These Pioneer Woman Lemon Bars are the perfect bite of tart and sweet. The shortbread crust adds the sweet layer, while the lemon curd layer is the best bite of tart lemon flavor ever. It's a simple recipe that can be made in no time flat.
Be sure to check out all the Pioneer Woman's Favorite Recipes on the blog!
In the past, I have made Ina Garten's lemon bars, which have an extra-thick layer of cookie crust. While those are some of the best lemon bars out there, these are even better. I first saw Ina make these on Food Network, and I knew I was going to have to give them a try.
But then I saw Pioneer Woman- Ree Drummond make these (who is not obsessed with her these days). She made them with a sugary cookie crust, a sweet flavor, and a creamy lemon filling. I was drooling as I watched her make these on television.
They are delicious as well, but the Pioneer Woman Lemon bars have a thinner cookie bottom that is golden brown, and the lemon is more tart. This is one of the best lemon desserts that you will ever taste, and my go-to recipe every time I want a great lemon dessert.
I love making these old-fashioned lemon squares several times a year. I started making them during the summer, but hey, the winter and the holidays are good times to make them as well, right?
How to Make Pioneer Woman Lemon Bars
Making Pioneer Woman lemon bars starts with a deliciously soft, buttery shortbread crust. If you have ever made lemon bars or cookies before, this is the normal shortbread crust. Then, you can choose regular sugar or brown sugar, which would intensify the flavor a bit more.
Use a pastry cutter to mix the cold butter and all-purpose flour before pressing into the prepared pan.
This recipe for Pioneer Woman Lemon Bars also uses fresh lemon juice.
For more delicious lemon bar recipes, be sure to check out this post, which has over 37 different lemon bar recipes in it.
The shortbread crust will look like a crumbly mess when you press it into a 9-by-13 inch pan. Be sure to spray the square pan with non-stick cooking spray. But trust the process. It will come together in a snap.
While the shortbread crust is cooling on a wire rack, you can make the lemon curd. Now, you can opt for using store-bought, but making homemade lemon curd is simple and easy.
How to Make Lemon Filling
To make the lemon filling, in the large bowl, add the eggs, sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest and mix until combined.
Pour the lemon filling on top of the shortbread crust and then bake in a preheated oven for about 20-30 minutes or until the middle is set. This easy dessert is perfect for bake sales, getting together with friends and family, and more.
The lemon layer is always my favorite part of this dish.
Once the bars are done baking, allow them to rest at room temperature and then dust them with powdered sugar.
Do I need to keep my Pioneer Woman Lemon Bars in the fridge?
Since lemon bars are essentially a custardy lemon mixture, they should be refrigerated. However, they are fine to keep out at room temperature for the day. Use a sharp knife to cut them into lemon squares. You can store them between squares of parchment paper wrapped in plastic wrap in an air-tight container.
This is the most delicious recipe you will ever make. I promise you!
How long do lemon bars keep?
Lemon bars can be kept for about 4 days. After that, they tend to get a little mushy. Be sure and eat them all within 4 days!
For a new recipe, try my friend Liz's Lemon Cream Bars. They look fantastic!
Both of these recipes are perfect for all those lemon lovers out there! Again, these are my favorite lemon bar recipe ever. The gooey zing of the lemon plus the buttery crust is the perfect balance.
You can find the original recipe on the Pioneer Woman Facebook page. And, if you LOVE the Pioneer Woman like I do, here's a list of all of my favorite kitchen utensils.
Looking for More Delicious Pioneer Woman Recipes Like This?
- Pioneer Woman Restaurant-Style Salsa
- Pioneer Woman Onion Strings
- Easy Pioneer Woman Slow Cooker Pork Chops
Pioneer Woman Lemon Bars
These bars are full of tart lemon flavor and a delicious cookie crust.
Ingredients
For the shortbread crust
- 2 cups Flour
- ½ cup Sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 sticks (1 Cup) Salted Butter, Cut Into Small Cubes
For the Filling
- 1-½ cup Sugar
- ¼ cup Flour
- 4 whole Large Eggs
- Zest And Juice Of 4 Medium-sized Lemons -- about 1 cup of lemon juice
- Powdered Sugar, For Sifting
Instructions
- For the crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-by-13-inch pan with butter. If you want a thicker crust, use a 9x9 pan instead.
- Stir together the flour, sugar, and salt. Add the butter to the bowl and use a pastry cutter to cut it all together until the mixture resembles fine crumbs.
- Press into the prepared pan and bake until golden around the edges, about 20 minutes.
- For the filling: Stir together the sugar and flour. Crack in the eggs and whisk to combine.
- Add the lemon zest and juice and mix until combined. Pour over the crust and bake for 20-30 minutes or until the lemon filling doesn't jiggle.
