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Ina Garten’s Lemon Bars

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Ina Garten's Lemon Bars are hands down the most delicious and decadent dessert I've ever made. Keep reading to get the recipe.

Yesterday Kayla was in a mood to cook. It was a lazy Sunday so we pulled up our Pinterest app and started searching for Ina Garten recipes.

Here lately, we are obsessed with her! I have no clue why. Her food seems so beautiful and fancy, but so easy to make.

For example — these lemon bars.

How to Make Ina Garten's Lemon Bars

This recipe whipped 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 with powdered sugar, you have reached sweet perfection.

Be sure and follow the recipe to the tee. Don't try to add the lemon filling while the crust is hot.

When you pull it from the oven, let it sit, and then go throw on some Netflix or Hulu and watch a couple of episodes of something. Then when you come back, fill the crust and finish baking.

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 to 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!

Recipe adapted from Ina Garten's Lemon Bars recipe.

Yield: 18 bars

Ina Garten’s Lemon Bars

Ina Garten’s Lemon Bars

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:

  • 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:

  • 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.
  3. Bake the crust for 15 to 20 minutes, until very lightly browned. Let cool on a wire rack. Leave the oven on.
  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. Let cool to room temperature.
  5. Cut into squares and dust with confectioners’ sugar.

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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

Did you make this recipe?

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Maryam

Saturday 1st of April 2023

Can you use granulated sugar substitute?

Jennifer Sikora

Sunday 2nd of April 2023

Yes as long as it is a one to one substitute.

Melissa

Wednesday 18th of January 2023

I’m not usually into lemon pies or cookies but This was so easy and 5he flavor was sooo delicious! Making more tomorrow!😃

Jennifer Sikora

Thursday 19th of January 2023

Yes! They are the best flavor of sour and sweet together.

Sherri Woods

Saturday 17th of September 2022

These are absolutely the BEST!! I didn't think I could make a lemon bar that tastes like something from a fancy restaurant. Thank you!

Jennifer Sikora

Sunday 18th of September 2022

So glad you liked them. They are super easy to make and taste SO amazing.

Angie O'Neill

Sunday 4th of September 2022

Please be sure you use a two inch baking sheet as instructed. I used a one inch and filled it to the rim with about 3 cups of filling to spare and found that my oven is not level, so made an awful mess all over my oven too. Not a good experience due to my own negligence. I thought it odd to use a baking sheet and should not have. Fail!

Jennifer Sikora

Sunday 4th of September 2022

Thanks for sharing your experience Angie!!

Ann

Thursday 11th of August 2022

The crust stuck to the pan. I should have lined it with parchment paper to ensure it would come out better. The filling didn't set as well as other lemon bars that I have made. That being said, the filling did have a nice flavor.

Jennifer Sikora

Friday 19th of August 2022

You probably needed to cook it a little longer.

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