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You’ll love these bright and tangy Lemon Cookie Bars with a buttery shortbread crust, topped with luscious, melt in your mouth lemon filling. You are going to love these treats all summer long, plus impress your guests.
This post has been republished and edited from my March 29th 2020 post. Enjoy!
Why Make Lemon Cookie Bars
I can list about 50 reasons to make this recipe, but let us just start with the basics. Lemons are a must when it comes to spring and summer baking. Also try my Strawberry Icebox Cake and Lemon Cookies this summer!
- Easy to Make.
- Delicious, Sweet and Tart.
- Crowd Pleaser.
- Minimal Ingredients.
Ingredient Notes
All other ingredients and measurements can be found in the recipe card towards the bottom of this post.
- Lemons, fresh lemons are the key to this recipe. Make sure you grab some lemon zest from these peels before you discard them!
- Vanilla Extract. For flavor.
- All Purpose Flour. You will need some flour for this recipe. Always make sure you whisk out the clumps when baking!
- Sugar. This is a nice sweet treat to you will need sugar. You can use coconut sugar or white sugar.
- Eggs. The eggs really set the lemon tart portion.
Steps To Make Lemon Cookie Bars
Ready to bake? Let me walk you through the recipe. For your convenience, there is a full ingredient list and detailed instructions in the printable recipe card below.
- Step One. Make the shortbread crust and bake it on 350º
- Step Two. Make the lemon curd.
- Step Three. Bake the lemon cookie bars. Then let them set in the fridge before slicing.
Lemon Cookie Bar Tips
- Be sure to only use fresh lemon juice! Lemons are the star ingredient.
- Use Parchment. The parchment paper makes it very easy to remove from the pan but in a pinch you can use foil instead.
- Don’t Overcook! if your bars seem not quite done when you pull them from the oven. They will continue to set as they cool down.
- Lemon bars are a great make ahead dessert. Cut then freeze on a baking try. Wrap individually and store in your freezer for up to three months. You can wait and dust with powdered sugar before serving.
Other Summer Treats To Try
Salads
Watermelon Basil Salad
Dinner
Lemon Pepper Pasta
Salads
Thai Mango Salad
Breakfast
Easy Healthy Carrot Cake Muffins
Lemon Cookie Bars
You'll love these bright and tangy Lemon Cookie Bars with a buttery shortbread crust, topped with luscious, melt in your mouth lemon filling.
Equipment
- 9×13 baking dish or something similar in size
- parchment paper
Ingredients
Shortbread Crust
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- ⅓ cup white sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Lemon Curd Filling
- 1¼ cup white sugar
- 6 large eggs
- 4 Tbsp all purpose flour
- 3 Tbsp lemon zest, at least 1/2 cup of juice or more
- 1 cup lemon juice , fresh only! about 4-5 lemons
- ⅓ cup confectioners sugar, optional for topping
Instructions
- Make the shortbread crust. Mix softened butter, sugar, vanilla extract, and salt together in a medium bowl. Add the flour and stir to completely combine. The dough will be thick and a bit crumbly.
- Press it down firmly into prepared pan, making sure the layer of crust is nice and even. Bake for 22-25 minutes or until the edges are slightly browned. Remove from the oven. Gently poke some holes in the crust with a fork.
- Make the lemon curd. Using a mesh stainer, sift the flour and the sugar to help prevent clumping. Whisk in the eggs, then the lemon juice until completely combined.
- Pour the lemon curd over the warm crust. Bake the bars for 22-24 minutes or until the center is relatively set and no longer jiggles. (Give the pan a little shake with an oven mitt to test.) It's okay if they are still slightly jiggly, they will set in the refrigerator more.
- Remove bars from the oven and cool completely at room temperature. I usually cool them for about 1 hours at room temperature, then stick in the refrigerator for 1-2 more hours until pretty chilled. I recommend serving chilled.
- Dust with confectioners’ sugar and cut into squares before serving. For neat squares, wipe the knife clean between each cut. Enjoy!
Notes
- Be sure to only use fresh lemon juice! Lemons are the star ingredient.
- Use Parchment. The parchment paper makes it very easy to remove from the pan but in a pinch you can use foil instead.
- Don’t Overcook! if your bars seem not quite done when you pull them from the oven. They will continue to set as they cool down.
- Lemon bars are a great make ahead dessert. Cut then freeze on a baking try. Wrap individually and store in your freezer for up to three months. You can wait and dust with powdered sugar before serving.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 6 days in the fridge or freeze for up to 2 months.
Nutrition
Serving: 1square | Calories: 302kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 107mg | Sodium: 70mg | Potassium: 71mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 488IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I hope you guys love this recipe like I do!