Creamy Lemon Bars

Meet your new favorite lemon squares! These bright Creamy Lemon Bars are easy to make and incredibly delicious with a crisp, buttery crust and smooth lemon filling that is tart, tangy, sweet and creamy. The contrasting textures of the silky lemon filling over the crisp base is so satisfying to bite into and the crust doesn't get soggy unlike a lot of other recipes that use a shortbread base. Once you make lemon bars like this, you won't make them any other way! The flavor has an addicting quality with all the lemony taste from zingy juice, fragrant zest and a bit of salt.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

• Crisp crust - the base for these lemon bars is a shortcrust, similar to shortbread that bakes up crisp and never gets soggy. You blend all the ingredients in one bowl and don't need a mixer.
• Easy to make - you simply press in the base mixture to form the crust and the filling comes together quickly with a few simple ingredients. You don't need to cook the filling before adding it to the crust.
• No soggy bottom - I designed the crust to stay crip so it doesn't get soggy and mushy.
• Bright lemon flavor - you'll love the tart and tangy flavor if these lemon squares! Many can be overly sweet, but not these! They are extra zippy.
• Creamy filling - a bit of condensed milk makes the filling extra creamy and balances the tartness.
• Not a lot of flour - a lot of other recipes use quite a bit of flour to set the filling, but I find that this muddies the flavor and also can lead to a pasty consistency if over-baked. By using condensed milk, the added milk protein helps stabilize the filling so we can use less flour and the flavor is so clean!

INGREDIENTS FOR LEMON BARS

• Butter - firm unsalted butter helps form the base of the shortbread crust. I pull cold butter from the fridge and let it sit out at room temperature for 15 minutes. This helps to soften it just a tad so that it incorporates into the flour more easily for an even crust. If the butter were very cold, it would be harder to blend in and there would be more dry flour.
• Flour - it forms the crust but its thickening power also helps set the filling.
• Salt - salt enhances the buttery flavor of the crust and also balances the sweetness of the filling.
• Eggs - Eggs provide majority of the structure for the filling and are absolutely important. Lemon bars are essentially a lemon custard baked on a shortbread crust.
• Sugar - just a bit of sugar sweetens the crust slightly, and most of the sugar goes into the filling. Sugar not only adds sweetness but it serves a very functional purpose in the filling -- it binds the moisture from the egg and also interferes with egg proteins to ensure that they do not curdle easily for a silky texture. It also works with the eggs to set up the lemon filling and if you reduce the sugar, the filling may be watery with a coarse texture.
• Condensed milk - sweetened condensed milk is my secret ingredient and it makes all the difference. It adds so much body and richness that helps carry the lemon flavor and balance the tartness since we're using a lot of lemon juice! You just need ⅓ cup for this recipe, and you can keep the rest in a sealed container in the fridge for months since it stores so well. Use it in beverages like this Thai Tea, make these Key Lime Pie Bars, or drizzle it over waffles and pancakes.
• Lemon Juice - I only ever make lemon bars with freshly squeezed lemon juice. It provides the tangy flavor and the acidity also helps to set the egg proteins.

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS

• STEP 1). Prepare the pan: Line your pan with foil and lightly butter the foil for easy release.
• STEP 2). Prepare the crust. Combine flour, powdered sugar, salt and baking powder in a medium bowl (or in the bowl of a stand mixer). Add butter and blend it in with your fingertips until well dispersed and it resembles coarse crumbs (or mix on low speed for 3-4 minutes with the paddle attachment). Press the crumb mixture evenly into the prepared pan using your hands, building it up about ½-inch along the sides to create a thin edge to keep the filling in. Use the back of a spoon to smooth over the surface.
• STEP 3). Bake the crust. Bake for 20-25 minutes until edges are browned and surface is lightly golden.
• STEP 4). Prepare the filling. Combine sugar and lemon zest in a medium bowl and rub it together so the sugar is fragrant. Add eggs and whisk gently until well blended. Do not whisk vigorously to avoid air incorporation. Mix in condensed milk, lemon juice and salt, then sift in flour and mix it in until smooth. Set the filling aside until the crust is ready, but right before you pour it over, give it a nice stir in case it has settled a bit.
• STEP 5). Add the filling. Slowly pour the filling over the hot crust and bake for 16-20 minutes until it is just set in the centre an jiggles just a little. It shouldn't be loose and liquidy, but it should give a nice bouncy jiggle like jelly in the very middle when you shake the pan. Do not over-bake or the filling can become too firm.
• STEP 6). Cool. Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool completely, then cover and refrigerate for 2 hours until thoroughly chilled before slicing before slicing.

