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Best Homemade Lemon Bar Recipe

Best Homemade Lemon Bar recipe
Author: Si Foster
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
chill time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
Servings: 24 bars
Creamy, tart, sweet and buttery, this lemon bar recipe is the very best we have made!

Ingredients 

Pastry

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

Lemon filling

  • 6 large eggs, room temperature
  • 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons grated lemon zest - remember to zest before juicing the lemons!
  • 1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 5 large lemons)
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
  • 1-2 tablespoons powdered sugar

Instructions

Pastry

  • Whisk flour, sugar, and salt into a large bowl.
  • Add butter and cut it in with a pastry cutter until medium crumbs are formed and are sand-like in texture, containing small bits of butter. Do not use a mixer.
  • Press pastry dough evenly in the bottom of an ungreased 9x13-inch pan. The dough will still have a sand-like quality and not combine like a pie crust does. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  • While the dough is chilling, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place rack in the center of the oven.
  • Bake pastry crust for 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned on top. It is important to bake the crust until lightly golden on top. This helps the pastry support the thick layer of lemon filling.

Lemon Filling

  • While the crust is baking, wipe out the bowl used for the pastry dough and then add eggs and sugar. Whisk for 3-4 minutes, until the mixture is light yellow and the sugar is dissolved.
  • Add lemon juice, zest, and flour to the mixture and whisk until all ingredients are incorporated.
  • Just before pouring the lemon filling over the baked pastry, whisk again to ensure all ingredients are blended well.
  • Pour lemon filling over the baked pastry and bake for 35-40 minutes or until set. The center should not jiggle. Let cool completely.
  • Dust with powdered sugar and cut into squares or triangles.

Notes

  • If using salted butter, omit the salt in the pastry.
  • Check the center of the lemon bars with a knife. A knife inserted in the center comes out clean when the bars are done. This usually takes 35-40 minutes.
  • Keep these lemon bars refrigerated until ready to serve. They taste great chilled or at room temperature.
  • The 9x13-inch USA Pan rectangular cake pan is a versatile, heavy-duty pan that we highly recommend. Straight sides and square corners make the final product look professional.