What is so remarkable about these Tart Lemon Bars? The secret is the cookie crust. Fresh lemon zest is added to the buttery crust and then topped with a tart, tangy lemon filling.
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This easy lemon bars recipe is one of our favorite lemon desserts, and it uses simple ingredients.
This post was updated in March 2021 with new information and photographs.
Table of contents
Lemons, lemons, lemons
We have a Meyer Lemon Tree, but Meyer lemons are slightly more on the sweet side. If you are using Meyer lemons, you might not get quite the flavor a real lemon lover is going for. The photos in this post use Meyer lemons.
One day, my son's friend handed me a bag of huge, thick-skinned lemons that were not Meyers. They made fantastic Tart Lemon Bars. If you are unsure what is available in your area, talk to the produce clerk at your local grocery store, and they can help you pick out the best fresh lemons for you.
These Tart Lemon Bars have a thick buttery crust and a silky tart lemon filling topped off with a sprinkle of powdered sugar.
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Ingredients needed
For the crust
- Flour
- Salt
- Powdered Sugar
- Butter or Margarine
- Lemon Zest
For the filling
- Fresh Lemon Juice
- Lemon Zest
- Flour
- Granulated Sugar
- Salt
- Eggs
How to prepare this recipe
- Pre-heat the oven to 350-degrees.
- Combine flour, powdered sugar, salt, butter, and lemon zest to a large mixing bowl. You can either use an electric hand mixer, food processor, or a pastry blender.
- Spray a 13 x 9-inch glass baking dish with non-stick spray.
- Press the cookie base into the baking dish using your fingers.
- Bake the lemon cookie base for about 20 minutes.
- While the crust is baking, make the lemon filling. Beat the eggs in the same bowl used for the cookie base if possible.
- Add the lemon juice, lemon zest, sugar, flour, and salt to the beaten eggs. Mixt well.
- After the crust has baked for 20 minutes, remove it from the oven and slowly and carefully pour in the lemon filling.
- Return the lemon cookies to the oven and continue to bake for 20 - 25 minutes. The Lemon Cookie Bars are done when the center of the filling has set, and the top of the bars are just starting to turn a golden brown color.
- Remove from the oven and cool the cookie bars on a wire rack.
Step by step with photos
Making the cookie base
Combine the butter or margarine with the flour, powdered sugar, salt, and lemon zest in a large mixing bowl. The butter or margarine works best at room temperature.
You can use a pastry cutter, a fork, your fingers, or do like I do and use an electric mixer. A food processor also works well for this. I prefer the electric mixer because it is quick and easy to clean up.
Mix ingredients for the crust, but do not over mix. Having little bits of butter showing through in the coarse crumbs makes for a better crust.
Press mixture into a 13 x 9-inch glass pan that has been sprayed with non-stick spray. Bake crust in a 350-degree oven for about 20 minutes.
Making the lemon filling
Using the same bowl you made the crust in, beat the eggs using an electric mixer. After about 30 seconds of mixing, add the granulated sugar, salt, lemon juice, and lemon zest.
After the crust bakes for about 20 minutes, slowly and carefully pour the lemon mixture over the hot crust.
Continue to bake for another 20 - 25 minutes. The Lemon Cookie Bars are done when the center of the filling has set, and the top of the bars are just starting to turn a golden brown color.
As you can see in the photo above, I can't wait for the cookies to cool completely before cutting them. The cut is cleaner when they are cool. However, they are yummy when they are warm too!
Use a sharp knife to cut these cookies. Store these cookies in an airtight container or cover the baking dish with plastic wrap or aluminum foil.
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Recipe
Tart Lemon Bars
Equipment
- Electric Mixer or Food Processor
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 cup Butter or Margarine, slightly softened
- ½ cup Powdered Sugar
- 2 Cups All-purpose Flour
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 1 Zest from 1 Lemon
Filling
- 4 Eggs
- 1 ½ cups Granulated Sugar
- ¼ cup All-purpose Flour
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 2 Zest from 2 Lemons
- ¾ cup Lemon Juice fresh
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 350-degrees.
- Combine flour, powdered sugar, salt, butter, and lemon zest to a large mixing bowl. You can either use an electric hand mixer, food processor, or a pastry blender.
- Spray a 13 x 9-inch glass baking dish with non-stick spray.
- Press the cookie base into the baking dish using your fingers.
- Bake the lemon cookie base for about 20 minutes.
- While the crust is baking make the lemon filling. Beat the eggs in the same bowl used for the cookie base if possible.
- Add the lemon juice, lemon zest, sugar, flour, and salt to the beaten eggs. Mixt well.
- After the crust has baked for 20 minutes, remove it from the oven and slowly and carefully pour in the lemon filling.
- Return the lemon cookies to the oven and continue to bake for 20 - 25 minutes. The Lemon Cookie Bars are done when the center of the filling has set, and the top of the bars are just starting to turn a golden brown color.
- Remove from the oven and cool the cookie bars on a wire rack.
jewel
perfectly crunchy crust and tart lemon filling ready to eat in an hour
Mere
Could I bake the crust at night and do the filling in the morning?
Keri
This is not something I have tried, but it seems like it should work!
Kristin
Do you think these lemon bars would work with a graham or saltine cracker crust?
Keri
I have not tried using a different crust, but the graham cracker crust sounds delicious. Let me know if try it.
Lou
When I slowly and carefully poured in the filling it displaced the crust. I’ve made lemon bars with various recipes for years and years. Never had this happen. Expensive fail.
Keri
I'm sorry to hear that. I have used this recipe many times and never had that happen. Were you trying a different type of crust?
Karin
My husband loved how lemony these bars are. I would, however, bake the base longer than 20 minutes until it is more golden (this isn’t specified in the recipe) and then wait a few minutes before adding the curd so it doesn’t sink in as much.
Sheridan Pyle
My family loves tart lemon bars and this recipe was a hit! I used salted butter and added a raspberry on top of each square for fun.
Sarah
Fantastic! Hard to find a tart and tangy recipe but this one is so good. The second time I made them I increased lemon juice to 1cup and 2 full tablespoons of zest as well as reducing sugar to 1cup and increased flour to 1/2 cup. Super tangy just the way we love them. They were gone by the end of the day! Wonderful original recipe
Cook This Again, Mom!
Awesome! I am a firm believer in adjusting a recipe to work for you. I am so glad you enjoyed the Lemon Bars!
Katherine E Wolfe
The best
Cook This Again, Mom!
Thank you!
Leah
Fantastic! Made once this way and once with half lemon half orange juice and zest! solid recipe! Did find though that I had to bake the crust a little longer than required as it was still pretty blonde after 20 minutes me my family likes a well done crust! (I also used salted butter for the crust but again that is a personal preference.) Thanks for a great recipe!!
Cook This Again, Mom!
Awesome and thank you! Take care.