Lemon bars are one of those things like Lost and Oprah that I know, in theory, I should love, but when it comes down to it, there’s something about them that I struggle with. 
And it doesn’t totally make sense–shortbread? Good. Lemon? Good. Powdered sugar? Good. But my problem is those stupid eggs. I’ve mentioned it again and again, but I really don’t like anything with any overly eggy flavor and that seems to be why I don’t love most lemon bars (or lemon meringue pie, for that matter). I do love, love, love Sara’s Creamy Lemon Bars because I think the cream cheese helps with the egginess, but regular lemon bars usually just make my throat close up.
Except for this recipe.
I don’t know if it’s the sweet, 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. And I will eat way more of them than I need to, so if my local friends and neighbors suddenly find lemon bars on their doorsteps, you know where they came from!
First, you need to preheat the oven to 350. Then, for the shortbread crust, you’ll just need flour, powdered sugar, and butter. You’ll whisk your flour and powdered sugar together and then cut in the butter. A quick shortcut is to use a cheese grater to grate a very cold stick of butter right into your flour.  Then it’s super easy to mix it up with your fingers!
And then transfer the mixture to a 9×13″ pan lightly coated with cooking spray.
Gently press the mixture into the pan so it’s even, and then bake it for 15-20 minutes or until the crust is light golden around the edges.
While the crust is in its last few minutes in the oven, use an electric mixer on high speed to mix together the filling ingredients: eggs, sugar, strained lemon juice, a little flour, and some baking powder.
Mix it for about 3 minutes or until it’s very, very pale yellow. Then pour the mixture over the warm crust…
Pop that baby back into the oven for 20-25 minutes or until the top is very light golden brown. Remove it from the oven and allow it to cool completely.
When the bars are completely cool, whisk together a cup of powdered sugar with a few tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice and then spread it over the cooled bars.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. When ready to serve, cut into squares, rectangles, or triangles
(or hey, circles, parallelograms, or octagons if you’re feeling adventurous–who am I to stop you?!) You can sprinkle grated lemon zest or additional powdered sugar on top of the bars (although these are quite sweet already and more powdered sugar might be overkill). Prepare yourself for lots of love and compliments, even from people who claim to not love lemon (like my husband) or lemon bars (like me).
Glazed Lemon Bars
Recipe lightly adapted by Our Best Bites from The Pillsbury Complete Book of Baking
Crust
2 c. all-purpose flour (lightly spooned into the measuring cup and leveled with a knife)
1/2 c. powdered sugar
1 c. (2 sticks) butter, softened to room temperature
Filling
4 large eggs at room temperature
1/4 c. freshly-squeezed lemon juice, strained of pulp and seeds
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 c. all-purpose flour
2 c. white sugar
Glaze
1 c. powdered sugar
3 tablespoons strained freshly squeezed lemon juice
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.
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Questions & Reviews
Sadly, I didn’t have luck with these AT ALL!! I tried them twice within 24 hours for my daughter’s baby shower, and they wouldn’t cook all the way through. Under the top (which cooked fine), there was a river of soup-y lemon stuff. The first time I used a very large cookie sheet and did a double batch. That failed and I figured it was because I had tried to double it. So the next morning, I made two separate 9×13 pans (mixing them separate for each batch) and followed the recipe to a T. Yet, they were still soup-y and never did set! I’m wondering if it was an elevation problem since I live in Canada….Any ideas??
That’s super strange, I’ve never had that problem! I’m so sorry they didn’t work out for you, I know how frustrating that can be when you put time into making something. Perhaps you’re onto something with the elevation issue, but I’m not sure!
This recipe is very similar to mine, except instead of a glaze I just sprinkle powdered sugar on top on the lemon bars. I am often asked to bring them to pot lucks or other events. They are delicious!
You said that overly eggy lemon bars make your throat close up. Are you allergic to eggs? If so, I totally get it! I have severe food allergies, too!
Can I use Almond flour in place of all purpose? If yes is there
a difference in amount?
I want some now!
Thank you so much for the tip on making the icing! I used a different (not yours) recipe for my bars, and i felt they needed a boost of lemon power and something to make them set a bit more. This did the trick! I used the juice of 1 lemon and grated the skin of 2 lemons. Yummers! Thank you!
I made these bars today (and I’ll just throw in there that I LOVE lemon bars), so I made these and followed the instructions and everything. I cooked the filling for 22-23 minutes, and it was nicely golden on top, so I was very optimistic. After chilling in the fridge with the glaze, I pulled them out to cut them, and they were runny! I was so disappointed. They still taste delicious, but they are super messy and didn’t hold their shape. I was taking them to a Relief Society function, so I had no choice at the last minute but pick out the firmest ones I could, but I’m really hoping to figure this out because they are good…
I discovered that I didn’t have enough sugar while I was making the lemon filling (only had 1 cup), so I added sweetened coconut. It turned out pretty good.