- Allow to cool in the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours, then sift powdered sugar over the top before cutting into squares.
- Store leftover lemon bars in the fridge.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
20Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 207Total Fat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 40mgSodium: 58mgCarbohydrates: 45gFiber: 1gSugar: 33gProtein: 3g
I’ve made these and they are the Lemon bars ever! Thanks for sharing this recipe
You are so welcome. Yes -- they are the best lemon bars ever.
Thank you for sharing! Do they freeze well?
I am not sure because I have not tried to freeze them, although I am sure you could
I know it says the juice of 4 medium sized lemons, but how much actual juice is that? I am using something like key limes as I live overseas where there are no meyer lemons. Thanks!
Not sure because limes and lemons are totally different. I am sorry.
@Priscilla, I measured when I made… 1 cup worked perfectly
@Jann, thanks for the measurement of 5 juice. Lemons are different size and they can contain different amounts of juice.
I will remake this and put the amount in measurements.
@Jennifer Sikora,
It says in the recipe 4 medium lemons juiced = 1 cup juice.
Yes that is correct.
@Priscilla, she states in the recipe that it is about a cup of juice. Please read the complete recipe before commenting.
Thank you 🙂
May I use bottled lemon juice versus fresh lemon juice?
I think that bottled lemon juice would change the texture and flavor of the recipe. Fresh lemon juice is different.
@Liz, We used 200 mL of bottled lemon juice. The recipe was still delicious.
How much approximately, would you say you use of lemon juice and lemon zest? Thanks!
It would be about 1/2 cup of juice. The zest would be whatever comes off of your lemons.
@Jennifer Sikora, I used 1 cup and they were great and tart
That's awesome! Thanks for letting us know.
I made these lemon bars tonight for a day trip and picnic tomorrow. OMG!! They are perfect and so delicious! I love the tartness. My new favorite recipe! Thank you 💗
That is so awesome to hear. So glad you loved them. We do too.
Did you use 9x13 pan or smaller pan?
I have used both. If you use the smaller pan, your bars will be thicker. If you use the 9x13 pan like I do, your bars will be thinner.
I have some lemon curd I need to use up, how much lemon filling does your recipe make?
I am not sure because I have never measured it out. I just use all of it on the shortbread crust.
Hi, the recipe calls for 2 sticks of butter but the sticks of butter I have say one stick equals one cup, not two. Should I use two sticks or the one? Thank you
The sticks I have say 1 stick is 1/2 cup so if your 1 stick says one cup I would use just one stick.
Thank you so much for a well done video, they are very difficult to find these days. The misic is well thought out and not loud and obnoxious like most others the lemon bars look great but most of all thanks for a great video. Cal
Thanks Cal
This is my second time making this delicious lemon bars! I made them for my (hard to impress) in-laws! They fell in love immediately! Thanks for sharing!
So glad to hear you loved them. We do too!
Loved the flavour of the lemons. Greatest to get rid of a bunch of lemons.
Yes it is!
Is it necessary to use salted butter? I want to make them again without. Best lemon bars, thank you for the share!
No, you can use unsalted but just make sure to add the amount of salt for your liking. Salt always brings out the flavor of sweetness.
I made this recipe today. Followed it to a T. Even watched the video and followed asking. I don’t know if I made an error but when I tried to take it out of the pan it was totally stuck. Super hard to remove from pan 😖.. I buttered it as the instructions said. And it was a little too sweet for me.
I am sorry you had issues. If you make them in the future, you may need to add a layer of parchment on the bottom, especially if your pan is an older one and other things stick to it. They should have come out easily, so I don't know why you had a hard time.
This looks delicious, thank you for sharing!
You are so welcome!
Best, best, BEST❗️I've been baking for 50 years and have found a new favorite. Every time I make them I say I'm going to use the lemons (and their zest) in my fridge but speed wins out and I use the organic lemon juice w/o zest. Amazing! Thank you😋
You are so welcome! Thanks for sharing.
Can I double recipe and use jello roll pan
Yes you should be able to
@Kim, I did 1.5 the recipe and it worked great in the jelly roll pan. X2 might overflow
Cold butter for crust? Or room temp?
I use cold butter because it is a shortbread crust.
@Jennifer Sikora, made these today for a grieving sister n law ! She absolutely loved them! Made her smile! That’s why Iam in love with baking ! Thanku
Glad you could put a smile on her face.
Love this recipe!
I made these today and noticed that it came out with eggy white spots in the custard. Any tips or comments as to what I did wrong to prevent an even custard?
It could have been that you whipped too much air into it??? It could also be that you overcooked it in your oven. Ovens vary so if yours runs hotter that might be an issue.
