Bright Tangy Sweet Lemon Bars (Printable)

Bright, tangy lemon bars with a buttery shortbread crust, dusted with powdered sugar.

# What You Need:

→ Shortbread Crust

01 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
02 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
03 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
04 - 1/4 teaspoon salt

→ Lemon Filling

05 - 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
06 - 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
07 - 4 large eggs
08 - 2/3 cup fresh lemon juice (about 3–4 lemons)
09 - Zest of 2 lemons

→ Topping

10 - Powdered sugar, for dusting

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang for easy removal.
02 - Cream together butter and 1/2 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Incorporate flour and salt until just combined. Press mixture evenly into the pan bottom.
03 - Bake crust for 18 to 20 minutes until lightly golden.
04 - Whisk together 1 1/2 cups sugar, 1/4 cup flour, eggs, lemon juice, and zest until smooth and fully combined.
05 - Pour lemon filling over the warm crust immediately after baking. Return pan to oven and bake for 15 to 18 minutes until the center is just set.
06 - Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Lift out using parchment overhang and cut into bars. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The shortbread crust is buttery and forgiving, staying tender even if your timing isn't perfect.
  • One batch makes enough to share, which always feels better than baking just for yourself.
  • They're tangy without being sour, and the powdered sugar dust makes them look fancier than they actually are.
02 -
  • Don't overbake the filling—that jiggle in the center is actually perfect, and carryover heat will finish the cooking as it cools.
  • Zest your lemons before you juice them; once they're squeezed dry, there's nothing left to zest.
  • Fresh lemon juice makes all the difference; bottled juice tastes tinny and flat by comparison.
03 -
  • Room-temperature butter creams faster and more evenly than cold butter, so don't skip the softening step.
  • A microplane zester gets only the yellow zest without the bitter white pith underneath, which transforms the flavor.

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