Recipes Desserts Pies & Tarts Lemon Pies & Tarts Lemon Bars 5.0 (2) 1 Review Smooth, sweet-tart lemony custard sits atop the buttery, slightly salty shortbread crust in these bars for an unbeatable combination of flavors and textures. By Tricia Manzanero Stuedeman Tricia Manzanero Stuedeman Tricia is a recipe developer and tester for Dotdash Meredith with a focus on baking and pastry as well as a passion for all things food-related. She has developed over 1,200 recipes, which have appeared both in magazines, online, and in cookbooks alike. She is a former Baking and Pastry Editor with experience in food styling, video production, and crafting culinary curriculum for more than a dozen culinary and lifestyle brands. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on August 3, 2023 Tested by Food & Wine Test Kitchen Tested by Food & Wine Test Kitchen Recipes published by Food & Wine are rigorously tested by the culinary professionals at the Dotdash Meredith Food Studios in order to empower home cooks to enjoy being in the kitchen and preparing meals they will love. Our expert culinary team tests and retests each recipe using equipment and ingredients found in home kitchens to ensure that every recipe is delicious and works for cooks at home every single time. Meet the Food & Wine Test Kitchen Rate PRINT Share Trending Videos Close this video player Photo: Kelsey Hansen / Food Styling by Annie Probst / Prop Styling by Gabe Greco Active Time: 45 mins Total Time: 3 hrs 5 mins Servings: 16 servings These lemon bars are packed with bright, tart flavor. Cooking the lemon custard on the stove and baking it on the crust is the secret to the bars’ extra-lemony flavor. This technique means you don’t have to add flour to the filling to stabilize it, so the lemon flavor shines through in each bite. The simple, buttery shortbread crust has a touch of white rice flour to give it crunch, and kosher salt to contrast with the creamy, tart, sweet custard. These bars come together easily and are a guaranteed winner at any event or afternoon snacking session. If you store them in the refrigerator, dab the top of the bars with a paper towel to soak up any excess condensation before dusting them with powdered sugar. Ingredients Crust Cooking spray 1 1/4 cups (5 1/3 ounces) all purpose flour 1/3 cup granulated sugar 1 1/2 tablespoons white rice flour (such as Bob’s Red Mill) 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt 10 tablespoons (5 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into cubes and softened 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Lemon Custard 3 tablespoons lemon zest plus 3/4 cup fresh juice (from 5 to 6 large lemons [1 1/2 pounds total]) 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1 cup granulated sugar, divided 4 large egg yolks 3 large eggs 2 tablespoons white rice flour 5 tablespoons (2 1/2 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into cubes and softened Additional Ingredient Powdered sugar Directions Prepare the Crust: Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan with cooking spray; line bottom and sides of pan with aluminum foil, leaving a 2-inch overhang on all sides. Process all-purpose flour, sugar, rice flour, and salt in a food processor until well combined, about 5 pulses. Add butter and vanilla; pulse just until a dough ball forms, about 30 pulses. Press dough into an even layer in prepared baking pan, very lightly greasing hands with cooking spray, if needed. Bake in preheated oven until evenly golden brown, 24 to 28 minutes. While Crust bakes, prepare the Lemon Custard: Whisk together lemon zest and juice, salt, and 3/4 cup of the sugar in a medium saucepan until well combined. Heat over medium, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves and mixture is steaming, about 4 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk together egg yolks, eggs, rice flour, and remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a medium bowl until well combined. Gradually add hot lemon juice mixture to egg mixture, whisking constantly, until combined; add mixture to saucepan. Cook over medium-low, whisking constantly, until mixture coats the back of a spoon (it should hold a trail when a finger is run through) and an instant-read thermometer registers 175°F to 180°F, 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat. Gradually whisk in butter, a few cubes at a time, until melted and well combined. Strain mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a medium bowl, pressing through as much custard as possible; discard strained solids. Loosely cover Lemon Custard, if needed, until Crust is ready. Spread Lemon Custard in an even layer over hot Crust using a small offset spatula. Bake at 350°F until edges are slightly puffed and somewhat matte and Lemon Custard is mostly set, 10 to 12 minutes. (Custard may jiggle slightly as a whole.) Remove from oven, and let cool slightly in baking pan on a wire rack at room temperature, about 1 hour. Chill, uncovered, in refrigerator until completely cool, at least 1 hour or up to 12 hours. (If chilling for longer periods of time, loosely cover bars with aluminum foil once completely cool; see Note.) Run a sharp knife around edges to loosen bars from baking pan; using excess aluminum foil as handles, remove bars from pan. Trim edges if desired, and cut into 16 (1 3/4-inch) bars using a large sharp knife, wiping blade clean between cuts. Dust bars with powdered sugar just before serving. Note For bars made ahead and refrigerated for a longer period of time, be sure to pat dry any condensation that may have formed on top. Powdered sugar may dissolve more easily on these bars; dust just before serving, reapplying if needed. Rate It Print