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American

Lemon Cream Bars

A shortbread crust bakes, then a lemon filling sets on top until the center no longer jiggles. They are tart, and the powdered sugar at the end is optional.

Prep
15 min
Cook
40 min
Total
55 min
Servings
12
Difficulty
Medium
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Lemon bars with a shortbread crust, cut into squares.

Why you’ll love it

  • The crust bakes alone first so it stays shortbread.
  • Lemon juice is the flavor, not only zest.
  • They slice clean after a chill.
  • Twelve bars from one pan.

Ingredients

Servings12

Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.

Rough grocery estimate for the full recipe: about $6–$9 at a typical US supermarket. Prices vary by store, region, and season.

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Instructions

  1. 1

    Heat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8-inch square pan with parchment.

  2. 2

    Mix 1 cup flour, the powdered sugar, and salt. Cut in the butter until the dough holds together when you squeeze it. Press it into the pan.

  3. 3

    Bake the crust at 350°F for 16 to 18 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden.

  4. 4

    Whisk the eggs, sugar, lemon juice, zest, and 3 tbsp flour. Pour that over the hot crust.

  5. 5

    Bake 18 to 24 minutes more, until the filling is set at the edges and the center has a slight wobble, not a liquid slosh.

  6. 6

    Cool, then chill at least 2 hours. Lift out and cut into 12 bars.

Pro tips

  • A liquid center needs more time. A deeply browned top is too far. Look for the wobble.
  • Bottled lemon juice works in a pinch. Fresh tastes brighter.
  • Chill before you cut or the bars smear.

Easy substitutions

Lemon juice
Half lemon and half lime
All-purpose flour
A gluten-free cup-for-cup blend in both the crust and the filling
Powdered sugar in the crust
2 tbsp white sugar

Storage and reheating

Storage

Refrigerate up to 4 days.

Reheating

Serve cold or at cool room temperature. Do not warm them.

Nutrition

Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.

Calories
210
Protein
3 g
Carbs
28 g
Fat
10 g
Fiber
0 g

Budget friendly · Oven · Vegetarian

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From the kitchen

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Practical tools these recipes actually use. This is not a review roundup, and these are not paid placements. If affiliate links are added later, they will be labeled and disclosed.

  • A heavy 12-inch skillet

    Most of the chicken and steak recipes are written for one pan that holds heat. Stainless or cast iron both work.

  • An air fryer with a real basket

    The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.

  • A half-sheet pan

    Drumsticks, potatoes, sausage, and carrots all use one. A dark pan browns faster than a very shiny one.

  • A sharp chef’s knife

    These recipes do not need a specialty blade. A sharp 8-inch knife is faster and safer than a dull one.

  • A large cutting board

    Big enough that the onion and the raw chicken are not sharing the same puddle.

  • Dry cups and a liquid cup

    Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.

  • An instant-read thermometer

    Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.

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Ingredients