Total Time
70 minutes (plus cooling and chilling)
This lemon bar recipe is the result of some serious testing. Making them requires only eight ingredients (including salt) and about an hour of your time (not including chilling). I wanted to create a lemon dessert recipe you could return to, so it’s extremely simple to make. Potlucks, picnics, dinner parties, bake sales, Monday nights—most things are better with a lemon bar in hand, and with this easy recipe, you won’t have to be without one again.
My ideal lemon squares are anchored with a buttery shortbread crust that’s just sweet enough. The dry ingredients come together quickly in a food processor; after pulsing in the butter (plus an egg yolk for richness), the mixture will look powdery but should hold together when you squeeze a handful. (If it doesn’t, add cold water 1 tsp. at a time, pulsing between each addition.) This is just the right consistency for pressing into the bottom of a parchment-lined baking dish (I prefer 8x8" for thicker layers, but 9x9" works too).
For maximum lemon flavor, you’ll rub the lemon zest into the sugar with the tips of your fingers, extracting the lemon oils and allowing them to permeate the filling. But what really sets these lemon bars apart is that the filling doesn’t require precooking, just a gentle whisk. And gentle is the key word here: Whisk too vigorously and you risk creating air pockets inside the curd.
You’ll pour the tart lemon filling on top of the still-warm shortbread, then continue baking until the curd is set and the crust is crisp. Set a timer for 5 minutes after pulling the crust from the oven to ensure it doesn’t cool too much—if the shortbread is allowed to reach room temperature, the uncooked lemon curd will slip off the top and pool in the bottom of the dish, turning your lemon bars upside down (sounds bananas until it happens to you!). After pouring in the lemon mixture, tap the baking dish on the counter to pop any lingering bubbles before transferring the lemon bars to the oven.
A final dusting of powdered sugar adds a nice touch, but hold off until you’re ready to serve, lest the sugar disappear into the lemony depths.
Head this way for more of our best lemon desserts →
All products featured on Bon Appétit are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through the retail links below, we earn an affiliate commission.
What you’ll need
8" Baking Pan
$25 At Amazon
Parchment Paper
$3 At Amazon
Scale
$26 At Amazon
.jpg)
Food Processor
$63 At Amazon
Microplane
$18 At Amazon
.jpg)
Ingredients
Makes 16
1¼
¼
1¼
7
2
1
2
3
⅔
¼
Preparation
Step 1
Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 325°. Line an 8x8" baking pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang on all sides. Pulse 1¼ cups (156 g) all-purpose flour, ¼ cup (28 g) powdered sugar, and ¾ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt in a food processor to combine. Add 7 Tbsp. chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces, and pulse until mixture is sandy with very small butter pieces. Add 1 large egg yolk and pulse until combined; mixture will be very dry looking and powdery but should hold together when squeezed in your hand.
Step 2
Transfer mixture to prepared pan and spread into an even layer to fill pan. Using a flat-bottomed measuring cup or glass, pack into a compressed layer (use your fingers to get into the corners). Bake crust until golden, 27–29 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes (don’t go longer; it needs to be warm when you add the lemon mixture).
Step 3
While the crust is baking, place 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar and 2 tsp. finely grated lemon zest in a medium bowl. Using your fingers, massage zest into sugar until fragrant and lightly tinted yellow, about 1 minute. Add 3 large eggs, remaining 1 large egg yolk, and remaining 3 Tbsp. (23 g) all-purpose flour and gently whisk just until combined. Add ⅔ cup fresh lemon juice, ¼ cup whole milk, and remaining ½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt; stir to combine.
Step 4
Pour filling over slightly cooled crust and gently tap pan on counter to pop any air bubbles on surface. Bake until lemon mixture is set but still jiggles slightly when gently shaken, 20–25 minutes. Let lemon bar cool, then chill until cold, at least 4 hours.
Step 5
Using parchment paper overhang, lift lemon bar from pan and place on a cutting board. Cut into 16 squares.
Step 6
Dust lemon bars with powdered sugar just before serving.
Do Ahead: Lemon bars (without powdered sugar topping) can be baked 2 days ahead. Cover and keep chilled.
Leave a Review
Reviews (10)
Back to TopI wanted to make these bars after listening to the Dinner SOS episode the other week, and these lemon bars turned out so great! I work in a fine dining kitchen, and magically had enough time to make the line cooks a batch of these today. The steps were so easy and time efficient. The result - a perfectly lucious lemon topping and a buttery, crumbly crust. I will be making these again on my next day off for my fiance, thanks Kendra!!
