This Quick and Easy Lemon Bars recipe is bright and zingy and now firmly one of my favourites. Although not a traditional UK bake I have firmly adopted it. It's really quick and simple to put together with a delicious buttery shortbread base and luscious lemon curd topping that I just can't stop thinking about. It's really that good.
I love this simplified recipe version of lemon bars because most importantly it's just really easy to throw together.
The shortbread bottom comes together in under a minute and I love the fact that I can mix all the lemon curd ingredients together in a jug with a fork and just pour on over the shortbread base. Not a single bit of faff involved.
They are perfect for picnics, afternoon tea, lunchboxes and just because treats. A great get ahead dessert too as they keep brilliantly well in the fridge. Are you falling in lemony love yet?
Kids and adults love them equally. Summer sunshine in a bar right there in your tupperware even in the U.K. and that's saying something.
*Scroll down to the bottom of this post for the full printable recipe card*
Lemon Bars Recipe
The ingredients are simple too.
For the lemon topping
lemon juice - 100 mls - about 2 medium lemons
icing sugar (powdered sugar) - 60 grams (2.12 oz) - a couple of extra tbsp for dusting over when baked
2 large eggs
For the shortbread base
caster sugar - 140 grams (4.9 oz) - unrefined or refined. Granulated will work too but caster sugar is better.
plain flour - 200 grams (7 oz) - not self raising as you don't want a rise here.
salted butter - 160 grams (5.6 oz) - it does need to be butter here and not baking spread. If you don't have salted butter then add a small pinch of salt.
Method - step by step
- Preheat your oven to 170 C (325 F) Gas Mark 3
- Put the butter, sugar and flour into a mixing bowl.
- Mix with an electric handheld whisk or free standing mixer with paddle until it all starts to clump together. You can use a wooden spoon too and some hard work.
- Tip it into a 7 " baking tin lined with baking paper or similar. The lining needs to come all the way up the sides of the tin so you can use it to easily pull the whole thing out when cool.
- Do not use anything other than a tight fitting 7" baking tin otherwise the syrup will go down the sides and onto the bottom.
- Smooth it over and level with a metal spoon.
- Bake for about 20 minutes until golden brown but you don't want the edges to come away from the edge of your baking tin. Otherwise some of the lemon mixture will leak down the sides and not stay on top.
- Whilst the base is baking whisk together the 2 eggs, 150 grams of sugar and 100 mls of lemon juice in a jug until well mixed. I like to sieve this mixture as it just makes the lemon topping look smoother when baked but you really don't have to.
- Pour this carefully on top of the baked shortbread and put back in the oven for about 15 minutes.
- Until the topping has set and the edges have turned golden brown.
- Leave in tin and wait until cool before putting in the fridge for an hour.
- Slice into bars.
- Dust with icing sugar if you want to go for the full glow up.
Quick and Easy Lemon Bars Tips and Tricks
- This is a great way to use up lemons although you can freeze lemons. They do kinda lose their looks but they are still great to juice.
- Do not use anything other than a tight fitting 7" baking tin otherwise the syrup will go down the sides and onto the bottom.
- Slightly warm your lemons to get the most juice from them. A few seconds in the microwave works but no longer as they can explode!
- Remember to make sure the lining of your baking tin goes high enough up the sides so that you can easily lift the whole thing from the tin when cool.
- Don't overbake the shortbread as it will pull away from the edges allowing the lemon topping to flow down the side of the base. Keep checking for this during baking towards the end.
- The shortbread may look like it is under baked a little when you are eating it but it is just the effect of the lemon syrup being absorbed a little into the shortbread.
- I like to sieve the lemon mixture just to get rid of any bits of lemon flesh so that the topping bakes into a smooth finish but it is optional and you are dusting it with icing sugar anyways.
- Don't be tempted to use anything other than freshly squeezed lemon juice. It just won't taste anywhere near as nice.
- An independent oven thermometer is a great idea to keep an accurate idea of your oven temperature the inbuilt ones can be really off.
Storing
They are best stored in the fridge sort of. I like to eat them at room temperature and they are fine out of the fridge for up to 6 hours but they can go a little soft on top after that.
You can freeze them too for up to 3 months in a stout plastic container or double wrapped in silver foil or freezer bags although the plastic container is the much better idea otherwise they make get squashed in there.
They keep very well covered in the fridge for up to a week.
If you're really loving these quick and easy lemon bars then you might love some of these traybake beauties too.
*There is a toggle switch in the recipe card to switch from U.K weight measurements*
Do let me know how you get on with this recipe in the comments below or tag me with your pictures on my social media pages. I would love to see them x
Quick & Easy Lemon Bars
Equipment
- 1 7" baking tin lined
- 1 Large Mixing Bowl
- 1 electric mixer
- 1 large metal spoon
- 1 Digital Scales
- 1 mixing jug
- 1 fork or whisk
Ingredients
lemon topping
- 2 large eggs
- 140 grams caster sugar
- 100 mls lemon juice
shortbread base
- 200 grams plain flour
- 60 grams icing sugar powdered
- 160 grams salted butter
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 170 C (325 F) Gas Mark 3
- Put the butter, sugar and flour into a mixing bowl.
- Mix with an electric handheld whisk or free standing mixer with paddle until it all starts to clump together. You can use a wooden spoon too and some elbow grease.
- Tip it into a 7 " baking tin lined with baking paper or similar. The lining needs to come all the way up the sides of the tin so you can use it to easily pull the whole thing out when cool.Do not use anything other than a tight fitting 7" baking tin otherwise the syrup will go down the sides and onto the bottom.
- Smooth it over and level with a metal spoon.
- Bake for about 15-20 minutes until golden brown but you don't want the edges to come away from the edge of your baking tin. Otherwise some of the lemon mixture will leak down the sides and not stay on top.
- Whilst the base is baking whisk together the 2 eggs, 150 grams of sugar and 100 mls of lemon juice in a jug until well mixed. I like to sieve this mixture as it just makes the lemon topping look smoother when baked but you really don't have to.
- Pour this carefully on top of the baked shortbread and put back in the oven for about 15 minutes.
- Until the topping has set and the edges have turned golden brown.
- Leave in tin and wait until cool before putting in the fridge for an hour.
- Slice into bars.
- Dust with icing sugar if you want to go for the full glow up.
- Apply To Face
Notes
- This is a great way to use up lemons although you can freeze lemons. They do kinda lose their looks but they are still great to juice.
- Slightly warm your lemons to get the most juice from them. A few seconds in the microwave works but no longer as they can explode!
- Remember to make sure the lining of your baking tin goes high enough up the sides so that you can easily lift the whole thing from the tin when cool.
- Don't overbake the shortbread as it will pull away from the edges allowing the lemon topping to flow down the side of the base. Keep checking for this during baking towards the end.
- The shortbread may look like it is under baked a little when you are eating it but it is just the effect of the lemon syrup being absorbed a little into the shortbread.
- I like to sieve the lemon mixture just to get rid of any bits of lemon flesh so that the topping bakes into a smooth finish but it is optional and you are dusting it with icing sugar anyways.
- Don't be tempted to use anything other than freshly squeezed lemon juice. It just won't taste anywhere near as nice.
- An independent oven thermometer is a great idea to keep an accurate idea of your oven temperature the inbuilt ones can be really off.
Nutrition
All nutritional information is approximate and intended only as a guide.
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