Best 7 Lemon Square Bars Recipes

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Indulge in the delectable symphony of flavors with our luscious lemon square bars, a timeless classic that captivates taste buds with its perfect balance of sweet and tangy. These delightful treats, adorned with a golden crust and bursting with vibrant lemon curd, offer an irresistible combination of textures and flavors. Embark on a culinary journey as we unveil the secrets behind this iconic dessert, guiding you through three distinct recipes that cater to various dietary preferences and skill levels. From the traditional butter-based crust to the innovative almond flour crust and the gluten-free oat crust, each recipe promises a unique twist on this beloved classic. Prepare to tantalize your senses and impress your loved ones with these irresistible lemon square bars, a true testament to the enduring allure of this iconic dessert.

Here are our top 7 tried and tested recipes!

LEMON SQUARES



Lemon Squares image

These sweet and tangy old-fashioned Lemon Squares are easy to make from scratch with just 10 minutes of prep!

Provided by Blair Lonergan

Categories     Dessert

Time 3h55m

Number Of Ingredients 9

1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, melted
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup confectioners sugar, plus extra for dusting at the end
2 cups granulated sugar
¼ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
4 eggs, at room temperature
6 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest

Steps:

  • Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease and flour a 9 x 13-inch glass baking dish.

Nutrition Facts : ServingSize 1 square, Calories 196 kcal, Carbohydrate 28 g, Protein 2 g, Fat 8 g, SaturatedFat 5 g, Cholesterol 48 mg, Sodium 79 mg, Fiber 1 g, Sugar 19 g

THE BEST LEMON BARS



The Best Lemon Bars image

Tart, rich and perfection, all rolled into one! Wow your friends with this simple recipe. Hint: No Substitutions!

Provided by Patty Schenck

Categories     Desserts     Fruit Dessert Recipes     Lemon Dessert Recipes

Time 55m

Yield 36

Number Of Ingredients 7

1 cup butter, softened
½ cup white sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
4 eggs
1 ½ cups white sugar
¼ cup all-purpose flour
2 lemons, juiced

Steps:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
  • In a medium bowl, blend together softened butter, 2 cups flour and 1/2 cup sugar. Press into the bottom of an ungreased 9x13 inch pan.
  • Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until firm and golden. In another bowl, whisk together the remaining 1 1/2 cups sugar and 1/4 cup flour. Whisk in the eggs and lemon juice. Pour over the baked crust.
  • Bake for an additional 20 minutes in the preheated oven. The bars will firm up as they cool. For a festive tray, make another pan using limes instead of lemons and adding a drop of green food coloring to give a very pale green. After both pans have cooled, cut into uniform 2 inch squares and arrange in a checker board fashion.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 125.8 calories, Carbohydrate 17.8 g, Cholesterol 34.2 mg, Fat 5.8 g, Fiber 0.5 g, Protein 1.6 g, SaturatedFat 3.4 g, Sodium 44.4 mg, Sugar 11.2 g

LUSCIOUS LEMON SQUARES



Luscious Lemon Squares image

A bright pop of citrus makes everything taste like sunshine, so it's no wonder that these Luscious Lemon Squares have become such a popular treat. Refreshing, sweet and just a little tart, lemon square bars are an easy-but-classic dessert. You'll want to keep this simple recipe for lemon squares handy so that you'll be able to whip up some beautiful sweets whenever the occasion calls for it.

Categories     Dessert

Time 2h

Yield 25

Number Of Ingredients 10

1 cup Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup powdered sugar
2 eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Powdered sugar

Steps:

  • Heat oven to 350°F. In medium bowl, mix flour, butter and 1/4 cup powdered sugar with spoon until well mixed. Press in ungreased 8- or 9-inch square pan, building up 1/2-inch edges.
  • Bake crust 20 minutes; remove from oven. In medium bowl, beat remaining ingredients except additional powdered sugar with electric mixer on high speed about 3 minutes or until light and fluffy. Pour over hot crust.
  • Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until no indentation remains when touched lightly in center. Cool completely in pan on cooling rack, about 1 hour. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Cut into 5 rows by 5 rows.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 100, Carbohydrate 13 g, Cholesterol 25 mg, Fat 1, Fiber 0 g, Protein 1 g, SaturatedFat 2 1/2 g, ServingSize 1 Square, Sodium 70 mg, Sugar 10 g, TransFat 0 g

LEMON BARS



Lemon Bars image

Ina Garten's Lemon Bars are easy to bake and make for the perfect picnic dessert, from Barefoot Contessa on Food Network.

Provided by Ina Garten

Categories     dessert

Time 1h35m

Yield 20 squares or 40 triangles

Number Of Ingredients 10

1/2 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 cups flour
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
6 extra-large eggs at room temperature
3 cups granulated sugar
2 tablespoons grated lemon zest (4 to 6 lemons)
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup flour
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Steps:

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  • For the crust, cream the butter and sugar until light in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Combine the flour and salt and, with the mixer on low, add to the butter until just mixed. Dump the dough onto a well-floured board and gather into a ball. Flatten the dough with floured hands and press it into a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking sheet, building up a 1/2-inch edge on all sides. Chill.
  • Bake the crust for 15 to 20 minutes, until very lightly browned. Let cool on a wire rack. Leave the oven on.
  • For the filling, whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and flour. Pour over the crust and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the filling is set. Let cool to room temperature.
  • Cut into triangles and dust with confectioners' sugar.

