Are there people out there who don’t like lemons? Cause, damn, do I love lemons. And, guys, these lemon bars… oh my. They are absolutely incredible. If you love lemons, you’ll fall head over heels for these Perfectly Tart Lemon Bars. As a lover of lemon, I have had more than my fair share of lemon bars. And while lemon bars are super simple to make, it does take a degree of difficulty to get the right mix of tart and sweet. Good lemon bars have balance. They’re not overly tart, they’re not over sweet, they punch you with lemon, but don’t know you down. And they have to have a good crust. Not good, a great crust. In this recipe, the perfectly balanced lemon filling is served atop a delightful, buttery, shortbread crust. My word, these bars are divine.

A Little About Lemon Bars…

As far as desserts go, lemon bars are a relatively new recipe. Not much has been documented about how lemon bars came into existence, but it was in 1962 when the first version of a lemon bar recipe came onto the radar. A woman by the name of Eleanore Mickelson submitted her recipe to the Chicago Daily Tribune. Mickelson’s recipe was a little different than the lemon bar recipe of today; it had less lemon juice and eggs than what we see now. Then in 1963, Betty Crocker developed and printed a recipe for the typical lemon bar recipe that we’re still making today. Lemon bars then became crazy popular through the 70’s and their popularity has continued ever since.

Ingredients that you’ll need for Perfectly Tart Lemon Bars

Unsalted Butter

Granulated & Confectioner’s Sugars

Pure Vanilla Extract

Salt

All-Purpose Flour– I have only ever made these bars with this flour and, therefore, cannot recommend a substitute

Eggs

Fresh Lemon Juice– do not substitute with bottled lemon juice. For best results, use fresh lemon juice.

Lemon Zest

Heavy Cream– you can omit this ingredient, however the cream cuts some of the tartness of the lemon and makes the lemon filling extra rich and creamy.

Let me show you how to make these Perfectly Tart Lemon Bars 👇🏻

Start the lemon bars by beginning with the shortbread crust.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 13” x 9” baking dish with non-stick spray. Line the baking dish with parchment paper, letting it hang over the edges to allow easy removal of the bars.

In a bowl, combine 1 cup of melted, unsalted butter with 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1 tbsp vanilla extract, 1/2 tsp salt, and 2 1/2 cups of flour. The mix should come together to form a smooth dough.

Press the shortbread dough into the prepared baking dish. Try to make sure that the dough is pressed into an even layer.

Place into the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until the crust is slightly golden around the edges (it may still look a little pale and underbaked in the middle).

While the shortbread crust is baking, make the lemon filling.

In a large bowl, combine 2 cups of granulated sugar, 1/3 cup of flour, and the zest of 1 lemon.

To the flour/sugar mix, add 5 (whisked) eggs, 1 cup of fresh lemon juice, and 3 tbsp of heavy cream. Whisk until well combined.

Combining the crust & the filling

Grab a fork and poke a few holes into the TOP of the shortbread crust. Be sure to NOT poke all the way through to the bottom- you don’t want the lemon filling leaking through the bottom.

Give the filling one last whisk and then pour it over the crust.

Place the bars into the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes. The lemon filling should be completely set (not wobbly).

Let the bars cool at room temperature for 1-2 hours and the place them in the refrigerator until chilled (about another 2 hours).

When the bars are chilled, gently pull up on the parchment paper to release the bars from the baking dish. Lightly spray a long knife with non-stick spray and cut the bars into squares. Dust the bars with (sifted) confectioner’s sugar and serve!

Store the lemon bars in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week (they are best within the first few days).

Enjoy!

These are the recommended products that I used to make this delicious recipe. These are not only products that I use, but products that I love.

(As an Amazon Associate, I may earn from qualifying purchases at no cost to you. And then I use those earnings to provide you with some awesome content. 😉)