LEMON BUTTER BARS

Lemon Butter Bars are a fantastic lemon bar recipe with a twist! Three layers of buttery lemon goodness: a shortbread crust, topped with bright lemon filling & a sweet & tart creamy layer.

After you try these, don’t miss this collection of our BEST SPRING RECIPES!

Lemon Butter Bars is a unique recipe I simply had to try when I discovered it – I adore lemon recipes! They’re absolutely wonderful! I adore the bright lemony, sweet flavor and the triple layers add perfect texture. They taste better if made a day in advance, so plan accordingly! Like a combination of a fudgy brownie texture and that of a traditional lemon bar, you find this dessert standing alone in its unique texture and flavors. You’re going to want a second piece, so set it aside before offering this dessert to family and friends.

What are lemon butter bars?

Packed with a rich tangy sweetness in every moist and wonderful bite you will find these lemon bars. They’re the perfect summertime dessert and are sure to bring smiles and sunshine indoors even on a cloudy day. Made easy with basic ingredients, this tart-like dessert is one everyone will rave about for years to come.

Lemon Butter Bars Ingredients

For the Crust, You Will Need:

-Flour: The base of our crust recipe is 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour.

-Powdered sugar: We want a sweeter crust so 1/2 cup of powdered sugar will give us a sweet crust with a smoother texture.

-Salt: With 1/2 teaspoon of salt we can enhance the crust flavors and make it taste incredible.

-Lemon zest: 2 teaspoons of lemon zest will flavor our crust so that the lemon flavor is in every bite.

-Butter: You will want to use 3/4 cups (1 1/2 sticks) of cold butter that has been cut into pieces.

For the Filling, You Will Need:

-Eggs: We want 4 eggs for the filling.

-Sugar: 2 cups of granulated sugar will give us a sweetness that pairs well with tangy lemons.

-Flour: We need 1./4 cup of all-purpose flour for the filling to help it to thicken.

-Baking powder: With a teaspoon of baking powder we can help the filling to leaven a bit as it bakes, making it lighter and fluffier.

-Lemon juice: We want 1/3 cup of lemon juice to give our filling a wonderful lemon taste.

-Lemon zest: Adding in a heaping tablespoon of lemon zest will help our flavor and make the filling taste fresher.

For the Topping, You Will Need:

-Sour cream: We need to use 2 cups of sour cream for the topping. This is the amount found inside a 16 ounce container.

-Sugar: We want a sweeter topping so adding 1/3 cups of granulated sugar will do just that.

-Vanilla: 1 teaspoon of vanilla will help to make the topping taste incredible.

-Lemon Zest and Sugar: Optionally you can choose to mix 1 tablespoon of lemon zest with 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar and then sprinkle it over the top of the bars once baked for a nice garnish.

How to make lemon butter bars

Preheat your oven to 350° degrees F and spray a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.

Scrub 2 lemons to wash them clean before zesting both. Slice the lemons in half and then reserve the juice and lemon halves.

Combine all of the crust ingredients in a bowl and mix well for about 5 minutes. You want to combine past the point of crumbs and to the point where the dough comes together into a ball. Press the dough into the bottom of your prepared baking dish.

Bake the crust in the oven for 15 minutes, until golden brown.

While the crust is baking, whisk together the filling ingredients and then pour them into the hot baked crust. Return to oven for 16-18 minutes or until the mixture is lightly browned around the edges and lightly set in the middle.

Stir the topping ingredients together and then spread it out over the top of the lemon bars, covering the surface. Return to the oven for another 10 minutes.

Stir together 1 tablespoon of lemon zest and 1 tablespoon of sugar and sprinkle on top of the baked bars once removed from the oven.

Place in the fridge for at least 6 hours, preferably 24 hours.

Cut into squares and serve chilled. Enjoy!

LEMON BUTTER BARS

Lemon Butter Bars are a fantastic lemon bar recipe with a twist! Three layers of buttery lemon goodness: a shortbread crust, topped with bright lemon filling & a sweet & tart creamy layer.

4.25 from 4 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: bars, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Lemon Butter Bars

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

Servings: 20

Calories: 262kcal

Author: Jessica & Nellie

Ingredients

Crust

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp lemon zest
• 3/4 cup cold butter cut into pieces

Filling

• 4 eggs
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• 1 heaping TBSP lemon zest

Topping

• 2 cups sour cream 16 oz
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 TBSP lemon zest + 1 TBSP sugar optional

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9×13 pan with non-stick spray and set aside.
• Scrub 2 lemons and pat dry. Zest both lemon rinds, then slice in half and juice lemon halves.
• Combine all ingredients for the crust in a large bowl. Mix for about 5 minutes. Initially the mixture will resemble coarse crumbs, but if you continue to mix, it comes together and forms a ball. Press dough evenly into prepared pan and bake for 15 minutes, until golden brown.
• While crust is baking, whisk together ingredients for the filling. Pour onto hot crust and return to the oven for 20 minutes, until mixture is lightly browned around the edges and is lightly set in the middle. See note below about extending baking time.
• Stir the topping ingredients together and spread on top of lemon bars, covering the entire surface. Return to the oven for 10 minutes.
• Stir together 1 TBSP lemon zest + 1 TBSP sugar and sprinkle on top of baked bars once they come out of the oven. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours, preferably 24 hours. Cut into squares & serve chilled. Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container.

Video

Notes

Note: You may need to extend baking time in 5 minute intervals until set. Different factors such as location, elevation, and weather, etc. can result in baking time needing a little extension. You want the filling to be lightly set (meaning not soupy, and a toothpick won’t come out completely clean) before adding the topping. The bars will set more in the fridge but baking them more will help as the fridge can only do so much to help them set.

Nutrition

Calories: 262kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 63mg | Sodium: 151mg | Potassium: 84mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 27g | Vitamin A: 404IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 44mg | Iron: 1mg

Tried this recipe?Mention @jessicalovesbutter or tag #jessicalovesbutter!

How long are lemon butter bars good for?

These lemon bars are good for up to a week if stored in an airtight container in the fridge. You could also choose to slice them into serving sized pieces, individually wrap in plastic wrap, and store them in the freezer for a longer storage, then simply take one out at a time to eat after it thaws. Perfect for a lunch box dessert!

Can I use Greek Yogurt?

If you’d like to use a plain Greek Yogurt in place of the sour cream then go for it! The two can easily be interchanged but I have not personally tried the Greek yogurt option yet. If you try it, let me know in the comments below how it goes!

Enjoy lemon desserts? So do we! Here are more you can try:

• Lemon Lush recipe
• Easy Lemon Quick Bread
• Lemon Poke Cake
• Lemon Buttermilk Pound Cake
• Lemon Ice Box Pie
• Glazed Mini Lemon Cupcakes
• Lemon Sugar Cookies
• Lemon Raspberry Muffins
• Lemon Buttermilk Bread
• Lemon Pudding Cookies
• Lemon Ice Box Pie Recipe
• Lemon Sugar Cookies
• Lemon Poke Cake
• Lemon Blueberry Quick Bread Recipe
• Lemon Raspberry Fruit Pizza

You’re going to love these tasty and fabulous lemon bars. With such a wonderful lemon butter bars recipe handy you’ll always have the perfect dessert for a party!

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