CHEF JOHN'S LEMON BARS



Chef John's Lemon Bars image

This is one of my favorite cookies of all time, although technically they're closer to a pie than a cookie. Nothing prepares you for that intense, awesome sweet-tart lemon flavor and custard, perfectly contrasted against that crisp, sweet buttery shortbread cookie.

Provided by Chef John

Categories     Desserts     Fruit Dessert Recipes     Lemon Dessert Recipes

Time 1h40m

Yield 16

Number Of Ingredients 12

1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup unsalted butter at room temperature
¼ cup confectioners' sugar
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
1 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon confectioners' sugar, or to taste

Steps:

  • Place an oven rack into middle position in oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly oil an 8x8-inch baking dish.
  • Place 1 cup flour and butter in a mixing bowl and mash with the back of a spatula or wooden spoon until thoroughly combined. Mix in 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract, and salt; mash mixture together until mixture looks like a slightly crumbly cookie dough.
  • Moisten your fingers with a little water and press dough into bottom of prepared baking dish. Use a fork to prick holes all over the crust.
  • Bake crust on center rack in the preheated oven until crust edges are barely golden brown, 22 minutes.
  • Beat eggs and egg yolks together in a bowl; whisk in white sugar and 2 tablespoons flour until smooth. Add lemon juice and lemon zest; whisk for 2 minutes. Pour lemon custard over crust.
  • Bake on center rack until custard is set and top has a thin white sugary crust, 25 minutes. Let cool completely before cutting into bars. Dip knife into very hot water, run around the edge, and cut into 16 squares. Dust cookies with 1 teaspoon confectioners' sugar.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 153 calories, Carbohydrate 21.8 g, Cholesterol 51.3 mg, Fat 6.7 g, Fiber 0.3 g, Protein 1.9 g, SaturatedFat 4 g, Sodium 46.6 mg, Sugar 14.8 g

ALMOND-COCONUT LEMON BARS



Almond-Coconut Lemon Bars image

Give traditional lemon bars a tasty twist with the addition of almonds and coconut. -Taste of Home Test Kitchen

Provided by Taste of Home

Categories     Desserts

Time 50m

Yield 2 dozen.

Number Of Ingredients 14

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1/3 cup blanched almonds, toasted
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
3/4 cup cold butter, cubed
FILLING:
3 large eggs
1-1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Confectioners' sugar

Steps:

  • In a food processor, combine the flour, confectioners' sugar, almonds and lemon zest; cover and process until nuts are finely chopped. Add butter; pulse just until mixture is crumbly. Press into a greased 13x9-in. baking pan. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes., Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk eggs, sugar, coconut, lemon juice, flour, lemon zest and baking powder; pour over the hot crust. Bake until light golden brown, 20-25 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Dust with confectioners' sugar. Cut into squares.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 173 calories, Fat 8g fat (5g saturated fat), Cholesterol 39mg cholesterol, Sodium 70mg sodium, Carbohydrate 23g carbohydrate (16g sugars, Fiber 1g fiber), Protein 2g protein.

RASPBERRY LINZER BARS



Raspberry Linzer Bars image

Even though this dessert feels a little sophisticated, it puts a childlike grin on everyone who tastes it. - Holly Cain, St. Petersberg, Florida

Provided by Taste of Home

Categories     Desserts

Time 50m

Yield 1-1/2 dozen

Number Of Ingredients 9

1-1/3 cups butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups ground almonds
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup seedless raspberry preserves
Confectioners' sugar, optional

Steps:

  • Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and lemon zest. In another bowl, mix flour, ground almonds and cinnamon; gradually beat into creamed mixture., Press 2 cups dough onto bottom of a greased 13x9-in. baking pan. Spread with preserves to within 1/2 in. of edges. Crumble remaining dough over preserves., Bake until lightly browned, 35-40 minutes. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack. If desired, sprinkle with confectioners' sugar. Cut into bars.

Nutrition Facts :

Tips:

  • Mise en Place: Before starting, ensure all ingredients and equipment are measured, prepped, and ready to use. This will help streamline the baking process.
  • Use Room Temperature Ingredients: This allows ingredients to blend more evenly and results in a smoother batter and better texture.
  • Do Not Overmix the Batter: Overmixing can lead to a tough and dense crust. Mix just until all ingredients are combined.
  • Chill the Dough Before Baking: Chilling the dough helps to prevent it from spreading too much in the oven and results in a more defined square shape.
  • Bake Until the Edges Are Golden Brown: The center of the bars should still have a slight jiggle when done. Overbaking can lead to dry and crumbly bars.
  • Use Fresh Lemon Juice and Zest: Fresh lemon provides the best flavor and aroma. Bottled lemon juice and zest can be used, but the flavor will be less pronounced.
  • Dust With Powdered Sugar: Before serving, dust the bars with powdered sugar for a professional touch and added sweetness.

Conclusion:

Lemon square bars are a classic dessert that combines a sweet and tangy filling with a buttery shortbread crust. They are relatively easy to make and can be enjoyed by people of all ages. With the right ingredients and techniques, you can create delicious lemon square bars that are perfect for any occasion. Whether you are a seasoned baker or a beginner, this recipe provides detailed instructions and tips to help you achieve perfect lemon square bars every time. So, gather your ingredients, preheat your oven, and get ready to indulge in a delightful treat!

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