Creamy Lemon Bars

This is the ultimate in refreshing and light desserts… creamy lemon squares made all from scratch with a buttery shortbread crust, and tangy and bright lemon filling!  So foolproof… anyone can make these lemon bars!

Making these lemon bars is a cinch, and involves a simple two part process!

Seriously… no cutting cold butter into flour and pressing it down into a pan just to have it sort of blend in with the lemon filling.

This recipe just calls for mixing ingredients in a bowl and adding it to the pan.  And no complicated custard making process – just whisk the filling ingredients and pour over the crust!

I’ve had this lemon bar recipe on the site since 2017, but I thought it was time for some updated photos and more thorough information. But don’t worry, the recipe itself hasn’t changed a bit!

How to make lemon bars?

This is just an overview; the full ingredients and directions are in the recipe card toward the bottom of this post.

1. Make shortbread crust. No need for any fancy tools here, just a rubber spatula and mixing bowl.  Then use your fingers or the back of the same spatula to press the crust into the pan in an even layer.
2. Par-bake crust. Just 10 minutes – this is to help solidify the crust so it can hold up to the lemon filling we’ll add later.  Set aside once it’s out of the oven.
3. Make lemon filling. Add everything to a mixing bowl and just use a whisk to combine them.  Careful not to whisk overly vigorously – you don’t want to incorporate too much air into the filling.
4. Bake.
5. Cool and refrigerate. Cool at room temperature, with the pan on a wire rack, for about 1-2 hours (to help the lemon filling set), then cover with foil and refrigerate several hours, or until cool.

Variations of this recipe

• Buttermilk substitute – if you don’t have buttermilk on hand, you can make your own! Mix 1 Tbsp lemon juice or white vinegar with whole milk and let it sit about 10 minutes. It will look a bit curdled. Stir and use.
• No buttermilk – most folks don’t keep buttermilk hanging around the house, so if you don’t have it or don’t want to make it – no need to stress.  You can either add regular milk, or omit the milk completely.  I like the extra creaminess it adds, but it’s not essential for this recipe.
• Other citrus – this recipe is fabulous with other citrus fruits!  Try lime, orange, grapefruit or blood orange flavors!
• Pan type – I haven’t noticed this personally, but I’ve read and heard from several of you that lemon bars baked in a metal pan can sometimes have a slightly metallic taste.  So if that’s something you’re worried about, I would recommend baking these bars in a ceramic or glass dish.

Making lemon bars ahead of time

These bars are great to make a day or so ahead of time!  Just don’t dust them with the powdered sugar until you’re ready to serve them, since the sugar will dissolve into the bars.

Freezing

Slice the cooled bars (without powdered sugar on top) into squares, then place onto a baking sheet.

Freeze for 1 hour. Wrap each bar individually in aluminum foil or plastic wrap and place into a large bag or container to freeze. Bars can be frozen for about 3 months.

Thaw in the refrigerator, dust with powdered sugar and enjoy!

Storage

I like my lemon squares to be served cold, so I keep mine in the refrigerator, but they are safe to keep at room temperature if you’d prefer them that way.

Refrigerated in an airtight container, they’ll last about a week, and unrefrigerated they should last about 3 days or so.

Recipe originally published in Mar. 2017 but has been updated in July 2022 with additional information and new photos.