Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 1 cup salted butter melted
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
For the Lemon Filling:
- 4 large eggs slightly beaten
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons bottled lemon juice
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
For Finishing:
- Powdered sugar for dusting
Method
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Make the crust: In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt the salted butter. Remove from heat and stir in the powdered sugar and flour. Mix until a soft, warm shortbread dough forms and comes together into one ball.
- Press the crust into an ungreased 9x13 glass baking dish, spreading it evenly across the bottom. Use your fingertips to press divots into the surface of the crust — these little dimples will catch the lemon filling.
- Bake the crust for 25 minutes at 350°F, until golden and set.
- While the crust bakes, make the filling: In a medium bowl, lightly beat the eggs to break up the yolks. Add the granulated sugar and lemon juice and whisk until well combined.
- Gently fold in the flour and baking powder, working out any lumps but not vigorously mixing.
- When the crust comes out of the oven, immediately pour the lemon filling over the hot crust.
- Return the pan to the oven and bake at 350°F for another 20 to 25 minutes, until the top is set and just barely golden at the edges. The lemon top should not jiggle when you nudge the pan.
- Let the bars cool completely in the pan, at least 30 minutes on the counter or longer in the refrigerator.
- Just before serving, dust the top generously with powdered sugar using a fine-mesh shaker or sifter. Cut into 24 squares.
Video
Notes
Memaw's recipe calls for a glass 9x13 pan — Stephanie has never used metal and doesn't recommend it. Glass conducts heat more gently and gives the crust its signature buttery, golden texture.
Bottled lemon juice is the original — the recipe was perfected on bottled and the acidity is consistent every time. Fresh lemons can vary in tartness; if substituting, start with 6 tablespoons and adjust to taste.
No vanilla in either layer. This is intentional — Memaw's recipe lets the lemon stand alone.
Make the crust right in the saucepan you melted the butter in — no extra bowl required. Press divots into the crust with your fingertips before baking so the lemon filling pools into them. Pour the lemon filling over a hot, just-baked crust — the residual heat starts setting the filling from the bottom. Cut when fully cool. Warm lemon bars fall apart; cool ones cut clean. Dust with powdered sugar right before serving, not after baking — early sugar gets absorbed and you lose the snowy finish. These hold beautifully covered on the counter for 2-3 days, in the fridge for up to 5 days, and freeze for up to 3 months.