This is the BEST recipe for Lemon Bars I have EVER tried! The shortbread crust is thick and tender, and the lemon custard on top is super tart and creamy. You will never go back!!
The other day I casually mentioned to my friend Tawna that I made gluten free lemon bars. “Oh really?” she said, “I’ve never had a lemon bar.”
And then my brain EXPLODED.
Okay not really, but GAH!!! The thought of life without lemon bars. If I could only eat one dessert for the rest of my life, it would be this recipe for lemon bars, no lie. (Okay. I’m lying. If in some sick world I really did have to choose, I would flip a coin between these lemon bars and The Best Chocolate Cake I’ve Ever Had.)
Here’s what happens when your stack falls.
Tawna can’t eat gluten. I saw her again last weekend at a church breakfast event where I was loading up on doughnuts. She (again, so casually) mentioned that she’d never had a doughnut. I’M ON A MISSION, GUYS.
Although really I should just go to Sarah from Snixy Kitchen. Gluten-free baking definitely takes some practice and this girl has got it DOWN. Got any doughnut recipes up your sleeve, Sarah?? Spill!
But we can tackle doughnuts another time. Today I’m sharing this Lemon Bar recipe just for Sarah and her little #cheesebabygirl. A bunch of other bloggers and I are throwing a virtual baby shower for her today!! Woo woo partay! (Thanks Alanna and Todd for hosting!)
Sarah and I met at a blogging conference a couple years ago and since then she has literally saved my blog from the jaws of technical difficulties on a number of occasions. She also happens to be one of the most gifted photographers I know and even does food styling for the NY Times. She is crazy talented!!
I was at her house the other day and she showed me all the clothes that her mom has sewn for the baby. We are talking like an entire dresser-full, people, along with several blankets and knits. (Sherry, you are a master seamstress!) This kid is totally going to be better dressed than me, that is for sure.
This lemon bar recipe is an oooold favorite of mine. I perfected the recipe back in 2012 and published it here on the blog, but I love the recipe so much that I wanted to update the photos and tell all you lovely new people about it (since basically it was Eric and my mom reading back then.) I haven’t changed the recipe at all, and it’s too good to remain hidden in my archives.
But there’s a part of me that hates updating my old posts because I love to read the “old me.” It’s like reading pages from my own journal. So probably none of you will care, but for my own sake, here is the link to the original post, where you can read a story about the time I dropped my kid’s lunch on these lemon bars halfway through making them. (See who would want to forget that story?? wait..)
I will keep one of my old photos up though. I was soooooo proud of it. *pinches cheek of former self*
A few notes about the recipe: 1) you MUST make these in a 2-quart, 8×11 inch pan if you want the crust-to-custard ratio you see in the photos. It will definitely work in a 9×13 but the layers will be thinner, which in my opinion, ruins the lemon bars. I want a THICK layer of shortbread and a THICK layer of custard. If you do make these in a 9×13, make sure you lower the baking times.
2) I always make these lemon bars with regular all-purpose flour. But today, since Sarah does not eat gluten (and this is her baby shower after all), I tried these with a gluten-free flour blend. It worked beautifully! I didn’t change the recipe at all besides swapping flours. Score! I love having an easy and delicious recipe on hand for gluten-free friends. Here’s the kind I used:
Oh and on the right is how brown your crust should be.
You are going to be the best mom ever, Sarah! And not just because you will keep your kid dressed in something other than clothes that they have picked out themselves (always the stained hole-y ones, why, why??) Your cheesy little baby is going to be so happy in your family, because you are going to be an amazing mom.
(They call her cheese baby because Sarah has subsisted mostly on cheese throughout her pregnancy. I’m a little jealous. Can I go on a cheese diet?? No? How bout a lemon bar diet?)
If you try out this recipe (DO IT!), snap a photo and share on social using #TheFoodCharlatan. I’d love to see what you are making!
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Lemon Squares
Makes 1 8x11 inch pan (serves 10-20) adjust servingsIngredients
For the crust
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour OR a gluten-free blend (I used Bob's Red Mill), spooned and leveled
- 1/4 teaspoon salt (or a few shakes more, to taste)
- zest of one lemon
For the custard
- 1 and 1/2 cups white sugar
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour OR a gluten-free blend (I used Bob's Red Mill), spooned and leveled
- 3/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 4 medium lemons)
- 4 large eggs
- zest of 2-3 lemons (more zest=more tart. I add tons.)
- powdered sugar, for dusting
Instructions
- For the crust:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare an 8x11 inch pan by lining it with parchment paper or spraying with nonstick spray. Or you could use foil, make sure you spray it with nonstick spray.
