Lemon Bars!
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Easy five ingredient lemon bars – soft delicious buttery shortbread, smooth sharp lemon curd topping!
Lemon bars
I will say from the very first sentence now, that I am completely and utterly obsessed with these. They are the dreamiest of dreamy and I love them. If you like lemon, you will be obsessed!
Lemon Bars are something that I have had so many requests for over the years, but I just generally never got round to posting them.. finally, when I had a craving myself, I thought I would actually write up the recipe!
I know it sounds like it’s easy, but once you add on the photography, writing, editing etc… it does take a while to write up a recipe post! Also, I have to make sure not to eat all of the lemon bars before I’ve got the camera out. They’re too yummy.
So lemon bars have been around for a very long time – there are lots of yummy recipes out there such as from Sally’s Baking Addiction, and Once Upon a Chef – and they are definitely amazing inspiration for these.
Shortbread base
The base, is the same as for my millionaires shortbread – a simple shortbread of unsalted butter, sugar, and flour. I like to use block butter for the best result, caster sugar for the best sweetness, and plain flour.. obviously.
I use an easy ratio of 2:1:3 when I make my shortbread these days, and I find it works wonders. 200g butter, 100g sugar, 300g flour! Mix them together as per the recipe, and you have a lovely crumbly shortbread. Press them into your 9×9″ square tin – and bake! So simple.
Lemon topping
The topping for this, you can make whilst it’s baking. It doesn’t take long, and you are making a sort of lemon curd, lemon meringue pie style lemon filling – that you will bake straight on top of the shortbread. It can end up making the shortbread look under baked, but it’s not – it’s just soaked up the delicious lemon goodness.
I like to use the lemon zest and lemon juice from the lemons for the most flavour – but you can leave the lemon zest out if you want. Bottled lemon juice works fine too! There is definitely nothing wrong with buying bottled lemon juice in my books.
Make sure to zest your lemons first, and then juice them – the amount of lemons may vary because of the sizing – but it’s about 5 lemons you use. I grate my lemon zest on the fine one so the pieces aren’t too large!
I add in my sugar and plain flour to a bowl and whisk until combined. Then, I add in the lemon juice, zest and eggs mix until smooth. It really doesn’t take long at all which is why it’s so good!
Top and bake!
Once the shortbread has baked, take it out, pour the lemon mixture straight on – and put back into the oven. It really is that simple! I like to call this five ingredients as you have the sugar, butter, flour, eggs and lemon. You could argue the zest and juice is two, but as it’s from one lemon…
Tips!
For an optional end, you can dust the top with icing sugar – but it’s not essential. I just think it looks pretty!! I hope you love these delicious lemon bars as much as I do! Feel free to try this with other citrus fruits too – like lemon and orange! x
Lemon Bars!
Ingredients
Shortbread Base
- 200 g unsalted butter
- 100 g caster sugar
- 300 g plain flour
Lemon Curd Topping
- 375 g caster sugar
- 50 g plain flour
- 6 medium eggs
- 225 ml lemon juice
- Zest of 5 lemons (optional)
Extra
- 1-2 tbsp icing sugar (optional)
Instructions
Shortbread Base
- Preheat your oven to 180C/160C Fan, and line a 9x9inch deep square tin with parchment paper.
- Cream together the sugar and butter in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment until smooth – mix in the flour until a dough is formed. It will be crumbly but the ingredients will be evenly dispersed!
- Firmly press the mixture into the bottom of tin and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes until pale golden on top! Towards the end of baking, make the lemon mixture!
Lemon Curd Topping
- Sift your flour into a large bowl, and add the sugar.
- Whisk the two together until combined!
- Add in your eggs, lemon juice and zest, and whisk until combined.
- Once the shortbread is baked, remove from the oven and pour the lemon mixture over the top.
- Return to the oven, and bake for 20-25 minutes, until the lemon mixture no longer wobbles!
- Leave to cool at room tempearture for about 2 hours, and then put in the fridge for another 2 hours (or over night) to firm up.
- If you want to, dust the top with icing sugar, and then cut up and enjoy!
Notes
- These will last for up to one week, in the fridge!
- I use this 9x9" square tin!
- You can use lime, orange, or grapefruit in place - follow the same ideas just switch out the lemon!
- These can be frozen for up to 3 months!
ENJOY!
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J x
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Really nice lemon bars! Although I made the mistake of whisking the egg mixture too much till frothy and they came out a little cakey on the top.. I need to remember next time not to!
