Best Lemon Bars Recipe (2024)

I'm confused about the pan size. 9"x9" = 81 sq. inches, 9"x 13" = 117 sq. inches. Which is correct?

Can anyone suggest a substitute for the coconut? I don't want to taste coconut in lemon bars even if the flavor has "almost disappeared."

You ned to add some lemon zest to the filling recipe. The lemon juice is not strong enough by itself.

I replaced the coconut with the same amount of ground almond. Wonderful rich fatty flavor and mouth feel.

I would probably add lemon zest from all the lemons I used for juice. I like an inordinate amount of lemon flavor, and juice is never lemony enough for me.

I've never used coconut, but found substituting half the sugar in the crust with brown sugar adds a bit of a caramel flavor that complements the lemon. It makes a softer crust if you like that. I also add lemon zest and a touch of vanilla.

WAAAAAY too much sugar in the filling. The mistake every lemon bar recipe makes - they up the lemon instead of reducing the sugar. My mom uses the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook for lemon pie and instead of adding more lemon she halves the sugar, and it's perfect.

I would never make lemon bars without adding the zest of the lemons. They need that added zip. And more than a pinch of salt.
I add 1/4 teaspoon.

Not sure if this produces what Julia considers a "rich, round-tasting crust", but I always mix in the zest of one lemon (~1 to 2 teaspoons) in shortbread crust--which this appears to be. The oil from the zest provides the richness. I have no idea what round-tasting means.

Grate the zest of the lemons before juicing and add the zest to the crust in lieu of the coconut.

I am not a huge fan of coconut so omitted this from the recipe, and it still turned out delicious. Only had a 7x11 plexi glass pan, also worked well. While baking, the top turned quite brown so I covered it with aluminum foil to avoid burning until the middle was less wobbly/more set. These are rich and satisfying - a small square is more than enough to satiate a sweet tooth craving.

Cut sugar by 50%. Add Lemon Zing with lemon OIL - never extract. No coconut for me, ever; like it - use but I hate the stuff! For crust and filling, I add generous measure of fresh lemon zest - difficult to get too much.
Munching on a bar now,, with tea and loving every nibble. While best when fresh/cool, covered in the fridge will extend their life. The crust is wonderful, but this remains a celebration of LEMON. Skip the sweet ones and add drops of lemon OIL until puckered.

Easiest way to cut lemon bars is to place the pan in the freezer for at least 2 hours. Loosen around the edges and pot out the whole thing onto a cutting board, then cut them with a large chef's knife. You will get clean cut bars. If they are still a little sticky, wet the knife. If you don't want powdered sugar to be absorbed into the bars, use non-melting sugar available from King Arthur Flour. http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/items/snow-white-non-melting-topping...

Can I assume I could mix the crust by hand with an old-fashioned pastry cutter?

I decreased the sugar in the filling to 1 cup and 1/4 instead of two, added the zest of 2 lemons and increased the lemon juice a bit. Great lemon square. Next time I'll reduce the sugar to 1 cup for an even more lemony taste.

I have made these lemon bars 3 times in a 9" x 13" glass pan. Simply delicious. The only addition I make is to add all the lemon zest to the filling.

I see now that I left the baking powder out of the filling, but I don't see how that would have made such a terrible difference. These were awful. I wanted to have the thicker crust baked in a square pan, but the crust filled the pan to the top, leaving no room for any filling, so I divided it into two square pans. Otherwise, I followed the instructions (adding the zest) and, honestly, if they're no better after being in the refrigerator overnight, I'm throwing them away.

For those looking for a substitute for the coconut in the crust, I had some almond flour that needed a home, so I added 1/2 cup to the mix. Delicious.

Love this recipe! Kerry gold butter goes a long way into making the shortbread delicious

Followed the recipe carefully. Sad to report that the result was very disappointing. Challenging to release from the pan and way too sweet. Inedible!

Added the zest of a lemon and some extra lemon juice. Cut back on the sugar (3/4cup). Baked in 8 inch square pan - which made it too thick. But yummy.

I made this in a 9x13” pan:-Omitted the coconut and increased flour by 50 grams (it’s a throat-feel thing for me). -As suggested by others, I cut the sugar by half and increased the lemon—glad I did! (Next time,I’ll double the filling)-These really are simple and delicious.

Loved these! Even the chocoholics in the group reached for seconds. I used a 9x13 pan and made 1.5 times the filling which provided a good crust to filling ratio.

I wanted thick bars in a 9 x 13 pan, so I made 1.5 recipes. Otherwise, I followed the recipe as written. I agree that freshly squeezed lemon juice is a must. These lemon bars were terrific! This will become one of my go-to recipes.

Add zestToo much dough for 8 x 8 Have to cook TWICE as long

2/10: used 9x9 pan. 105 g butter, 120 g flour, 15 g powder sugar, zest 1 lemon. Filling: 15 g flour, 150 g sugar, 2 eggs, 1/3 c lemon juice, lemon zest, 1/2 t baking powder. Baked 20 minutes- too long, try 15 minutes next time!

Quadruple lemon juice.

Add the zest. Halve the sugar! Jiminy cricket!

No explanation (followed recipe exactly) but: utter catastrophic failure. Custard never solidified. In the garbage. Will never attempt again.

This filling worked perfectly with a rosemary shortbread; next time I want to try a chipotle shortbread base with it. Easy and yummy! It's important to note that the bars definitely need to cool completely before you cut them; these will fall apart when cut while hot.