I once made these zesty dessert bars for a girls’ night, and they were gone before I even poured myself a glass of wine. It’s the combination of the buttery shortbread crust with the undeniably creamy lemon filling that makes each bite so irresistible. Finding the perfect balance of sweet and tart is tricky when it comes to lemon desserts, but this recipe nails it every time!
Ingredients
Shortbread Crust
- 1 cup (2 sticks or 230g) butter, melted
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
Lemon Filling
- 2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
- 6 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 6 eggs
- 1 cup (240ml) fresh lemon juice
- confectioners’ sugar, for topping
How to Make It
- Preheat the oven to 300°F. Line the bottom and sides of a 9 x 13in baking pan with aluminum foil, leaving an overhang on all sides. Set aside. Make the crust
- Stir the melted butter, granulated sugar, vanilla, and salt together in a large bowl. Add the flour and stir until everything is combined. Press the mixture evenly into the prepared baking pan and bake for 20 minutes. Make the filling
- While the crust is baking, whisk the sugar and flour together until thoroughly combined. Whisk in the eggs and lemon juice until well mixed. Remove the crust from the oven and pour the filling evenly on top. Bake the bars for 22–25 minutes or until the center is set and doesn’t jiggle. Remove from the oven and chill for at least 4 hours.
- Lift the foil out of the pan using the overhang on the sides and cut into bars. Sprinkle each with confectioners’ sugar. The bars will stay fresh in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Serve chilled.
