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If you love a dessert that perfectly balances sweet and tart, then you are going to fall head over heels for Ina Garten’s Lemon Bars.

These classic treats are everything a lemon dessert should be—bright, citrusy, buttery, and finished with that signature dusting of powdered sugar.

Ina Garten, also known as the Barefoot Contessa, is famous for her simple yet elegant recipes, and her lemon bars are no exception. They’re easy to make, use pantry staples, and deliver bakery-quality results every single time.

Whether you’re hosting a spring brunch, need a light summer dessert, or just want something fresh and zesty with your afternoon coffee, these lemon bars are always a good idea.

How to Make Ina Garten's Lemon Bars

Why You’ll Love These Lemon Bars

There are a lot of lemon bar recipes out there, but this one stands out for a few reasons:

• Perfect balance of flavors – sweet, tart, and buttery
• Soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture
• Simple ingredients you probably already have
• Great for make-ahead desserts
• Crowd-pleasing and always a hit at gatherings

This recipe whips up in no time flat. While Kayla was working on our Homemade cold brew coffee concentrate, I made the shortbread crust, baked it in the oven, and then made the lemon filling — which, by the way, is the most amazing filling I have ever tasted.

You do need to make sure you use fresh lemon juice — not that concentrate in the bottle. That stuff is just nasty! Once you use fresh lemons, you will never want to use the bottled stuff again.

Look at how beautiful and creamy the middle of these Lemon Bars turned out.

The shortbread crust is soft and delicate, and then once you top it with powdered sugar, you have reached sweet perfection.

Tips for the Best Lemon Bars

• Chill before slicing if you want super neat squares
• Use fresh lemon juice – it makes all the difference in flavor
• Don’t skip the zest – that’s where the bright citrus flavor really shines
• Let them cool completely before cutting for clean edges
• Line your pan with parchment for easy removal

Once it comes out of the oven, let it cool completely before cutting. The first bite is very tart until you get used to the lemon taste. The powdered sugar on top cuts down on that.

If you want to try another variation on a lemon bar recipe, be sure to check out my Pioneer Woman Lemon Bars recipe. It is pure perfection as well.

Hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I did! For my next lemon recipe, I am going to give these Eggless Lemon Drizzle Mini Loaf Cakes a try, or maybe this delicious Vibrant Lemon Polenta Cake. Both look equally delicious.

Check out these other Lemon recipes on the site!

• Coconut Lavender Lemonade – a very refreshing Summer Drink
• Lemon Chicken Piccata – Dinner in under 30 minutes
• Lemon Hummus- the Perfect Low Carb Snack
• One Pan Lemon Shrimp and Asparagus

Recipe adapted from Ina Garten's Lemon Bars recipe.

Continue to Content

Yield: 18 bars

Ina Garten’s Lemon Bars

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This recipe is so delicious and so easy to make. The Lemon flavor is front and center in these bars.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Additional Time 35 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes

Ingredients

For the Crust:

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• 1/2 pound unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

For the Filling:

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• 6 large eggs at room temperature
• 3 cups granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons grated lemon zest, 4 to 6 lemons
• 1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. For the crust, cream the butter and sugar until light in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Combine the flour and salt and, with the mixer on low, add to the butter until just mixed. Dump the dough onto a well-floured board and gather into a ball. Flatten the dough with floured hands and press it into a 9 x 13 x 2-inch baking sheet, building up a 1/2-inch edge on all sides. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
3. Bake the crust for 15 to 20 minutes, until very lightly browned. Let it cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes.
4. For the filling, whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and flour. Pour over the crust and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the filling is set. The filling should not be runny at all. It should have very little jiggle to it when touched. Let cool to room temperature.
5. Cut into squares and dust with confectioners’ sugar.

Recommended Products

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

18

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 377Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 89mgSodium: 44mgCarbohydrates: 65gFiber: 2gSugar: 46gProtein: 5g

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