American Baking
Ina's Lemon Bars with Buttery Shortbread Crust
A tart lemon filling bakes over a buttery shortbread crust, then gets a light dusting of confectioners' sugar once the bars cool.
Gluten-FreeDairy-FreeHigh CarbMake AheadBaking ProjectDessert
At a Glance
- Time
- 1 hr 50 mins
- Serves
- Makes 20 squares
- Cost
- Medium
- Cuisine
- American Baking
- Dietary fit
- Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Vegetarian
Instructions
- Cream the butter with the 1/2 cup granulated sugar, then mix in 2 cups of the flour and the kosher salt to form a soft shortbread dough. Press it into a parchment-lined 9-by-13-inch pan and chill briefly.
- Bake the crust at 350 degrees F until just lightly golden, then let it cool slightly while you make the filling.
- Whisk the eggs, remaining granulated sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and remaining flour together until smooth. Pour the filling over the warm crust and return the pan to the oven.
- Bake until the lemon filling is set and no longer sloshes in the center, about 30 to 35 minutes. Cool completely before dusting with confectioners' sugar.
- Cut into neat bars once fully cool. The top should stay soft and tart while the base remains buttery and firm enough to hold a clean slice.
Adaptations
Easy Swap- Gluten-Free: Easy Swap Easy swap; see the adaptation note below.
- Dairy-Free: Easy Swap Easy swap; see the adaptation note below.
- Vegetarian: Vegetarian Vegetarian as written.
How to adapt: For gluten-free, substitute a 1:1 GF flour blend or almond flour in both the shortbread crust and the filling thickener — almond flour gives a richer, slightly nuttier base that works well with lemon. For dairy-free, use vegan butter in the crust.