Easy Lemon Bars from Scratch are simple, delicious, and bursting with lemon flavor. They are super easy to make and perfect for these warm summer days!
After my first bite of these I thought to myself, “these are so good they dangerous!" These lemon bars are that good- that if I didn’t give them away, I would’ve eaten them all!
Don't miss my other favorite lemon recipes:
There is something so refreshing about food with lemon in it- or any citrus really.
Everything from the crust to the delicious gooey lemony filling to the powdered sugar on top makes these lemon bars perfect!
What ingredients do you need for homemade lemon bars?
Crust
- Flour
- Powdered Sugar
- Salt
- Butter
- Vanilla
Filling
- Sugar
- Flour
- Eggs
- Lemon Juice & Zest - I love using Meyers' lemons but any will do
- Powdered Sugar
How to make lemon squares from scratch:
- Combine the crust ingredients in medium sized bowl
- Press crust into a baking dish that has been sprayed with non-stick baking spray
- Bake the crust for 20 minutes or until the edges turn golden brown
- Mix together all the ingredients for the filling and then pour onto baked crust
- Bake again for another 26 minutes or until the filling is set
- Allow to cool and then sprinkle with powdered sugar
- Enjoy!
Do I have to use real lemon juice for lemon bars?
Although I do recommend using real lemons for these lemon squares you can use store bought lemon juice if that's what you have. Fresh juice adds a stronger lemon flavor that is really needed to make these the best lemon bars ever.
Also adding lemon zest into the filling gives it more lemon flavor as well.
What kind of lemons do you recommend?
You can use any lemon you’d like. Meyers' lemons are known to be a little sweeter if that’s what you are wanting.
Why do I need to bake the crust first?
You bake the crust before adding the filling in order to prevent the crust from getting soggy. If you don’t prebake the crust you will have a mushy mess and no one wants that!
Can I use other citrus juice from a lime or grapefruit?
Absolutely! Just use the same amount.
Let me know if the comments below what other desserts you love that have lemon or other citrus flavors in them!
How do you cut lemon bars cleanly?
Clean the knife with a paper towel after each cut.
Do lemon bars have to be refrigerated?
Yes. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate any uneaten lemon bars.
If you like this recipe make sure to check out these other tasty treats:
- Grapefruit Cupcakes
- Homemade Brownies
- Double Chocolate Pudding Cookies
- Caramel Pear Pie
- Butterfly Cookies
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Watch how to make this recipe!
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Lemon Bars From Scratch
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 cup flour
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- Pinch of salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Filling
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 tbs flour
- 3 eggs
- ½ cup lemon juice fresh (3-4 lemons worth)
- 1 tbs lemon zest optional
- Powdered sugar for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and spray an 8x8 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Combine all the ingredients for the crust, mixing thoroughly until you have a dough. Press the dough into the bottom of the prepared baking dish, making sure to cover the entire bottom of the dish and the dough is spread out evenly. (1 cup flour, ¼ cup powdered sugar, pinch of salt, ½ cup melted butter, and 1 teaspoon vanilla)
- Bake the dough for 20 minutes or just until the edges start to brown.
- While dough is baking, combine all the ingredients for the for the filling in a medium sized mixing bowl. (1 cup sugar, 3 tbs flour, 3 eggs, ½ cup lemon juice, 1 tbs lemon zest)
- Pour filling into baked crust. Bake for 25-28 minutes or until the center of the lemon bars is set and doesn’t jiggle. Let cool completely then dust with powdered sugar and more lemon zest!
Notes
- Leftovers: refrigerate any leftover bars- either in an airtight container or put plastic wrap over the dish you baked them in.
- Cutting: To cut the lemon bars cleanly simply wipe down the knife you use to cut them after every cut.
- Garnish: I highly recommend garnishing with a little extra lemon zest!
Margie
Looks awesome lemon bars are my favorite
Can't wait to try it
Lisa
Awesome! Let me know how you like them!
Alexis Singh
I exactly copied the recipe but the taste was unsatisfactory and unusual.
Lisa
I'm sorry to hear that. I've always had people love the recipe. Good luck on your future bakes!
Bob
Sweet, salty and tart with the lemon. Looks like they have it all. I need to try making these!
Lisa
Yes for sure!
Deanna
These are exactly like my grandma used to make. Absolutely the best!
Lisa
Yay! I am so glad you like them!
Bhawana
These lemon bars looking amazing. I had been waiting to try them. Bookmarking the page to make it. I loved the clicks.
Lisa
Thanks! Hope you enjoy them!
Caitlyn Erhardt
These lemon bars are always a hit and one of my son's fave's! Great recipe
Lisa
Yay! That makes my day!
Hope Cullen
This recipe was absolutely amazing ! I really suggest it if your looking to do something more challenging but are still a beginner cook. This recipe was very well explained and tasted delicious !!!
Lisa
You are the best! So glad you loved it!
Hope Cullen
This recipe is amazing ! So very well explained and delicious I really recommend it !
Lisa
Yay! I am so glad you enjoyed it!
Elizabeth
I’ve always eaten these and never made them till now. These came out amazing!!! I did choose not to do the lemon zest (I was lazy) and they still were great. Definitely wanna try it with the zest next time!
Lisa
Yay! Thank you so much for telling me! I am so happy you enjoyed them!
Natalie
I followed the recipe, they turned out great! Tasted great and looked great too. 👍 I used a larger pan than the recipe called for so they were a little thinner than I would’ve liked.
Lisa
Yay! So glad you enjoyed them!
Gabriela
I love, love, love lemon bars this was my first time doing them with my 9 years old son. We followed the recipe and They turned out delicious!!!! So sad we can't attach a picture but I can assure you they look fantastic!!
Lisa
This makes me so happy! I am so glad you guys enjoyed them! You can always tag me @atablefullofjoy on instagram if you post a picture there! I'd love to see them!
Lisa
These were delicious and super easy! Served them at a small get together and they were finished in no time. Definitely making them again. Do they have to be stored in the refrigerator as I want to make them the day before?
Lisa
Yay! So glad you enjoyed them! Yes, I would definitely refrigerate them and you might want to sprinkle with powdered sugar right before serving, otherwise it will disappear overnight from the moisture in the bars.
Geo
I made this two times already and love it . Very easy to make and mess free. If you want to join the cozy fall movement try it, plate it nicely and enjoy it with your family. Thanks to the author❤️.
Lisa
I am so glad you enjoyed these! They are definitely a favorite for me too!
Gg
Is the filling very liquid when you add to crust? Mine is! Hope it works.
Lisa
Yep 🙂 It will be liquidy. You can see in the video what it looks like.
Ashley
I was short an egg after starting. Still turned out great! Was just what I was craving
Lisa
Oooh good to know! And I am so glad! Thank you for leaving a comment!
Roxanne
Hi, thank you for sharing these are fab! Do you have any suggestions on storage please and how long they will keep. Thank you again
Lisa
I like to store in the refrigerate and eat within a few days. I typically cover the dish with seran wrap or place the bars in a zip loc baggie then refrigerate 🙂
Janice Rogers
This is by far the best lemon bar recipe i have ever made. I will always use this recipe. Yummy!!
Lisa
Thank you! I am so glad you like it!
Cheryl
I made these just as you have it and I absolutely love these. I love anything lemon and these hit the spot. Here comes the but, my crust was very hard and the edges of the filling browned. So I was wondering if my oven was to hot for the time frame for both the crust and the filling and when I make them again I will play with the time. Otherwise, they are great and thank you for sharing.
Lisa
So glad you enjoyed them!