So delicious and SO easy! Will 100% make these again!
These lemon bars have an absolutely gorgeous flavour (even using just bottled lemon juice and no zest), properly citrusy and tart and sweet in the best possible way.
Advice to anyone about to make this – Jane has mentioned this in some comment responses but I think it’s a really important part of the recipe – don’t whisk the egg/lemon mixture till it’s frothy!! Mix it very lightly and avoid air bubbles at all cost! Myself (and it seems a few of the other reviewers) made this mistake and it leaves you with a brown spongy-eggy top after baking. To get the beautiful smooth lemon curd topping, your egg/lemon mixture needs to be bubble free. The problem with the bubbly mixture too is that when it goes brown you think it is ready but underneath the mixture is still a bit wet (and then sets sticky!). Might be worth amending the recipe? I learnt this the hard way, taste was delicious but had to scrape off all the top to reveal the sumptuous mixture underneath!
Hi Jane,
I’m baking these to pop in the post for Mother’s Day. If frozen, do they need to be defrosted at room temperature or in the fridge and for how long please?
Thanks!
I personally would do it in the fridge! But I’m unsure on timings… at least 5 hours maybe I have no idea!
I’ve not yet used your recipe but would really love to try it.
Can you tell me if its OK stored out of the fridge or if it has to be kept refrigerated?
Hiya, I personally keep them in the fridge yes x
Hi Jane – have you ever added Limoncello into the bars, would I have to take out some of the lemon juice to substitute it?
Thanks
Hello! I haven’t I’m afraid, its worth a go but it may effect the set!x
Now that sound nice. Did you try it? Would love to know how it turned out. : )
Leah
Made these little beauties today!!! Oh my days they are amazing. I can’t wait to try more of your recipes 💛 thank you for sharing with us all x
Would an orange version of this work, or lime? 🤷🏻♀️
Theoretically, yes! X
When i poured the liquid mixture onto the pastry, the lemon mixture sunk underneath the pastry. Help where have I gone wrong?
The shortbread may have shrinked back from the sides of the tin perhaps? Was the tin you used lined?
This also happened to me I was so disappointed and I did line the tin so not sure what went wrong x
Hi jane
Could I use lemon curd in the mixture instead of lemon zest? I know it sounds daff as the recipe is making lemon curd. Have a large tub left over and want to use it up. Can I just mix some in for flavour?
Thanks
No that wouldn’t work unfortunately and it could cause a problem with the bake! x
Hi Jane love all your recipes!! Just one question on this recipe… My dad recently has had to go dairy free so I’m looking at recipes I can tweak so he doesn’t miss out! Could I use dairy free butter (it’s more of a Stork texture) for the shortbread base instead of Unsalted butter do you think?
You can do, it just may make the mixture a little sticky when putting it into the tin!! x
Thanks Jane, giving it a go now!! Fingers crossed! Xx
I loved the smell of the kitchen whilst these were baking and the taste definitely didn’t disappoint either. Mine did slightly brown on top with the oven being too high but still didn’t take away from the taste
I just made these with passion fruit pulp instead and it was delicious! Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe 🙂
When can I remove them from the tin as i need the tin for my next bake?
I would ideally remove them once they have set otherwise they could break apart a bit x
Hello,
Just about to bake these! Cannot wait. Only question is, do I need to let the shortbread base cool before I pour over the lemon curd topping?
No you don’t as they go back into the oven x
I absolutely love these! They’re so yummy but I’ve made them 3 times now and every time I get a bit of a skin on top which is fine but the underneath isn’t a solid like your pictures and mine stay quite sticky. I’ve tried baking slighting longer and keeping in the fridge until they’re all gone (usually 2 days haha!) not sure where I’m going wrong? Love all your recipes, thank you so much for sharing! X
Hiii! I’m so glad you love them. Try lowering the temperature and baking for longer x
My absolute favorite shortbread recipe! These lemon bars are perfect and so, so flavorful!
Hi Jane,
Absolutley love your recipes and regularly use them to bake yummy treats. These looked delicious so thought I’d try them. However, I’m sure I followed the instructions but they have come out with a really chewy, tough layer at the top of the lemon, it almost looks like a sponge on top and not at all smooth and even like yours. Any idea what I might have done wrong so I can give it another go? Many thanks x
They sound over baked – try reducing the oven temp if you can!