If there’s a dessert that says “spring is here” louder than lemon bars, I haven’t found it yet.
These have been showing up on every Easter table and church potluck since I can remember. Nana Ruth’s version was no-nonsense — a thick, buttery shortbread crust, a tart lemon filling that actually tasted like lemons, and enough powdered sugar on top to leave a little cloud on your shirt when you took a bite. She never measured the lemon juice. She’d just squeeze lemons until the bowl smelled right.
I’ve turned that into something a little more precise for you, but the spirit is the same. These are not the pale, watery lemon bars you get from a boxed mix. The filling is thick and tangy — almost like lemon curd on a cookie. The crust is rich and crumbly and strong enough to hold everything together when you pick one up.
Every spring I make a double batch of these for Easter Sunday, and every spring they disappear before the ham is even cut. Clara likes to eat the filling off the top and leave the crust. Mason eats the crust first. Wyatt just takes three and doesn’t say a word.
How to Make Old-Fashioned Lemon Bars
Make the shortbread crust. Pulse flour, powdered sugar, salt, and cold butter in a food processor until it looks like wet sand. Press firmly into a parchment-lined 9×13 pan and bake at 350°F for 18-20 minutes until the edges are just barely golden.
Mix the filling while the crust bakes. Whisk eggs, sugar, flour, fresh lemon juice, and lemon zest until smooth. Use fresh lemons — bottled juice tastes flat. You want about ¾ cup of juice, which is roughly 4-5 lemons.
Pour and bake. As soon as the crust comes out, pour the filling over the hot crust and return to the oven. Bake 20-25 minutes until the filling is set — it should jiggle slightly in the very center but not look wet.
Cool completely before cutting. This is the hardest part. Let them cool at room temperature for 30 minutes, then refrigerate at least 2 hours. Cold lemon bars cut into clean squares. Warm ones are a delicious mess. Dust generously with powdered sugar right before serving.
If you are in a baking mood, my Strawberry Lemon Sheet Cake uses that same bright citrus flavor in a completely different way. My Nana Ruth’s Carrot Cake is the showstopper I bring to every holiday, and for something quick, my 3-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies are done in fifteen minutes.
Old-Fashioned Lemon Bars
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter, softened 2 sticks
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar plus more for dusting
- 4 large eggs
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2/3 cup fresh lemon juice about 4-5 lemons
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9x13 baking dish with parchment paper.
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Mix 1 3/4 cups flour, 1/2 cup powdered sugar, and softened butter until a crumbly dough forms. Press evenly into the bottom of the dish.
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Bake the crust for 20 minutes until light golden.
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While the crust bakes, whisk together eggs, granulated sugar, remaining 1/4 cup flour, lemon juice, lemon zest, and salt until smooth.
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Pour the lemon filling over the hot crust immediately out of the oven.
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Return to the oven and bake for 22 to 25 minutes until the filling is set and no longer jiggles in the center.
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Cool completely at room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 1 hour until firm. Dust generously with powdered sugar before cutting into bars.
Common Questions
More Recipes You’ll Love
- Old-Fashioned Matcha Pound Cake
- Nana Ruth’s Carrot Cake
- Hot Honey Skillet Cornbread
- Old-Fashioned Tiramisu
What I Use for This Recipe
A couple things from my kitchen that make this one easier.
Stop guessing. Best twelve dollars I ever spent on my kitchen.
Good sheet pans that never warp in the oven. Years of cookies and sheet pan dinners.
Smooth gravy, lump-free batter, hot cocoa that is actually mixed. Small tool, big difference.
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