These lemon bars have a crisp, buttery shortbread crust topped with a super smooth lemon cream.
Easy Lemon Bars
Ok so it might still be February, but we’re inching our way towards spring!! It’s supposed to be 75° here in Alabama this week so it’s about time we start sharing some easy spring desserts, am I right?!
I’m all about simple, and nothing says simple more than a short ingredient list. This is a fool-proof method for making lemon bars in a jif, and it uses one of my all-time favorite ingredients (besides butter lol), sweetened condensed milk.
What are Lemon Bars?
Lemon bars are a Southern classic. I think if you grew up in the South you could probably find a recipe somewhere in your family that they’ve been baking for years. It’s just one of those things that sticks around in a family.
A lemon bar is kind of similar to my Key Lime Pie Bars. Mainly because both recipes use sweetened condensed milk for all their sweetness. 🙂 Typically, lemon bars have some sort of crust, whether that be shortbread, shortcrust, graham cracker, etc. and they’re topped with a custard-like mixture that you bake and allow it to set.
They’re the perfect combination of texture and flavor because you have the buttery crust paired with the sweet, tangy, creamy custard. Not only that, the crust is nice and crispy while the topping is light and smooth, which creates the best combination of textures in my opinion.
Equipment you may need
Here are a few things that would make life a little bit easier when making this recipe:
- Mixing bowls: I love these glass mixing bowls from Amazon. They’re especially perfect for food photography.
- 8-inch square pan – this is a staple in my book! I find myself reaching for my 8-inch pan way more often than my 9-inch pan. I also love that these from USA pan have sharp corners which gives a really professional look.
- Measuring cups/spoons: I’ve been linking these in all of my posts because I love them SO much! They are beautiful and look just like some other expensive ones on the market (but wayyy cheaper).
- Hand mixer: not a necessity, but definitely convenient to have for these bars!
Ingredients for Lemon Bars
- Unsalted butter
- Granulated sugar
- Kosher salt – I always use Diamond Crystal kosher salt, but you can use any brand of kosher salt.
- All-purpose flour – All of my recipes are tested using King Arthur flours, so I recommend you use the same!
- Large egg yolks
- Sweetened condensed milk – one of my absolute favorite ingredients to bake with. And the best part about this recipe is we’re using the whole can 🙂
- Fresh lemon juice – the key word here is fresh. Now is not the time for the bottled lemon juice!
- Honey – this is one of my favorite brands. Not only is it high quality honey, but Nature Nate’s is also a Christian company and y’all know I love to support my fellow believers 🙂
- Lemon zest
- Powdered sugar (for dusting)
Tips for Making Lemon Bars
- A stand mixer will make the crust easier. I typically hate getting my stand mixer out from underneath my kitchen cabinet, but making this kind of dough is a time when I’ll suck it up and do it lol. It truly makes life so much easier, and wayyyy faster! You may have noticed over on my Instagram that I used just a hand mixer and a wooden spoon to make the crust, but that was just for video sake. Normally I’m always using my stand mixer.
- Line your pan well with parchment paper. I recommend you line both sides of the pan with parchment paper, not just one. Extra points if you leave about a 1-inch overhang on each side so you can lift the bars from the pan once you cut into the chilled bars.
- Don’t forget to prick the dough. Before we bake the crust we cannot forget to prick the dough! If you miss this step you may end up with huge air pockets in your crust – not exactly what we’re going for lol.
- Cool the lemon bars completely. I know it can be so tempting to eat your lemon bars straight from the pan lol but these really really need to cool completely in the pan, then be chilled in the refrigerator for about 2 hours. This will help the custard set all the way through – aka our bars will be creamy and delicious 🙂
No, Louie does not like lemons – but he is always acting like it! I’ve actually given him a lemon slice before and he had the funniest reaction to it. You can check that out over on my Instagram profile. But anyways, I hope you all love this recipe – and I hope you’re also getting ready for spring like we are over here! If you make this recipe be sure to tag me @sarahsdayoff so I can see them!
Love,
Sarah
“No power in the sky above or in the earth below – indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” -Romans 8:39-
Creamy Honey Lemon Bars
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 large egg yolks
- 1 (14-oz) can sweetened condensed milk
- 3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 3 to 4 large lemons)
- 1 Tbsp honey
- 1/2 tsp lemon zest
- Powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch square pan with baking spray or butter, and line all sides with parchment paper (leaving a 1-inch overhang on each side). Grease the paper as well.
- Beat butter, sugar, and salt on medium speed in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment 2 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add flour, and mix on low speed until just combined.
- Press dough (the dough will be slightly dry) into the bottom and 1/2-inch up the sides of prepared pan. Prick all over with fork, and bake 15 to 20 minutes or until the edges are slightly golden.
- Meanwhile, whisk egg yolks, condensed milk, lemon juice, honey, and lemon zest until smooth. Pour over hot crust in pan, and bake 25 to 30 minutes or until filling is set.
- Cool lemon bars completely in pan before transferring pan to refrigerator to chill at least 2 hours or up to 3 days.
- Lift bars from pan using parchment paper overhang and cut into squares. Dust with powdered sugar and garnish with lemon slices, if desired.
Looking for more Spring recipes???
Here are a few Spring recipes that I absolutely love 🙂
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