WOW! These were perfection! I only had 2 lemons, which I juiced and grated some rid/zest and then used bottled lemon juice to make up the difference, and they still turned out perfect. Buttery and yummy! Even my 12 year old son told me that they were the best lemon bars I have ever made.
So glad you loved them!
Great Lemon Bars! Family loves the Bars!
So glad to hear you love them as much as we do!
Is it possible to use gluten free all purpose flour for the crust instead of regular all purpose flour?
As long as you use the 1 to 1 baking flour that is gluten free you should be fine.
Is it best to let the shortbread cookies before adding the filling? Also if you use a smaller pan dies that affect the cooking time?
I don't but you can if you want to.
I made a mistake and pored my filling in without baking the crust first.. Will it be ok???
Made these and took from oven to fridge. Over five hours and filling is still liquid. What did I do wrong? Help please.
I am not sure Mary. I would have to watch you make them to see what the issue is. I have not had any problems making these and I make them all the time.
@Mary McHugh,
I had the same problem, but then I realized the recipe instructions in the article were different than the actual recipe itself, which is what I used.
I think if you follow the recipe without reading the article, that’s what will happen
I am in the process of fixing it
Make sure you cook your crust until golden brown on edges. Underdone crust is no going to work well.
Thanks for sharing that.
Made these today for the first time and they were delicious!
Easy to follow recipe. Just the right amount of tartness to sweet.
Than you for sharing 😊
They are definitely my favorite.
I was hesitant at first making them that they’d turn out. Thought crust was too thin for 13x9 pan plus they looked like they were stuck to the pan. Key is to make sure you refrigerate them overnight before attempting to cut into bars. . I cooled them about an hour before putting into fridge. Cut them next morning with first piece getting butchered (lol) but each piece after that came out perfect. Hubby loved them. Guests went crazy over them. They really are THE BEST lemon bars! I did not use any zest...not fond of it. Lemon juice from 5 small lemons was enough. Used metal pan. Next might use glass so hopefully none of the pieces get stuck to pan. This recipe is a keeper!!
You do not have to refrigerate them overnight. They come out of the pan just fine once they cool off. Glad you liked them.
There are two things that should be noted in the recipe:
Q) enough lemon juice to equal 1/2 cup,
2) baking time will be longer for the custard if using a smaller pan.
This may be obvious to some but not everyone.
The bars were delicious.
Oh man, this is truly lemon bar perfection.I made the thicker, 9x9 version which required substantially more cooking time (40 mins shortbread and 30 mins custard). Lemons came out to 3/4 cup of juice. Otherwise, followed recipe exactly and it is scrumptious!
So glad you liked it. It is our favorite!
Do you need to let the crust cool before adding the filling? Thanks
Yes. The post says to let the crust cool while you make the filling.
Hi- Why is your recipe that you are saying is the Pioneer Woman recipe different then the actual Pioneer Woman recipe listed on the Food Network site? The flour for the crust is different by 1/2 cup. The filling is different in the amounts for the sugar , eggs and lemon. Thanks
I used the one from her website and not the one from Food Network.
Can these lemon bars be made ahead and frozen?
I think so but I am not sure. I have never done it so I am not sure.
These are amazing! My family loved them!
So happy to hear that!
I'm not a big fan of lemon desserts but I had a bunch of lemons so I thought I'd try something. I was blown away at how amazing these are. Fabulous. I've never had such a hard time sharing my baked goods.
They are definitely delicious!
can these be frozen? if so, is there a special process
I bake them and let them cool completely. Once they are cooled, I cut them and freeze them between individual pieces of parchment paper.
These lemon bars are the best! The perfect balance of sweet and citrus!
I agree!
I made these with my grandkids, they loved them! I used the food processor for the crust. I was a little worried the crust might be too thin in a 9X13 pan, but it was perfect. Thank you!
You are so welcome! I am so glad you liked it.
Do you let the filling bake all the way in the oven or is it supposed to be liquidity?!
It should bake up and not be liquidy at all.
How long should I bake it if I put it in a 9x9 pan?
I would try 15 but might have to go longer. Not sure.
If you use a 9 x 9 pan is the cooking time still 20 minutes?
As long as the crust is still the same thickness. Yes.
When you "Jump to Recipe" it doesn't say to cool the crust. So you may want to update that. Total bummer to have ruined the dish because it wasn't clearly stated to not pour the lemon mixture on a hot crust. 🙁
I never cool my crust which is why it does not say that. In the post, if you make the crust first and set it aside like I say to do in the recipe, then by the time the curd is done, it is at the perfect temperature. I have poured it straight into the crust when it comes out of the oven and it has never ruined. Give it another try.
