I Tested Our 5 Most Popular Lemon Bars and Named a Winner

When I step up to a bakery case or skim over a dessert menu, I'm always on the lookout for one thing: lemon bars. With their buttery crust and puckery filling, lemon bars are the ultimate mid-afternoon treat, a welcome conclusion to even the most decadent meal, and honestly, a perfectly suitable breakfast option. Unlike with a fudgy brownie or a slice of cheesecake, I can always make room for a lemon bar.

Needless to say, I've enjoyed my fair share over the years. I even tried the one that went viral on Reddit! So when it comes to judging lemon bar recipes, I consider myself an expert — and I couldn't wait to try the top-rated ones on the site.

What Makes a Perfect Lemon Bar?

First, let's discuss the ideal: The perfect lemon bar has a buttery, shortbread-like crust with a golden brown, never-soggy bottom. The smooth and silky filling should burst with bright lemon flavor and have just enough sugar to balance the tartness. As a whole, the bar needs to be proportionate: I like a filling that's about twice as thick as the crust. Once cooled, the baked slab should slice cleanly into picture-perfect, sunny yellow squares. One of the best parts about lemon bars is that while they look and taste impressive, they're actually quite easy to make — so I also appreciate a simple, streamlined recipe. Any contender that doesn't require fancy equipment or dirty too many bowls gets major points in my book.

Which Lemon Bar Recipes Did I Test?

I tested five reader favorite lemon bar recipes from Allrecipes. The lineup included a recipe that leaned into the crust part of the equation, another with an extra step that made for a really rich bite, one with lemon zest adding to the punch, another with sweet/mild appeal, and my favorite, which has truly earned its nearly-five-star rating. So now without further ado, here's how the top-rated lemon bar recipes on Allrecipes stacked up in my bar-by-bar comparison.

The Crust-Lover's Dream: The Best Lemon Bars

• Fast Facts: Developed by Patty Schenck, has 2,707 reviews with a 4.5- star rating
• Allstar Review: "I made half of a batch and cut into nine nicely sized lemon bars. They were easy to make and very tasty. I used two overflowing tablespoons of bottled lemon juice for the half batch. Adding lemon zest would have made these even better." — Tammy Abdul

These bars are about 75 percent crust, which isn't my ideal ratio but will absolutely win the hearts of shortbread lovers. The dough comes together easily with the help of a hand mixer, and though it will look too dry at first (similar to pie dough), it holds together as you press it into the pan. After baking for 20 minutes, it emerges firm to the touch and lightly golden brown.

Making the filling is just as simple: You whisk together flour, sugar, eggs, and the juice of two lemons, which for me amounted to a generous 1/3 cup. I recommend whisking the eggs separately before adding them to the rest of the filling to ensure they're fully beaten.

The finished bars have a classic look to them and a mild lemon-flavored filling that leans more sweet than tart. I wouldn't call the crust "crisp," but it has a pleasant, slightly crumbly texture that never turned soggy. A dusting of powdered sugar, while not mentioned in the recipe, lends a nice finishing touch.

Get the recipe: The Best Lemon Bars

The Most Decadent: Lemon Square Bars

• Fast Facts: Developed by RCOMP, has 917 reviews with a 4.4- star rating
• Allstar Review: "These lemon bars were a hit at the party I brought them to! They were super simple to put together and used ingredients that I always have on hand. I did end up adding the zest from 3 lemons to the sugar mixture, and I would definitely recommend it! They were tart, lemony, and not overly sweet." — Amy Shen

This bar stood out from the rest with its extra-crisp, super-buttery crust and intense lemon flavor. It definitely has that "wow!" factor. Using melted butter in the crust makes for a sticky, greasy dough, but results in a remarkably crispy texture with a gorgeous, deeply golden underside. It's worth noting that I baked it for an extra 5 minutes.

The filling, which comes together with just one bowl and a whisk, is made with a generous 5/8 cup (1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons) of lemon juice. This gives the bars an intense tartness that mellows as you chew.