Olivia H.
Los Angeles, CA
4/18/2024
These did turn out for me, the only issue is they ended up too liquidy. So I think I must’ve just underbaked them? But I’m glad I didn’t end up with the upside down bars like others who have commented! Flavor was good. Shame the texture didn’t work out, but I’d like to try this recipe again in a month or so and make sure to bake them longer.
Anzley
St. Paul, MN
4/14/2024
I was nervous to try these because of the negative reviews, but I’d watched the trial video and couldn’t resist. They turned out GREAT! First try, crust was in tact and nice and crumbly. The filling was a wonderful texture with a good balance between rich and bright. I’d say these really delivered. Leave Kendra alone!
Anonymous
Ithaca, NY
4/10/2024
I’m an experienced baker and was very disappointed in this recipe. I heard about it on Bon Appetit’s podcast (35 min episode with Kendra), then I watched the YouTube video of her trying many variations, and I knew I had to try. I followed the recipe to a “T” (digital scale, hot crust, etc) but it still came out upside down. I’m going to try the many double-cook lemon bar recipes, which create a few more dishes but seem more reliable.
Anonymous
4/9/2024
I was wary to make this recipe because of all the negative reviews but mine turned out nicely. The lemon top was tangy, smooth,and delicious. Although the crust was a bit crumbley and not very sweet (which the recipe states) its kinda just a preference thing. Next time I'll add more butter and sugar to the crust.
Sarah
Sheboygan, wi
3/31/2024
Not good recipe at all
Anonymous
3/16/2024
I was so disappointed with the results. This recipe should be modified or removed. I should have read the earlier reviews to see the negative comments before I made these bars.
Anonymous
3/8/2024
I'm so confused. I watched the video and followed the instructions carefully, even weighing the dry ingredients. The crust pulled away from the sides and cracked all over. And then the lemon filling seeped around the sides and through the crust. What could I have done to avoid this? I'm so disappointed. Semi upside down lemon bars. Would love to know what might have been the cause. I would make it again only if someone can figure out what went wrong.
CathyTx
College Station, Tx
12/22/2023
I made a bonappetit account just to leave this review because I’m honestly pissed that my boyfriend wasted 5 farm-fresh eggs for this garbage recipe. If you like scrambled egg lemon bars, this is the recipe for you. Who the tf puts 5 EGGS in a lemon bar recipe? This is not ‘foolproof,’ it was just made by fools. 0/10. Don’t waste your time on this.
Paige
Denver, CO
12/5/2023
These were ok- I really wanted to like them more. The filling isn’t quite as set as I’d like- it sliced ok but I don’t know if they pass the testers original criteria of being stacked and not smushing out the sides. The flavor is great. The crust is a bit short and didn’t yield as much as I would have liked- it crumbles a bit too easily and doesn’t really hold up to the filling. Not a bad recipe but not the best. I’d stick with Ina Garten’s recipe for lemon bars.
Dominic
Guam
11/11/2023
The crust is thicker than I would’ve liked and with only 1/4 cup of confectioner sugar, for the whole batch wasn’t the least bit sweet enough. Because it was so thick it really pulled down the cookies. The filling itself set OK, seem to be about the right consistency, but was not sweet enough either.
Janna
North Port, Florida
11/6/2023
I bake all of the time so following the recipe to a T and heeding Kendra's warning about not letting the crust get too cool I poured the lemon curd over it a bit shy of waiting 5 minutes. In no time at all the cure wound up on the bottom. So was my crust too warm? Not warm enough? So until an answer appears here I will not be making it again. I will say that the flavor was excellent, and my husband & guest loved it. So I'll rate it dance 10, looks 3.
Morgan
Boca Raton
11/5/2023
Fool proof my ass. I bake regularly and this recipe came together simply enough. But I followed the instruction of letting the crust cool 5 mins. Big mistake. Going to try remaking in the morning with no cool time and see what occurs. Following the instructions to a T, The first batch are upside-down as described in the forward text.
Anonymous
Orlando, FL
11/4/2023
I stumbled on Kendra’s YouTube video about testing this recipe and decided to give these a try today. They turned out amazing! And I love that you don’t have to pre-cook the filling! The shortbread crust felt a bit dryer than I was anticipating before baking but i trusted the recipe and it didn’t lead me astray. Definitely a keeper. Thank you, Kendra!!
Melisa
Seattle, WA
10/27/2023