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Nanas Lemon Bars

Lemon Bars are an easy classic dessert recipe. Buttery shortbread crust with tangy, sweet gooey lemon filling. Can be made regular or gluten-free.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 9 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Cooling (room temperature + chilling) 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 49 minutes
Servings 20 squares OR 15 bars
Calories 247kcal
Author Toni Dash

Ingredients

Shortbread Crust

  • 2 cups All-Purpose Flour (regular or gluten-free measure-for-measure flour blend)
  • 1/2 cup Confectioner's/Powdered Sugar
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) Unsalted Butter melted

Lemon Filling

  • 4 Eggs
  • 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
  • 2 cups Granulated Sugar
  • 1/3 cup Lemon Juice
  • 1/2 cup All-Purpose Flour (regular or gluten-free measure-for-measure flour blend)
  • 1 tablespoon Lemon Zest

Dusting on top

  • 1 1/2 tablespoon Confectioner's/Powdered Sugar

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9-inch by 13-inch glass pan with non stick spray or grease with a bit of butter.

Shortbread Crust

  • In a large bowl, sift together the flour and powdered sugar.
  • Pour in the melted butter and cut it together with a pastry cutter. NOTE: dining forks may also be used. Once the dough has formed, press it into the bottom of the prepared pan.
  • Bake for 25 minutes, until the top is golden in color.

Lemon Filling + Baking

  • When the crust is about half way through, start to prepare the filling. In a large bowl, beat together the eggs, sugar, lemon juice and zest.
  • Sift the flour and baking powder over the egg mixture and stir together to combine.
  • Pour the filling over the warm crust and place it back in the oven for 15-20 minutes ( start checking it at 12 minutes for jiggle and brownness), just until the top starts to turn golden brown and looks set. DO NOT OVERBAKE. It will continue to firm up as it chills.
  • Remove from the oven and allow the bars to cool at room temperature for 1-2 hours.
  • Once cooled, place into the fridge for a minimum of 3 hours. Chill overnight if possible.
  • Dust with powdered sugar just before serving. Store in the fridge.

Video

Notes

This recipe has been tested multiple times with each regular All-Purpose flour and gluten-free measure-for-measure flour.

PRO TIPS for best Lemon Bars

  • Use a glass baking pan.
  • Spoon the flour into a measuring cup and level it off, don’t scoop the flour as it could lead to too much flour.
  • Do not overcook! The bars will be lightly golden and may have a slight jiggle in the center. This will firm up during chilling
  • These bars need to be cooled on the counter top for 1-2 hours and then chilled for another 2-3 hours minimum, best if they can chill overnight.
  • This is a custard bar and must be chilled and stored in the fridge.
  • Dust the powdered sugar right before serving.

Storing

Refrigerator: after the bars are fully cooled and cut, store in a hard container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Add parchment or wax paper between layers of bars.
Freezer: after bars are cooled and cut, place them on a baking sheet with space in between in the freezer. Freeze for an hour. Wrap the bars individually in plastic wrap and place in a larger plastic freezer bag. Store up to 3 months. Thaw and store in the refrigerator.

Nutrition

Calories: 247kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 58mg | Sodium: 15mg | Potassium: 56mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 343IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 1mg