This delicious, tangy lemon easter dessert recipe is made up of a shortbread cookie crust and a delicious light lemon filling, perfect for all of your springtime gatherings. This is one of the best lemon dessert recipes you will ever have.

I’m not sure what it is about springtime and Easter that radiates the essence of Meyer lemons.

In fact, spring isn’t when lemons are in season at all.

Winter is the best time of year for lemon lovers, as lemons trees are in full bloom from November-March.

That’s right, warmer weather may not be a friend to lemons after all.

That doesn’t change the fact that fresh lemon juice tastes good any time of year, and is most especially refreshing in the spring, though.

You can find lemons in just about any springtime treat—the flavors of these fruits are the perfect addition to your Easter dessert spread.

Now, I’ve tried many lemon dessert recipes over the years.

Lemon pound cake, lemon meringue pie, lemon cookies, lemon tart cake, lemon pudding… you name it.

But nothing comes close to these classic lemon bars.

They’ve quickly become one of my favorite lemon desserts, and make the perfect sweet treat for other events that fall under the same time of year as Easter (hint hint… bridal showers and graduation parties).

And with a little bit of time, effort, and energy, you too can make the ultimate lemon dessert.

What Makes These So Special?

There are a lot of things that make these lemon bars so great, but my favorite is the shortbread crust.

We don’t use a graham cracker crust in these like many other recipes might.

Nope, the fluffy lemon topping sits right on the most delicious sweet dessert crust you’ve ever tasted.

We use a butter mixture that emulates shortbread cookies when completed, and it might be the most delicious thing you’ve ever eaten. It gives the best sweet pop of flavor to an otherwise tangy dessert.

In my opinion, these truly make for the best lemon desserts that you could ever have.

I brought them to all of my Easter festivities last year, where they sat proudly among the beautiful desserts like lemon layer cake, lemon sorbet, lemon sandwich cookies, bundt cakes, and other wonderful desserts.

And at each gathering, I kept getting pulled aside by each relative telling me that I had made the best dessert at the table.

All by using this lemon bar recipe!

So grab all of your standard baking ingredients, get into the kitchen, and let’s get cooking. This is not a recipe that you want to skip.

Here’s how we make these!

What You’ll Need:

A few simple baking ingredients go into making this perfect dessert. Not much equipment is needed besides a baking pan.

That’s right, this is an easy and accessible dessert for all to make.

Ingredients:

Flour: Flour is needed in both the crust and the lemon filling. If you have a gluten allergy, you can substitute this with gluten free flour.

Unsalted Butter: Shortbread cookies wouldn’t be shortbread cookies without the butter! You’re going to want to use unsalted butter with this dessert recipe versus salted butter, though.

Granulated Sugar: You’re going to want to use white granulated sugar instead of brown sugar or powdered sugar with this recipe.

Salt: You don’t need much, just a pinch to bring out the shortbread flavor.

Eggs: These are what gives the lemon filling that glossy and springy finish. No need to separate the egg yolks from the egg whites, both are needed and encouraged to make the bright lemon flavor stand out.

Lemon Juice: Essential for this recipe! For good measure, use fresh squeezed lemon juice from wonderful seedless lemons or regular lemons. Of course, you can always use store bought lemon juice in a pinch.

Lemon Zest: Use a cheese grater and grate the zest right off of the lemons.

Powdered Sugar: This is optional of course, but makes for the best topping. Plus, the flavor combo against the tart lemons is supreme.

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350°.

In a large glass bowl, combine some of the flour, softened butter, granulated sugar, and a pinch of salt. Mix with a whisk or fork until everything comes together.

Press the dough evenly into the bottom of a greased 9×9 baking pan, and bake for 15-20 minutes or until lightly golden brown.

When the dough is baking, add the rest of the flour and granulated sugar to a bowl. Whisk to combine using a whisk or whisk attachment. Slowly add the eggs, one at a time, whisking well after each egg goes in. Stir in lemon juice and lemon zest and evenly combine.

Pour the lemon filling into the lemon crust, and bake for an additional 20-25 minutes or until the edges are set and the center is lightly firm.

Let cool completely in the pan.

Once cool, transfer the lemon bars into the refrigerator for 2 hours or ideally overnight.

Cut into squares and serve with powdered sugar, a teaspoon of lemon zest, and vanilla ice cream if you have any on hand.

Cover tightly with plastic wrap and store at room temperature for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to four months.

Easy Lemon Bars FAQs:

Q: Can I freeze these lemon bars?

A: Believe it or not, you can! These easy lemon bars stay good for about four months in the freezer, and there’s no need to let them thaw. AKA, you can eat them straight from the freezer! Batch bake them for all of your midnight snacking needs.

Q: Can I make these with lime juice?

A: You can! Limes tend to be a bit more tart, though, so keep that in mind as you make these delicious cookie bars. I also recommend using blood oranges and making orange bars. Since orange tends to be sweeter than lemons, though, I recommend using slightly less sugar in the filling part of the recipe. 1 cup rather than 1 1/2 cups should do the trick.

Q: There are brown spots on top. Did I do something wrong?

A: Don’t worry. These just come from the air bubbles that tend to be present in the baking process of the lemon filling. Cover them up with a bunch of confectioners sugar, and you should be good to go!

Q: Can I replace the lemon filling with tart lemon curd?

A: If you’re in a pinch and need to make a quick dessert, this will be your best friend.

The best part about lemon curd is that it comes ready to eat in a jar, so you can spread it all over your shortbread cookie base and you’ll be good to go.

Homemade lemon curd works just as well if you’re going about this recipe using this method!Q: I’m gluten free. What kind of gluten free flour should I use with this?

A: You should go easy on yourself and use Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free One To One Baking Flour.

That’s right, the ratios are perfect when you use this gluten free flour.

If you can’t find this specific type, there are other brands who make this kind of flour. You can also use almond flour if you have some on hand, just be sure to look up the ratios to make sure you don’t add too much or too little of anything.

Other Easter Dessert Ideas:

Easter Lemon Bars

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Author: Gianna Ferrini

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Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×9-inch baking pan.
In a medium-sized bowl, combine the flour, softened butter, granulated sugar, and a pinch of salt.
Mix until the dough comes together.
Press the dough evenly into the bottom of the greased baking pan.
Bake the crust in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, or until it’s lightly golden.
In a separate bowl, whisk together granulated sugar and flour.
Add eggs one at a time, whisking well after each addition.
Stir in the freshly squeezed lemon juice and lemon zest until the mixture is smooth.
Pour the lemon filling over the baked crust.
Bake in the preheated oven for an additional 20-25 minutes or until the edges are set, and the center is slightly firm.
Let it cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.
Once cooled, refrigerate the lemon bars for at least 2 hours, ideally overnight, to allow them to set.
Once chilled, cut into squares or bars.
Dust the tops with powdered sugar before serving.