Creamy Lemon Bars

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Creamy lemon squares are one of the best lemon desserts. A creamy lemon filling with almost a tablespoon of lemon zest in it sits on top of a buttery shortbread crust, making these the lemon bars of your dreams. Plus they're lower in sugar compared to more traditional lemon bars!

Creamy lemon bars dusted with powdered sugar and cut into squares. One square on a plate with a bite taken out of it.

These easy lemon bars are made with simple ingredients and easy dessert to whip up for lemon lovers with only minutes of prep needed. If you love lemon, you could have a full-on lemon-themed meal starting with a broccoli and brussels slaw with a lemon dijon vinaigrette served with either a lavender lemonade cocktail or lemon lavender mint julep! And then ending on these creamy lemon squares, obviously.

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Equipment
Ingredients
How to Make the Best Creamy Lemon Bars
Variations & Substitutions
Pro Tips
Storage & Make Ahead Instructions
Recipe FAQ
Other Recipes You May Like
Creamy Lemon Bars

Creamy lemon bars dusted with powdered sugar cut into squares and two squares on plates.

Equipment

8x8" square baking dish - this is the perfect size for these easy creamy lemon bars.
Medium bowl - I like to use a 1- or 3-quart bowl to mix the crust dough.
Large bowl - I use a slightly larger bowl, either 3- or 5-quart bowl to mix the lemon curd filling.
Whisk - this will ensure even mixing of the wet ingredients!
Parchment paper - I like to line the square baking pan with parchment paper to prevent the hot crust from sticking as it cools.
Sifter - to get a beautiful, even dusting of powdered sugar on top of these lemon bars, I love to use a sifter!

Ingredients

Full ingredients, measurements, and instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

For the Shortbread Crust

Almond flour - almond flour has slightly more fat than all-purpose flour, so it adds moisture and gives this creamy lemon bars recipe a nice, soft crust.
White whole wheat flour - using all almond flour would result in a crust that's too soft and crumbly, so white whole wheat flour helps to bind the shortbread crust while also contributing more nutrients than all-purpose flour! However, all-purpose flour can be substituted.
Unsalted butter - what's a shortbread crust without butter?! Since I like to control the amount of salt added to baked goods, I recommend using unsalted butter. I recommend using cold butter, not room temperature or melted butter!
Honey - I love using more natural sugars when I can, and honey mixes well into the shortbread crust to give it a hint of sweetness.
Vanilla extract - pure vanilla extract is a staple in baking! It adds a subtle vanilla flavor to the crust.
Salt - salt helps to balance out of the acidity of the lemon and overall sweetness of these creamy lemon squares.

For the Creamy Lemon Filling

Fresh lemon juice - a must-have in this lemon squares recipe! I highly recommend using fresh lemon juice. I also recommend using meyer lemons because they're must larger than regular lemons, and will thus give more juice and zest. Look for juicy, ripe fruit to maximize the juice you get!
Granulated sugar - this sugar dissolves well in the creamy lemon filling. I wouldn't substitute brown sugar here! The filling only calls for half a cup of sugar, so the overall sugar content of these bars is fairly low.
Large eggs - the egg yolks really help to thicken the lemon curd, and I like to keep the egg whites for extra protein
Lemon zest - fresh lemon zest will add even more lemon flavor to the creamy filling.

How to Make the Best Creamy Lemon Bars

1: Combine crust ingredients in a medium bowl and mix until the mixture resembles wet sand. You may need to use your hands! Press the dough into an even layer to line the bottom of the square pan. I like to put a piece of parchment paper or two in the baking dish to prevent the dough from sticking.

Bake 20-22 minutes, or until the crust starts to turn golden brown. For best results, let the crust cool before pouring in the lemon curd!

2: In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the creamy lemon filling ingredients and whisk until combined. Be sure there are no clumps!

creamy lemon bars before being baked in the oven

3: Pour the filling into the cool crust.

creamy lemon bars after being baked in the oven

4: Bake another 20-22 minutes, or until the filling is mostly set. Some jiggle is okay!

Let lemon bars cool for at least 45 minutes at room temperature.

Variations & Substitutions

You could substitute lime juice to make bars that taste like key lime pie!
I haven't tried graham crackers to make a graham cracker crust but this filling would work great in a pre-made one!
In addition to or in lieu of powdered sugar, you can top these classic lemon bars with homemade whipped cream!

Pro Tips

These bars are much easier to cut when completely cooled. Once at room temperature, I like to put them in the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour to make them easy to cut.
Wait until just before eating to dust with powdered sugar! The sugar will dissolve into the bars over time.

Creamy lemon bars cut into pieces and dusted with powdered sugar. Two pieces on plates and white flowers placed around the small plates.

Storage & Make Ahead Instructions

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. I wouldn't store them at room temperature because they may spoil faster and texture may be affected!
You can definitely make these creamy lemon bars ahead of time, either earlier in the day or the day beforehand. Either way, once they come out of the oven, I would let them cool at room temperature for 45 minutes and then cover with plast wrap before storing in the refrigerator until you're ready to eat them!

Recipe FAQ

Can creamy lemon squares be frozen?

Yes, they can! However, they're best after chilling in the fridge for an hour or so. Freezing may alter the texture slightly once thawed.

How do you know if the lemon bars have cooked long enough?

You want the lemon bars to be slightly jiggly when you're taking them out of the oven. They can overbake if you wait until they're completely stiff in the oven. They will firm up as they cool!

Does homemade lemon curd need to be refrigerated?

Yes! If you make the curd filling ahead of time, store in an air-tight container in the fridge until you're ready to use it. There are raw eggs in the filling, which require it to be refrigerated. I also recommend storing the bars in the refrigerator after they've been baked!

When should you cut lemon squares?

I recommend waiting until they're room temperature before cutting! Even better, chill in the refrigerator for 30-60 minutes before cutting creamy lemon squares.