Easy Lemon Bars; crumbly and buttery shortbread topped with a smooth and tangy lemon custard.
In a sea of pumpkin pies and apple crumbles, I bring you something citrussy in October.
Today’s recipe is one that is delicious in every season. It’s a recipe you can make with just a few standard fridge and cupboard ingredients, and one that even beginner bakers can tackle!
Let’s talk lemon bars. Buttery, crumbly, tangy, creamy, sharp, sweet, simple lemon bars.
Prefer a recipe video? Click here to watch how to make lemon bars on my YouTube channel!
Inspired by various versions of an American treat with the same name, the lemon bars recipe you see before you today is also a bit of a Maverick Baking hybrid. It’s made with the buttery shortbread base of my favourite Millionaire’s Shortbread recipe, and the sharp-sweet lemon custard of my Lemon Poppyseed Tart.
Both combine to make not only an easy bake, but an addictively delicious dessert or snack. You’ll need some patience while that shortbread layer bakes, and while the bars chill in the fridge, but I promise it’s worth every minute.
If you love lemon and lemony flavours, you’ll adore these dreamy lemon bars. Just the right amount of crisp-crumbly shortbread, with an even layer of tangy yet rich lemon custard on top. As someone who normally leans towards heavier bolder flavours (such as chocolate or coffee), I can’t stop stuffing my face with these light and lovely things.
These lemon bars are a great tea time treat and are also delicious plated up as dessert. Take them to your next gathering, into the office, to a dinner party, or just make them all for yourself! Once cooled and chilled, they slice beautifully, meaning you can cut them as large or as small as you like. They’re best kept in the fridge to make for a handy and refreshing sweet snack.
Of course, feel free to change them up and get creative too! They’re pretty (and even more delicious) when generously dusted with icing sugar, or swirled with vibrant raspberry jam. You could top them with mini meringues or fresh berries in the summer months. If you wanted to switch up the flavours completely, why not add some cocoa powder to the shortbread base, or use orange or grapefruit for the filling instead?
Want to save these Lemon Bars for later? You can pin the image below!
To make these easy Lemon Bars, just follow the recipe below:
Ingredients
For the shortbread:
- 225g (1 ¾ cups) plain flour
- 175g (11 ½ tbsp) cold salted butter, cut into cubes
- 75g (⅓ cup) caster or granulated sugar
For the lemon custard:
- 4 large egg yolks
- 397g (1 ½ cups) tin of sweetened condensed milk
- Zest and juice of 3 lemons
- 2 tbsp icing sugar, for decoration (optional)
Instructions
For the shortbread:
- First, preheat your oven – 180°C / 160°C fan / 350°F / gas mark 4.
- Line a reasonably deep 30 x 20cm (12 x 8in) rectangular baking tray with greaseproof paper.
- Measure your flour and sugar into a large bowl and add your cubed butter.
- Rub the butter into the flour and sugar until it resembles chunky breadcrumbs (you can do this by hand or with a food processor).
- Use either your fingers or the back of a spoon to press this mixture down well into your baking tray, it should press into a firm sheet of shortbread dough. (If you feel the mixture is too crumbly, add a little water to help it stick together!)
- Once evenly pressed in, prick the dough all over with a fork to prevent it rising too much
- Bake the shortbread for 30-40 minutes until golden brown and firm to touch.
For the lemon custard:
- Place your egg yolks in a large bowl (you can save the whites for omelettes or a meringue topping!) and whisk vigorously by hand or with an electric whisk for about a minute to lighten them.
- Add the whole tin of condensed milk and whisk for a further 2 minutes.
- Zest and juice the lemons into the bowl and whisk for another 2 minutes to ensure the filling is lovely and airy.
- Pour this mousse-like mixture onto the cooling shortbread.
- Place into the oven – at 160 C / 140 C fan / 325 F / gas mark 3 – to bake for a final 15 minutes.
- By this stage the custard should be set or just have the SLIGHTEST wobble, so remove it from the oven and allow it to cool.
- Chill the cooled lemon bars in the fridge for at least two hours before slicing and serving.
- Enjoy!
BE A MAVERICK: why not swap the 3 lemons for 2 oranges or 2 grapefruit instead to switch up the flavour?
These Lemon Bars will keep well in the fridge for up to 4 days, but are best enjoyed fresh!
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Just made these and they’re absolutely delicious!! Will definitely try a blood orange flavour when they’re in season
hi! second time making these today. first time I sadly overcooked the shortbread bottom. this time went much better! they are delicious but I’m curious about the texture of the topping. both times it has been very wet and mousselike, lacking any sort of firmness or structure. is that intended? if not, how can I fix?
Hi Ren, glad to hear the shortbread turned out better! In terms of the topping, does it still wobble a lot when you take it out of the oven initially, and are you chilling it before slicing at all?
Hi! Yes, there’s still a very slight wobble when removed from the oven and I have chilled for 4+ hours but still get that wet/mousse like texture. For what it’s worth, baking at 325 F for 15 minutes in a moderate climate with no elevation. I allow it to cool a touch before popping in fridge for the hours of chill. I appreciate any advice or expertise you may have!