In the description it talks about cooking the curd. I did not because it doesn't meant it in the actual recipe. So of course I didn't cook it, but it looks okay after baking. we will see.
.
Well curd is a cooked lemon sauce.
What a confusing post. In the blog part it says to set up a double boiler which I did and then I get to the recipe and there is absolutely no mention of a double boiler. I finally had to go look for Ree’s original recipe to figure out what was going on.
The recipe itself is delicious, but I’m thinking the blog part of it might belong to a different recipe? 🤔
It's the same recipe but I just forgot to include that in the printable recipe. Fixing it now.
Why doesn’t the recipe coincide with the instructions above it? I always click “Jump to recipe”. Before placing the lemon on top of my crust I read the whole page and didn’t make the lemon curd as stated but to what the directions under the recipe said to. Hope they turn out!
I am so sorry. I didn't realize that I had added the wrong info to the post. I had since fixed it and hopefully your bars turn out!
Great recipe! I used 5 eggs and 3/4 cup juice. Not too sweet. The crust is divine. Thank you! Just finished making 2 batches for open house. A really good easy recipe.
Glad you enjoyed it!
I've tried both Ina Garten's and the Pioneer Woman's lemon bars, and I agree—the Pioneer Woman's recipe truly perfects that balance of tart and sweet.
I made these over the weekend and it was very simple to put together and delicious. The powdered sugar really brings it all together.
I agree. The sweet and the sour are perfect together.
"Pioneer Woman’s Lemon Bars sound absolutely irresistible with their tart lemon filling and golden, sugary crust. A perfect choice for a delicious lemon dessert!"
They are irresistible.
These Pioneer Woman Lemon Bars look absolutely delicious! Your step-by-step guide makes it so easy to follow, and I can almost taste that perfect blend of sweet and tangy. Lemon bars are such a classic treat, and this recipe definitely seems like a winner. For anyone planning a summer party or picnic, these would be the perfect dessert to share! I can’t wait to try these lemon bars myself!
They are delicious. Let me know how you like them.
Love this lemon juice it's just amazing!!
Glad you like them!
These are the best lemon bars I have made. My 35 year old grandson requests these every year for his birthday. I took them to my baker friends house for a pot luck and she raved about how delicious they were. Win- win for me.
I love hearing that! So glad you liked them!
Did u put them straight in the fridge from oven?
You can or you can let them set and cool until room temperature
Sorry, these were too acidic for me. Flavor was good, but they burned my throat (and my daughter's).
Well I mean they are lemon bars.
Do you think using a 9x9 pan will cause it to have a longer bake time, if so do u know how much longer?
If it does, it won't be by much. I would just increase it by 2-3 minutes until it comes out like you want it.
How much juice due you get from the 4 medium lemons? The recipe looks very delicious, but what my store has & looks like a medium may be a large for you. Knowing the quantity of lemon juice would be helpful.
It's about 1 cup of lemon juice when all is said and done. I will update the recipe accordingly with that info for you and for others.
Does the lemon zest go into the crust like the picture shows or does it go into the lemon curd like the recipe says?
It goes in the filling. That picture is just a picture of sugar and lemon zest together.
Hi. Looking forward to making these. What type of for do you use? Pre-sifted all purpose or something like King Arthur's all purpose which has more protein and is not pre-sifted? Thanks.
I just use the Walmart AP flour and I don't sift it.
These are the BEST lemon bars I have ever had or made. Gave them at Christmas and they were a huge hit.
They have always been such a hit anywhere i take them.
I’ve made these lemon bars twice in the past week to share at events. They are absolutely delicious and get rave reviews by all. Followed the recipe without modifications—it’s perfect!
So glad to hear you liked it.
Can we use lime instead of lemon?
Yes I am sure you could.
This was a complete fail. I followed the directions exactly and used the 9x13 pan. The filling just soaked into the crust; there is no middle filling at all. Anyone else have this happen? Any suggestions?
I am sorry you had issues. No one has had that issue. Did you cook the crust enough before adding the filling? Did you miss an ingredient that is crucial? They always turn out when I make them. I can even do a video showing you if you would like.
OMG these are delicious!!! I found that the crust is a little too thick and the lemon layer is a little too thin so I doubled the lemon layer. I make lemon bars often and this is the tastiest recipe I’ve found!
Thanks! I am so glad that you like them. I prefer the thicker shortbread crust but I love the idea of a thicker lemon layer.
I love your recipes but this one didn’t work for me. The crust was too thick, even in a 13 x 9 pan and was really hard to cut. The lemon filling was delicious, but there wasn’t enough of it to make up for that thick crust. This one was a miss for me.
I am sorry you had problems. It always works for me. Some people have had that happen and then turned around and remade it and it was fine so I don't know what causes it to not work sometimes.