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frontal view of stacked lemon bars with a bite taken out
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5 from 6 votes

Easy Lemon Bars with Shortbread Crust

These classic lemon bars have a buttery shortbread crust and a bright, silky lemon filling. The crust is perfectly balanced—not too thick, not too thin—and the lemon layer is tart, smooth, and just the right amount of gooey. No fuss, just sunshine in dessert form.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Cooling time2 hours
Total Time2 hours 55 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Difficulty: Easy
Servings: 15 bars
Calories: 265kcal
Author: Nora from Savory Nothings

Ingredients

Shortbread Crust

  • 1 cup softened butter
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 pinch of salt
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour

Lemon Filling

  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 6 large eggs
  • 1 cup lemon juice
  • 2 lemons finely grated zest ONLY
  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch

Garnish

  • powdered sugar, lemon slices optional

Instructions

  • Prep:
    Heat oven to 350°F. Line a 9x13 inch pan with parchment paper.
  • Mix crust:
    Mix butter, sugar, vanilla and salt in a medium bowl. Stir in flour just until crumbly and combined.
    1 cup softened butter, ½ cup granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract, 1 pinch of salt, 2 cups all-purpose flour
    overhead view of shortbread dough in glass bowl
  • Pre-bake crust:
    Press crust mixture into the prepared pan. Bake around 15 minutes in the hot oven.
    overhead view of par baked shortbread crust
  • Filling:
    Whisk together sugar, eggs, lemon juice and lemon zest in a medium bowl until smooth. Whisk in flour and cornstarch until smooth.
    2 cups granulated sugar, 6 large eggs, 1 cup lemon juice, 2 lemons, ¼ cup all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons cornstarch
    overhead view of filling for lemon bars in glass bowl
  • Assemble bars:
    Pour the filling over the pre-baked crust. Bake around 20-25 minutes, until the bars are just set.
    overhead view of unbaked lemon bars
  • Cool:
    Let bars cool to room temperature, then place in the fridge after about 2 hours.
    powdered sugar, lemon slices
    overhead view of baked lemon bars
  • Serve:
    Decorate with powdered sugar and slice to serve.

Video

Notes

  • Don’t overmix the crust once the flour is added—just until combined.
  • Mix the lemon filling right before pouring it over the crust; if it sits too long, the eggs can start to curdle.
  • Don’t overbake! The bars should still have a little jiggle when they come out.
  • Chill completely before slicing for clean, even bars.

Nutrition

Serving: 1bar | Calories: 265kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 13g | Sugar: 23g