I don’t know if it’s the sweet, tart, lemony glaze or if the proportions are just different enough from other lemon bar recipes or if the baking time is just a little shorter (thus avoiding the horror of overcooked eggs–seriously, stuff nightmares are made of!), but these are not only my favorite classic Lemon Bars, but the only classic lemon bars that I’ll eat. They have a delicious crust and the filling is not overly eggy. I will always eat way more of these than I need to, so if my local friends and neighbors suddenly find lemon bars on their doorsteps, you know where they came from!
Ingredients Needed
This is just a preview of ingredients and method, keep scrolling for full printable recipe.
Crust
- All-purpose flour
- Powdered sugar – Powdered sugar gives the crust a light, crumbly texture.
- Butter – Always use real butter if you can. You will want your butter to be nice and cold, straight from the fridge, so you can cut it into the flour and powdered sugar to create a light, flakey crust.
Filling
- Eggs – Make sure you set them out ahead of time to reach room temperature before making the filling. If you forget, place the eggs in a bowl of warm water while you gather your other ingredients.
- Lemon juice – This is no place for bottled juice! Use fresh lemon juice from ripe lemons!
- Baking powder
- All-purpose flour
- Granulated sugar
Glaze
- Powdered sugar
- Lemon juice – Again, freshly squeezed only!
How to Make Glazed Lemon Bars
- You’ll start of by cutting some cold butter into a bit of flour and powdered sugar. I find the easiest way to do this is to grate the butter with a cheese grater directly into the dry ingredients.
- Press that mixture gently into a baking pan and pop it in the oven to bake.
- While the crust is baking, mix up some room temperature eggs, lemon juice, flour, sugar, and baking powder. You’ll want to use an electric mixer here to make sure the mixture is well-blended and frothy.
- Pour that mixture right onto the hot crust and put the pan back in the oven. Bake until lightly golden brown on top.
- Let the bars cool completely and then mix up a quick, tart glaze of freshly-squeezed lemon juice and powdered sugar. Spread evenly over the bars and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before cutting into squares and serving.
Storing and Other Tips
- Store leftover lemon bars in an airtight container in the fridge and enjoy within 3-4 days for best results.
- If you’re making these ahead of time, wait to glaze them until a few hours before serving time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! Lime bars are divine.
If you need lots of these lemon bars, I recommend making multiple batches as the baking time is tested for a single pan. You could certainly bake two pans at once in the oven, though. I’d just make sure they’re evenly spaced on the same oven rack to ensure even cooking.
Yes! They actually taste the best on day two, in my opinion. If making these for an event I would make them up to 24 hours ahead of time. You may want to glaze the day of serving for best results.
Glazed Lemon Bars
Ingredients
Crust
- 2 cups all-purpose flour lightly spooned into the measuring cup and leveled with a knife
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 cup butter (2 sticks) softened to room temp
Filling
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- ¼ cup freshly-squeezed lemon juice strained of pulp and seeds
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups white sugar
Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons strained freshly squeezed lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Lightly spray a 9×13″ pan with non-stick cooking spray and set aside. Whisk together the flour and powdered sugar and then cut in the butter with a pastry blender or two knives until the mixture is crumbly. Lightly press into the pan and bake for 15-20 minutes or until light golden around the edges. Remove from oven.
- During the last few minutes of the shortbread’s baking time, mix the eggs, lemon juice, flour, sugar, and baking powder in a large bowl with an electric mixer on high speed for three minutes. The mixture should be frothy and very, very pale yellow. Pour the mixture over the warm crust and then return the pan to the oven for another 20-25 minutes or until lightly golden brown on top. You might want to check the bars at 17-18 minutes to make sure the top isn’t getting too dark.
- Remove the pan from the oven and allow to cool completely. When the bars are cool, whisk together the glaze ingredients until smooth and then gently spread over the bars. Refrigerate for at least two hours and then cut into squares before serving. Makes about 36 bars.
Notes
- Store leftover lemon bars in an airtight container in the fridge and enjoy within 3-4 days for best results.
- If you’re making these ahead of time, wait to glaze them until a few hours before serving time.
Nutrition
Questions & Reviews
what a fun twist on the classic lemon bar! these look fab!
I totally feel you on the lemon thing. I really like lemon, but I struggle with lemon bars/lemon desserts.
I’m the same way with key lime, too. (I’m sure there are people who would disown me as friends because of that statement.)
I guess it’s just a preference thing for me. I’ve always subscribed to the mantra: “If it’s not chocolate, it’s not dessert.” So I guess that kinda tips my hand about how I feel about fruity desserts. 🙂
I have also always hated lemon bars for the eggy texture. I happen to have some lemons that need using and I am freezing so turning on the oven sounds great! Thanks!
These look so good. You know what’s crazy weird? Creamy Lemon Bars were one of the very first recipes I ever posted on the blog, and yesterday of all days I re-took the photos and updated the post! We really do have some crazy brain-sharing thing going on…
Yummy! I will have to try these, I love lemon.
This is almost identical to the lemon square recipe my family uses. I LOVE them. TOO much. I agree, the mushy, eggy ones are not as good. But these, HEAVEN!
btw, I am LOVING your cookbook! Everything is SO delicious!
Natalie…you have the same name as me. (My maiden name Natalie Adams 🙂 Never met anyone with the same name! I should try these for my husband because anything with too much egg he can detect a mile away. 🙂 Agree with Lost comment too…as for Oprah, nothing but love there from me. Thanks for all the great recipes ladies! Everything I make is delicious!
YUM! I also have never really enjoyed lemon bars for the exact same reason. I’m excited to try these. Thanks!
Oh how I wish I hadn’t used the last of my eggs to make Black Bean Brownies last night! Oh well – maybe this will be our dessert next week! They look so yummy and I LOVE LOVE LOVE lemon bars! (If I had known they were this easy to make, I probably would have made them last night instead of brownies).
Oh my, my mouth is watering!
Heavens. These look delicious. I think these are what I am using my four extra lemons on. xx