- In a medium bowl (or stand-mixer), beat together softened butter with 1/2 cup sugar, salt and zest.
- Add 2 cups flour, either all-purpose or a gluten-free blend. Make sure you use a scoop or spoon to place the flour in your measuring cup, then level it off. You don't want to pack your flour.
- Beat in the flour. It won't come together in a ball probably, but you want to get big clumps that are sticking together. Make sure the butter and flour are incorporated.
- Press into the bottom of the prepared 8x11 inch pan. Wet your fingers a little if the dough sticks to your hands.
- Bake at 350 for 24-26 minutes, or until golden around the edges.
For the Custard:
- In a bowl (or using stand mixer), whisk together the remaining 1 and 1/2 cups sugar and 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons flour. You can use the unwashed bowl you just used for the crust, but only if you scrape it out pretty well. You don't want clumps in your custard.
- After whisking the flour and sugar, whisk in the lemon juice, eggs, and zest.
- When the crust is done, pour the custard over the top. You don't have to wait for the crust to cool.
- Bake for an additional 26-28 minutes in the preheated oven. The edges should be set with the center still a little wiggly (just a little). The bars will firm up as they cool.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours until they are cold, then dust with powdered sugar right before serving. Don't bother doing it before because it will just seep into the custard and you won't see it.
- Store covered in the fridge.
by The Food Charlatan
Don’t forget to check out all the other recipes going up today for Sarah’s baby shower!
Cheesy Things
- the briny – Smoky Beans n’ Greens Enchiladas with Roasted Sweet Potato and Sunflower Seed Cheese
- Half Baked Harvest – Greek Falafel Melts
- Healthy Nibbles & Bits – Japanese-Spiced Goat Cheese Ball with Pistachios
- Just Putzing Around the Kitchen – Cheesy Fried Spinach & Artichoke Bites
- My Natural Kitchen – Brazilian Cheesy Thyme Popovers
- Vanilla And Bean – Almond-Sage Pesto Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Gruyere
- Fix Feast Flair – Mixed Greens Salad with Lilikoi Vinaigrette, Honey Macadamia Nuts, and Goat Cheese
- FoodieCrush – Cheesy Sausage Pizza Bread
- Foodness Gracious – Avocado Feta Bowl with Couscous Grilled Chicken and Charred Corn
- Will Frolic for Food – Vegan Walnut Parmesan Zucchini Noodles
- Vegetarian ‘Ventures – Pimento Mac & Cheese Bites
- MJ and Hungryman – Cheese Stuffed Kimchi Pancakes
- Savory Simple – Cheddar Chive Crackers
Sweet Things
- the pig + quill – Mini Vegan PB+J Cheesecakes
- The Kitchen McCabe – Meyer Lemon Pudding Cakes + Honeyed Chevre Whipped Cream
- The Little Epicurean – Matcha Mochi Waffles Sundae
- Shared Appetite – Vegan Chocolate Raspberry Mousse
- The Pancake Princess – Vegan Aquafaba Lemon Meringue Pie
- The Food Charlatan – Lemon Bars {gluten-free}
- Kale & Caramel – Spiced Caramel Chocolate Nut Clusters
Cheesy & Sweet Things
- The Bojon Gourmet – Blood Orange & Corn Flour Ricotta Cake with Whipped Mascarpone {gluten-free}
- HonestlyYUM – Sweet Cheese Puffs (for a Sweet Cheese Baby)
- fit for the soul – Queso Mais Ice cream {No-Churn}
- Completely Delicious – Chocolate Orange Ricotta Scones
- Good on Paper Design – Citrus Ricotta Mini Cakes {gluten-free}
- Floating Kitchen – No-Bake Meyer Lemon Cheesecake with Chocolate Ganache Layer {gluten-free}
- Hungry Girl por Vida – Gluten-Free Pretzel Goat Cheesecake Bites
- Heartbeet Kitchen – Roasted Citrus Bowls with Honey Mascarpone
- Salted Plains – Pavlova with Mascarpone Coconut Cream and Candied Citrus
- The Kitchen Paper – Candied Citrus Ricotta Cake
- le jus d’orange – White Cheddar and Apple Mini Pies with Cinnamon-Infused Honey
Here are some other lemony recipes you will love!
Meyer Lemon Tart << Have you tried Meyer lemons yet? They are a little sweeter and more orange-y than a regular lemon and have such amazing flavor. Try this one out!
Here’s another recipe I should reshoot: Lemon Crinkle Cookies with Lemon Frosting. These are SO LEMONY! I love them:
^^Also, I should mention that the fabric in this photo is my shirt. A yellow button up shirt I used to wear all the time. I looked at all my normal food props and didn’t see anything yellow so I just went to my closet. I’m a normal person, I swear.