The final bars, which I also baked for an extra 5 minutes, emerged with dark edges and a caramelized, slightly cracked top — but nothing a light dusting of powdered sugar couldn't fix. With its squishy, sweet-tart filling (reminiscent of fruit slice candy, though slightly less gelatinous) sandwiched between a crispy top and bottom, these bars felt extra decadent. While you may not be able to eat more than one, those few bites will blow you away.

Get the recipe: Lemon Square Bars

The Most Instagrammable: Lemon Pie Bars

• Fast Facts: Developed by RCFoodie, has 670 reviews with a 4.5- star rating

These Lemon Pie Bars were the prettiest of the bunch I tested, making them the perfect choice for dinner parties. Taking cues from the accompanying video, I used a pastry cutter to cut the softened butter into the dry ingredients for the dough, which worked well. Since the recipe doesn't call for salt, I recommend using salted butter to give the crust more flavor.

The filling called for less lemon juice than some of the others, but the inclusion of zest made it aromatic and slightly fruitier. The overall flavor falls in the middle of the pack — not too sweet and not too tart — with a 50:50 ratio of crust to filling. Perhaps the best part, which contributed to these bars' impressive appearance, is how easy they are to slice. If you're in the market for a foolproof recipe that looks the part, you'll be more than happy with this one.

Get the recipe: Lemon Pie Bars

The Best for Kids: Bake Sale Lemon Bars

• Fast Facts: Developed by Elaine, has 1,017 reviews with a 4.2- star rating

With their sweet and mild flavor, these bars are true to their name — they'll appeal to even the pickiest eaters. But it's not just their subtlety that makes them good for kids. The easy, one-bowl recipe means little hands can help whip them up.

Both the crust and the filling bake at 375°F rather than the standard 350°F, which makes for a flavorful, deeply golden brown crust and a lightly browned topping. Considering the filling is made with a comparable amount of sugar but about half as much lemon juice as the others, it's no surprise there's very little lemon flavor in the baked bars.

The filling is also on the chewier side, and doesn't slice as cleanly, so you'll need to wet your knife in warm water and wipe it clean as you're slicing. Be sure to watch the bars closely as they bake to prevent them getting too brown.

Get the recipe: Bake Sale Lemon Bars

My Favorite Lemon Bar Recipe: Chef John's Lemon Bars

• Fast Facts: Developed by Chef John, has 899 reviews with a 4.7- star rating
• Allstar Review: "Loved this recipe! I was easy to make!! The lemon layer was very creamy and perfectly lemony. I added 1/4 chopped pecans to the crust, Mexican pure Vanilla vs. extract to the batter and a sprinkle of lemon zest on top of the finished bars. This bar might be best served on a plate with a fork as it is just that creamy!!! And as always, it's a privilege to make Chef John's recipes!!!!" — Lisa Lynn Backus

Chef John's all-star bars have it all: a golden-brown crust, a firm yet luscious filling, and an exceptional amount of lemon flavor. The shortbread crust comes together easily with a flexible spatula, and the additions of salt and vanilla extract keep it from being one-note. Using confectioners' sugar instead of granulated also makes for an extra-tender texture.

The filling boasts the most amount of lemon juice out of all of the recipes tested, and the zest adds an extra dimension of flavor. The minimal amount of "thickener" (only two tablespoons of flour) ensures the lemon flavor isn't dulled, and adding an egg yolk gives it a gorgeous yellow hue and silkier texture. And don't be alarmed by the thin white layer on top of the baked bars. Chef John refers to it as a "sugary crust," though I suspect it's the air bubbles rising to the top. Either way, it doesn't affect the taste.

I appreciate the amount of detail included in this recipe, including tips for pressing the dough into the pan and how long to whisk the filling. I also like that it's baked in an 8x8" pan, which for me is the right amount for most occasions. I could go on, but I want you to get baking. Everyone needs these lemon bars in their life.

Get the recipe: Chef John's Lemon Bars

Need ideas other than lemon bars to bring to your bake sale? Take our short quiz to find out what bake sale treat matches your personality.