EXPERT BAKING TIPS

• Use foil to line the pan. Using foil instead of parchment will let the crust bake edge to edge. I find that when I use parchment, it is so non-stick that the crust pulls away slightly from the pan as it bakes which can allow some of the lemon filling to seep down and make the crust soggy.
• Use a metal pan. Metal conducts heat faster than glass or ceramic so the crust will bake quicker and more evenly.
• Always use fresh lemon juice! You will definitely taste the difference if you use juice from concentrate or a bottle. The processing for bottled lemon juice impacts the bright flavor and acidity.
• Do not overbake: Lemon bars are ready when the edges are set but the center is still slightly soft with a bit of a jiggle in the middle. The residual heat of the pan will continue to set the filling as it cools. This ensures that you have a silky filling.
• Cool completely: Do not rush the chill time as these bars need to cool completely in order for the filling to set up smoothly.  

RECIPE FAQ

If you love lemon, check out my other lemon recipes:

Gimme more lemon!

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Video

Creamy Lemon Bars

Christina Marsigliese, Food Scientist MSc.

These bright Creamy Lemon Bars are easy to make and incredibly delicious with a crisp, buttery crust and smooth lemon filling that is tart, tangy, sweet and creamy. The contrasting textures of the silky and creamy lemon filling over the crisp base is so satisfying to bite into and the crust doesn't get soggy. I love to make these in early Spring, but I also make them all year round.

5 from 4 votes

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Servings 9 large squares

Ingredients

  

Shortcrust Base:

• 1 cup (142g) all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup (30g) powdered confectioner's sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ⅛ teaspoon baking powder
• 7 tablespoon (100g) unsalted butter, softened but cool and cut into small cubes

Lemon Filling:

• ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 3 large eggs at room temperature
• ⅓ cup (80ml/100g) sweetened condensed milk
• ⅓ cup (80ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 2-3 lemons)
• pinch of salt
• 1 tablespoon (9g) all-purpose flour
• powdered sugar, for topping

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line an 8x8-inch square metal baking pan with aluminum foil* and grease the bottom and sides lightly with butter.
• Combine flour, powdered sugar, salt and baking powder in a medium bowl (or in the bowl of a stand mixer). Add butter and blend it in with your fingertips until well dispersed and it resembles coarse crumbs (or mix on low speed for 3-4 minutes with the paddle attachment). Press the crumb mixture evenly into the prepared pan using your hands, building it up about ½-inch along the sides to create a thin edge to keep the filling in. Use the back of a spoon to smooth over the surface. Bake for 20-25 minutes until edges are browned and surface is lightly golden.
• While the crust is baking, prepare the filling. It's OK if the filling sits a bit because it will help the flour hydrate and the sugar to dissolve further. Combine sugar and lemon zest in a medium bowl and rub it together so the sugar is fragrant. Add eggs and whisk gently until well blended. Do not whisk vigorously to avoid air incorporation. Mix in condensed milk, lemon juice and salt, then sift in flour and mix it in until smooth. Set the filling aside until the crust is ready, but right before you pour it over, give it a nice stir in case it has settled a bit.
• Slowly pour the filling over the hot crust and bake for 16-20 minutes until it is just set in the centre an jiggles just a little. It shouldn't be loose and liquidy, but it should give a nice bouncy jiggle like jelly in the very middle when you shake the pan. Do not over-bake or the filling can become too firm.
• Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool completely, then cover and refrigerate for 2 hours before slicing. Foil will adhere closely too the crust so that it doesn't shrink and pull away from the sides on cooling which would leave a gap where the lemon filling can leak to the bottom and make a soggy crust.

*For lining the pan, aluminum foil adheres closely to the crust so that it doesn't shrink and pull away from the sides on cooling which would leave a gap where the lemon filling can leak to the bottom and make a soggy crust.