The Best Lemon Curd: << no lie, guys.
Here’s a recipe for Lemon Cake with Lemon Frosting. It’s one of my favorite cakes!
More lemon love from blog-land:
Lemon Bar Muddy Buddies from Lemon Tree Dwelling
Lemon Crumble Bars from House of Yumm << These look SO GOOD!!!
Lemon Ice Box Pie from Life, Love, and Sugar
Kris says
I want to make them at your house just to watch your face sweat Karen!
Ami says
My husband does the exact same excessive shopping thing, which is why I try not to send him to the store often.
Linda says
Can you fill us in on the “center layer of leftovers”? It sounds yummy! (smirk)
thefoodcharlatan says
It’s in the last picture, can’t you see it? Little bits of rice and chicken in between the crust and custard? Yum.
(I’m totally lying)
Sarah Quinn says
How many lemons would you say that you used? I have so many fond memories of lemon bar eating…with my grandmother; at a bakery in Amish country in Pennsylvania; with you…oh no wait, that was lemon slurp.
thefoodcharlatan says
Hmmm I think I used 3 or 4 very large lemons. Just buy a few, and if it’s not quite enough you could throw in a few squirts of refrigerated lemon juice to make up for it. Long live lemon slurp!!
Laura @ Laura's Culinary Adventures says
Yum! Lemon bars make me thing of spring :). I can’t even imagine not being able to eat gluten.
The Food Charlatan says
Me too Laura! Just what I need for the gloomy weather we’ve been having around here! :)
kris says
Since your subbing stuff Karen, can you come up with a way to make these taste amazing with no carbs and no sugar? It’s really difficult reading all your delicious recipes, but knowing that i can’t make them and then stuff my face like when I was 30 and still keep my girlish figure. Getting old is the pits . . . I’m imagining eating these but it’s not the same. . .
The Food Charlatan says
Oh yeah sure Kris I’ll get right to work on that. Be sure to stay on my good side, because you will want to be on my A-list when I make billions for finding the solution to life’s greatest problem: why can’t I eat whatever I want?
Erika says
(I didn’t like the fact that I just weirdly left a Facebook comment on your post accidentally, so am re-posting here)
I am such a bad blogger friend. I want to make a comment about how lovely your new blog layout is, but I haven’t been reading around the blogosphere in so long that this is probably like a year-old layout update.
…
IT STILL LOOKS BEAUTIFUL!!!!
Couldn’t resist. Also, these lemon bars. HOW HAD YOUR FRIEND NEVER HAD A LEMON BAR?! Thank the heaven she has you to enlighten/bake for her. She is a lucky duck. And now I want a lemon bar, thanks.
Erika recently posted…Aquafaba Lemon Meringue Pie (vegan, gf)
The Food Charlatan says
Aw thank you Erika!! My sister in law designed it, she is so talented. And the reason Tawna hadn’t had a lemon bar is because she has Celiac’s. She tried to bake her own but they didn’t work out. TRAGIC. so i fixed it. next im tackling donuts, she told me the only ones she’s had were frozen gf donuts that you microwave. shudder. wish me luck…I’m gonna need it.
Amy @BellyFull says
ANYTHING lemon. It’s like my kryptonite. I desperately want these. Also? Sarah is a.ma.zing. I love her.
Amy @BellyFull recently posted…Cheese Zombies
The Food Charlatan says
I’m so glad I know how to defeat you now Amy. I WILL DESTROY YOU. One lemon bar at a time.
Tina @ Just Putzing Around the Kitchen says
YESSSSSSSSSSSSSS LEMON BARS! 100% going to make these soon, for myself. No sharing.
The Food Charlatan says
Seriously though. Sharing is totes overrated.
Medha @ Whisk & Shout says
I believe that these are the best- they look incredible! I LOVE lemon bars :) Pinning!
Medha @ Whisk & Shout recently posted…Classic Kale Salad {Vegan + GF}
The Food Charlatan says
Thank you Medha! You are so sweet!
Sarah @ SnixyKitchen says
i DID go on a lemon bar diet after you left the rest at my house this weekend and it was GLORIOUS! I’m glad I have you to answer my late-night “omg how do you organize baby clothes” calls and talk me down from the ledge! I think this lil’ cheesebaby will be super well dressed, but only because of my mama;) Thank you for making and SHARING WITH ME IRL these amazing lemon squares for my virtual baby shower! I must say that once again, your dessert was one of the top crowd choices…
Sarah @ SnixyKitchen recently posted…Sweet Zing Ginger Oatmeal Green Smoothie
The Food Charlatan says
I was on a lemon bar diet too because I made these again after your party so that I could shoot them, and then there I was with an entire pan of bars and nothing to do but shove them in my face. Life is so hard.
