Easy Lemon Bars Recipe (Small Batch) - Dessert for Two (2024)

If lemon desserts are your favorite, then today's recipe is for you! A small batch of lemon bars in a bread loaf pan to make 4 bars, or a double batch in an 8-inch pan to serve more people. The choice (and the serving size) is yours!

Since this is a small-batch baking site, I have a recipe for a small batch of lemon bars. It's made in a standard 9-inch bread loaf pan, though an 8-inch one will work fine, too. But over the years, this recipe has become so popular and I've received so many messages about you wanting to scale it up.

So, I'm sharing both today: the small batch and the large batch recipe.

My preference for lemon bars is a slightly sour, fresh lemon tasting bar with plenty of pucker. This recipe contains plenty of fresh lemon zest for that intense lemon flavor, and plenty of juice for the sourness. The extra rich, buttery shortbread crust on the bottom is the perfect counterbalance.

Just look at the ratio of filling to crust, and tell me you didn't just fall in love:

You will love this recipe for Lemon Bars

I made a small batch of lemon bars in my standard 9" bread loaf pan. <--Here's a link to the exact pan I use.

The recipe uses just 1 lemon, or however many lemons it takes to get 3 tablespoons of juice. It's packed with lemon zest.

My lemon bar recipe is slightly different from other lemon bars. Instead of the standard shortbread crust, mine has a bit more sugar, making it taste like a sugar cookie. I use powdered sugar in the crust to give it a subtle sweetness that still lends itself to being a tender yet crisp crust.

One note about this lemon bar recipe: the crust mixture seems overly powdery the first time you make it. You'll think 'this needs water or an egg, or something to hold it together!' But fret not, the crust will hold together after the heat of the oven melts the butter and bakes it.

This lemon bar recipe requires two bakes: first, the crust bakes separately. While you're waiting for the crust to bake, do not skip ahead and make the lemon filling, ok? Acidic lemon juice and eggs aren't the best of friends, and it's a small miracle that citrus curd actually exists in our world.

So, let the crust bake on its own; clean the sink, prep for the filling. Only when the crust is golden brown around the edges and fully ready to come out of the oven should you begin making the lemon filling.

The lemon filling just requires some steady but not vigorous whisking. You want to dissolve the flour and baking powder, but if you whisk too much, you'll make air bubbles in the filling. However, tiny air bubbles on top after baking are okay--we'll cover them with powdered sugar anyway, but it's best to try to limit the big air pockets.

Easy Lemon Bar ingredients

• Butter. For the shortbread crust, we need 12 tablespoons (6 ounces) or unsalted butter. It should be slightly cool--do not fully soften it.
• Powdered Sugar. We’ll use powdered sugar in the shortbread crust and sprinkle it on top when the bars are done.
• All-Purpose Flour. We need regular plain all-purpose flour for the crust and for the filling.
• Granulated Sugar. We will use granulated white sugar for the filling only.
• Lemons. It will probably require 2-3 lemons to create 2 teaspoons of fresh lemon zest and 6 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice. It depends on the size of your lemons, of course, but it’s better to have an extra lemon than not enough zest or juice!
• Eggs. The filling here is a baked custard that requires two whole eggs and two additional egg yolks. Reserve the leftover egg whites for another use.
• Baking Powder. A small amount of baking powder helps the filling rise and set.

Substitute for Meyer Lemon juice:

Sometimes, I use Meyer lemons to make this lemon bars recipe, but regular lemons are completely delicious here, too! If you want to approximate the Meyer lemon flavor, use 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of freshly squeezed orange juice. The floral notes from the orange mimic the unique fragrance of the Meyer lemon.

How to make Lemon Bars

How to serve Homemade Lemon Bars:

Lemon bars should be served slightly chilled to room temperature, sliced into neat squares and dusted with powdered sugar. The surface of a lemon bar can contain small bubbles after baking, so powdered sugar makes them prettier.

How to store these Easy Lemon Bars:

Slice up the lemon bars into squares, and place them in an airtight container. If you need to stack them, place a piece of parchment paper between the pieces so they don’t stick. They keep covered tightly in the fridge for up to 3 days. Beyond that, the crust may begin to turn a bit soggy.

Easy Lemon Bar Recipe notes

One final note: this recipe uses one whole egg plus one egg yolk. This means that you'll have a leftover egg white. Click here to check out my recipes that use egg whites.

Easy Lemon Bars FAQ

More like this Recipe for Lemon Bars

I'm a true lemon lover, and have so many lemon desserts on this site to share with you: Meyer Lemon Scones, Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake, and Lemon Cake for Two are my favorite recipes here on the site.

Also, if lemon curd is your jam like it is mine, then you've got to try my Microwave Lemon Curd recipe!

So, if you're lucky enough to have Meyer lemons, use them here for this lemon bars recipe, but either way, the recipe will be perfect!