made from flour, powdered sugar, cornstarch, salt, and cool butter that is cut into the dry ingredients until coarse. This crust is pressed into a pan, chilled, then baked until barely golden, providing a delicate base. The filling is prepared by whisking eggs, sugar, flour, lemon zest and juice, milk, and a pinch of salt until smooth. This mixture is poured over the hot crust and baked to set the lemon layer. The combination results in a dessert bar with a firm, buttery crust and a silky, tangy lemon topping that holds well when sliced.
The fresh lemon juice and zest bring a bright sourness balanced by sugar, while the slight flour addition keeps the filling stable. The crust's tender texture and the luscious filling make these lemon bars suitable for serving as a classic picnic treat, afternoon snack, or a light dessert. They can be dusted with extra powdered sugar for a touch of sweetness and presentation.
Adjustments like increasing the butter in the crust make it less crumbly, and thickening the filling with more flour and eggs allows for a richer slice. Using cool or grated butter and chilling the crust before baking helps achieve an even, crisp texture. Storing baked bars in the refrigerator maintains their freshness.
Ingredients
For the Crust (see note for adaptations):
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ⅔ cup powdered sugar plus extra to sprinkle on bars
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 12 tablespoons butter 1 1/2 sticks, at cool room temperature, cut into 1-inch pieces
For the Filling (see note for thicker filling):
- 4 large egg
- 1 ⅓ cups granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons lemon from 2 large lemons, zest, grated
- ⅔ cup lemon juice from 3 to 4 large lemons, freshly squeezed
- ⅓ cup milk
- Pinch salt about 1/8 teaspoon
Instructions
- Place an oven rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9X13-inch baking pan with foil or parchment paper and lightly grease the foil/parchment (optional: it helps with removing the bars after baking, but you can instead grease the pan with nonstick cooking spray).
- Whisk together the flour, powdered sugar, cornstarch, and salt (this can be done in a food processor or in a large bowl by hand). Add the pieces of butter and cut the butter into the dry ingredients using a pastry blender, two knives or your fingers (taking care not to melt the butter too much - you might try freezing the butter and grating it into the dry ingredients on the large holes of a box grater) or process in the food processor for 8 to 10 seconds and then as needed until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
- Sprinkle the mixture into the prepared pan and press into an even layer on the bottom. Refrigerate for 15-30 minutes. Bake until very lightly golden brown on the edges, about 15-20 minutes.
- For the filling, whisk together the eggs, sugar, salt, and flour in a medium bowl and then stir in the lemon zest, juice and milk to combine.
- Pour the filling onto the warm crust; reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees and bake for about 18-20 minutes until the filling feels slightly firm to the touch. Cool the bars to room temperature, sprinkle with additional powdered sugar and cut into bars.
Notes
- Using a full cup of butter in the crust improves tenderness and reduces crumbliness.
- Cold or grated butter incorporated quickly helps preserve a flaky crust texture.
- Chill the crust mixture before baking to help it hold shape during baking.
- For a thicker filling, increase eggs to 6, sugar to 2 cups, flour to 5-6 tablespoons, milk to half a cup, lemon zest to 1 tablespoon, and lemon juice to 1 cup.
- You can mix the crust with a hand or stand mixer for convenience, then press into the pan.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 24Bars (9X13-inch pan)
Amount Per Serving
Calories kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1 Bar | |
| Calories | 163kcal | 8% |
| Carbohydrates | 24g | 8% |
| Protein | 2g | 4% |
| Fat | 7g | 11% |
| Saturated Fat | 4g | 20% |
| Cholesterol | 46mg | 15% |
| Sodium | 112mg | 5% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 15g | 30% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.7
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