Christine // my natural kitchen says
Lemon squares!!! It has been ages since I’ve had a lemony dessert and for the life of me I can’t think of a reason, especially considering I could probably eat an entire lemon meringue pie to myself. Yours look so perfect, and it’s so nice to see that the Bob’s AP you used worked so well!
Christine // my natural kitchen recently posted…#cheesebabyshower for Sarah with Brazilian cheesy thyme popovers
The Food Charlatan says
I could probably eat an entire lemon meringue pie too, Christine. We must be kindred spirits. :) Or at least well on our way to getting diabetes.
Liz @ Floating Kitchen says
KAREN! I am obsessed with finding the perfect lemon bar. I’ve (unfortunately) eaten way too many that just aren’t right and even have an egg-y quality to the custard. Yuck. I can’t deal. So I am PUMPED to try your version. I know they’ll be perfect! Cheers to Sarah and her babe!
Liz @ Floating Kitchen recently posted…No-Bake Meyer Lemon Cheesecake with Chocolate Ganache Layer {Gluten-Free}
The Food Charlatan says
I was obsessed too back in 2012! Until I came up with this version from all the recipes I tried!! I hope you love it Liz, you have to let me know how it goes if you get a chance to make it!
Aggie @ Aggie's Kitchen says
aww, congrats to Sarah! These lemon bars are gorgeous!!
Aggie @ Aggie’s Kitchen recently posted…Buffalo Hummus Chicken Salad Roll Ups
Laura says
I made these yesterday. They really are the best!!! I find many other recipes to be thin, runny, and sad. These bars were firm and thick, something you could really sink your teeth into.
The Food Charlatan says
Yes yes yes! I’m so happy you made them Laura! I too have had many a sad runny lemon bar. No more!
Cheese and Chinese says
These look absolutely delicious! that color!
Cheese and Chinese recently posted…Spinach, kale and artichoke dip
Ashley@CookNourishBliss says
haha I will confess that I had never had a lemon bar until a few years ago! Crazy right??? These look completely fantastic!
Ashley@CookNourishBliss recently posted…Honey Balsamic Roasted Vegetables
Malinda @ Countryside Cravings says
I am such a sucker for lemon bars! I just love them! That’s so nice of you to be coming up with gluten free versions for your friend! And congrats to Sarah!!
Malinda @ Countryside Cravings recently posted…Chicken Pot Pie with Crumble Topping
Min says
And MY head exploded! What?!?! What’s life without lemon bars?!?! Karen, I seriously love.love your writing style! You always manage to make me laugh ;). I’m seriously so jealous that you and Sarah are neighbors! Will you be at BlogHer in Austin this October? If so, can I be your sidekick? ;)
Elizabeth @ SugarHero.com says
Okay, I love lemon bars and we have to get back to this in a second, but can we pause and talk about the fact that I have totally shot food on shirts (and skirts, and scarves…) too?? Sometimes it’s just the best fabric for tje job! HA.
But back to the food, these look so delicious, and I love that it’s an easy gluten-free swap! I basically know nothing about gluten-free cooking so this kind of easy recipe is exactly what I need.
Traci | Vanilla And Bean says
Looking forward to those doughnuts my dear! Headline “Karen saves the day with her GF doughnuts!” Hooray! Girl, these look divine. I realized its been too long since I had a lemon bar. They are one of the best sweet things ever! Love that you and Sarah have met…. Now… your old lemon bars don’t look bad, but your new ones shine like the sun! Gorgeous my dear!
Traci | Vanilla And Bean recently posted…Mushroom Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
Kristen @ The Endless Meal says
I have zero willpower over lemon bars and your pics make me want to run to the kitchen asap!!
Kristen @ The Endless Meal recently posted…Dreamy Vegan Cauliflower Alfredo
Alanna says
Yum! I love a good lemon bar and these look perfect! Thanks so much for coming to the shower, Karen. Hope to see you soon! xoxo
Alanna recently posted…Blood Orange & Corn Flour Ricotta Cake with Whipped Mascarpone {gluten-free}
inspire says
Come on Morgan, they re LEMON bars, and a lemon is a fruit, so you can totally consider them part of the fruit category and have them every day ??
Sommer @aspicyperspective says
These look amazing! I need a few of these babies asap!
The Food Charlatan says
Thanks Sommer! Lemon bars are just the best! :)