Desserts Cookies Bar Cookie Recipes Lemon Bar Recipes Chef John's Lemon Bars 4.8 (1,258) 950 Reviews 247 Photos These shortbread crust lemon bars are 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 and tart lemon-flavored custard, perfectly contrasted against crisp, sweet, buttery shortbread cookie. By John Mitzewich John Mitzewich John Mitzewich — aka Chef John — has produced more than 1,500 cooking videos for Allrecipes. He's the actor, director, and screenwriter whose hands and voice confidently walk you through techniques. Allrecipes' editorial guidelines Updated on March 4, 2024 Tested by Allrecipes Test Kitchen Tested by Allrecipes Test Kitchen The Allrecipes Test Kitchen staff are a team of culinary pros who make and vet recipes using only equipment you'd find in a home kitchen. Staff credentials vary but include training at the Culinary Institute of America; kitchen stints in fine dining restaurants; and countless hours in the test kitchen itself. Meet the Allrecipes Test Kitchen Save Rate Print Share Add Photo 247 247 247 247 Prep Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 50 mins Additional Time: 30 mins Total Time: 1 hr 40 mins Servings: 16 Yield: 1 8x8-inch pan Jump to Nutrition Facts Cook Mode (Keep screen awake) Ingredients 1x 2x 4x Oops! Something went wrong. Our team is working on it. Original recipe (1X) yields 16 servings Shortbread Crust: 1 cup all-purpose flour ½ cup unsalted butter at room temperature ¼ cup confectioners' sugar ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract ¼ teaspoon salt Lemon Custard: 2 large eggs 1 large egg yolks 1 cup white sugar 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice 1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest Garnish: 1 teaspoon confectioners' sugar, or to taste Directions Set an oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease an 8x8-inch baking dish. Make crust: Use the back of a spatula or wooden spoon to mash flour and butter in a large bowl until thoroughly combined. Mix in confectioners' sugar, vanilla, and salt until mixture resembles slightly crumbly cookie dough. Moisten your fingers with a little water and press dough into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Use a fork to prick holes all over crust. Bake on the middle rack in the preheated oven until edges are barely golden brown, about 22 minutes. Set aside. Make custard: Beat together eggs and egg yolks in a medium bowl until combined. Whisk in white sugar and flour until smooth. Add lemon juice and zest; whisk for 2 minutes. Pour over warm crust. Bake on the center rack until custard is set and the top has a thin white sugary crust, about 25 minutes. Let cool completely before cutting into bars. Dip a knife into very hot water, then run the blade around the edges and cut into 16 squares. Dust bars with confectioners' sugar. sanzoe Chef's Note To add a meringue topping: Whisk 1 egg white in a bowl until it forms a ribbon. Whisk in 1 tablespoon white sugar until mixture holds soft peaks. Spoon meringue into a resealable plastic bag; cut a corner off the bag and squeeze meringue on top of cut bars in a decorative pattern. Brown meringue lightly with a kitchen torch. Editor's Note: This is one of our most popular lemon bar recipes of all time — learn more: I Tested Our 5 Most Popular Lemon Bars and Named a Winner. I Made It Print 3,114 home cooks made it! Nutrition Facts (per serving) 153 Calories 7g Fat 22g Carbs 2g Protein Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Servings Per Recipe 16 Calories 153 % Daily Value * Total Fat 7g 9% Saturated Fat 4g 20% Cholesterol 51mg 17% Sodium 47mg 2% Total Carbohydrate 22g 8% Dietary Fiber 0g 1% Total Sugars 15g Protein 2g 4% Vitamin C 2mg 2% Calcium 9mg 1% Iron 1mg 3% Potassium 26mg 1% * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs. ** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data. (-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.