Meyer lemon bars with shortbread crust are perfectly sweet and tangy, a burst of sunny lemony flavour in every bite.
(Craving for something with a bit more tang? You will love these shaker lemon bars. The recipe uses whole lemons – perfect for lemon lovers!)
I’m not a big fan of winter but Meyer lemons make everything better. They’re in season from about December to May and just the sunshine we need on gloomy winter days.
Every year, I grab a bag (ok maybe 2) of Meyer lemons as soon as I see them in-store and these bars are one of the first treats I make. They go perfectly with everything.
They’re great with tea. They’re a light and refreshing dessert after a meal. They’re also a hit at wedding showers and baby showers.
Meyer lemon bars (and lemon desserts in general) just make me really happy. Hope they make you smile too.
Difference between Meyer lemons and regular lemons
But first, what are Meyer lemons?
Meyer lemons were first introduced to the States from China in the early 20th century by Frank Meyer (thus the name). This wonderful winter citrus is a cross between regular lemons and mandarin oranges.
The main difference between Meyer lemons and regular lemons is the taste.
Meyer lemons are only moderately acidic and don’t have the same strong tang as regular lemons. They’re much sweeter and more fragrant too.
They’re also not available year-round like regular lemons. You would usually see them in stores from early winter to late spring.
They look different as well. They’re smaller, rounder and deeper yellow than regular lemons.
Why you’ll love making lemon bars with Meyer lemons
If you already have a lemon bar recipe you love, switch things up and try this recipe!
- Meyer lemons are delightful. If you’re not on the Meyer lemon train yet, these lemon squares are a delicious introduction.
- The shortbread crust makes all the difference. It pairs perfectly with the tangy lemon filling.
- This recipe is easy to make. It’s a very forgiving recipe and comes together in no time.
- They’re freezer-friendly too. So you can bake them when you have the time and bring them out when the craving hits.
What you’ll need
This recipe is straightforward and all the ingredients you need are pantry staples.
Ingredient notes
- Unsalted butter
- All purpose flour
- Granulated sugar
- Salt
- Eggs
- Meyer lemon juice
- Meyer lemon zest
- Powdered sugar (also called confectioner’s sugar)
If you can’t find Meyer lemons, you can use the same amount of regular lemons for a tarter but still delicious lemon treat.
Baking tools
I like using my stand mixer to make the crust because it’s faster, but a handled electric mixer will do just fine. Other than that, all you need are:
- 9×13 inch baking pan
- Parchment paper
- Mixing bowls
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Whisks and spatulas
Easy recipe with step-by-step photos
Shortbread Crust
1. PREP BAKING PAN. Preheat your oven to 325F and prep a 9×13 inch baking pan by lining it with parchment paper with a slight overhang on each side. This will make it easier to lift the lemon squares out later.
2. MAKE CRUST. Using a handheld mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter, flour, granulated sugar and salt until it resembles a coarse meal. Do not over beat. You’ll know you’re done when no big chunks of butter and large streaks of flour remain.
3. TRANSFER DOUGH TO PAN. Transfer the dough to your pan and, using your hands, press evenly and firmly onto the bottom. You want to be conscientious about this — make sure the crust is packed tightly and evenly so you won’t have to deal with a possible seeping situation later.
4. BAKE AND COOL. Bake for 30 minutes or until it turns a light golden brown. Take out of the oven and allow to cool while you work on your filling. Do not turn your oven off.
Lemon Filling
1. WHISK DRY INGREDIENTS. In a large bowl, whisk granulated sugar and flour until combined.
2. ADD EGGS. Add eggs to the flour mixture and whisk.
3. ADD MEYER LEMON JUICE AND ZEST. Add Meyer lemon juice and Meyer lemon zest and continue whisking. Stop when the mixture gets foamy.
4. POUR OVER COOLED CRUST AND BAKE. Pour the filling over your cooled crust and bake for an additional 30 minutes or just until the filling is set. Take the bars out of the oven and leave on the counter to cool completely before cutting into squares. Serve with a dusting of confectioner’s sugar.
Expert baking tips
Easy, right? Here are some tips for the best Meyer lemon bars every time.
The basics
- Always work with room temperature ingredients.
- It’s best to use fresh lemon juice.
- If you’re not serving the bars right away, wait until just before serving to sprinkle with powdered sugar.
How to know when bars are done
You know when your bars are done baking if the sides start to turn a light golden brown. The filling should look set as well, which means it’s not soupy or runny anymore.
Be careful not to overdo it though. Remember that your bars will continue baking as they cool in the pan. So for me, slightly wobbly is okay (think: firm Jello) but if it jiggles and moves too much in the pan, I keep it in the oven a few minutes more.
As for the shortbread crust, pre-bake just until barely golden.
The best way to have clean and neat slices
To end up with nice, cleanly cut Meyer lemon squares, make sure to cool the bars completely before cutting. You can even chill them for a few minutes for good measure.
It’s the same way I cut my crowd-favourite Pecan pie cheesecake bars (which are super ooey and gooey):
- Put hot water in a glass and dip your sharp knife into it. Wait a few seconds until the knife is warm to the touch. Dry it with a tea towel.
- Lift the lemon bars from the pan and transfer to a cutting board.
- Make your first slice then wipe your knife clean with a paper towel. Dip your knife into the glass with hot water again and dry.
- Repeat until you’ve sliced everything.
- Enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
Sometimes you’ll see air bubbles on top of your bars and these are completely normal. It’s the air from the egg mixture rising to the surface.
They won’t affect the taste and it’s very easy to cover those bubbles with powdered sugar. Nobody will ever know!
Since lemon bars are basically a custard and made with eggs, they are best refrigerated if you’re not serving them the same day you baked them.
You can eat them cold, though we prefer bringing them down to room temperature and even microwaving them a few seconds if we’re in a rush!
They should keep for up to 3 days in the fridge.
If you want to keep them for longer, another option is to freeze them. And they freeze beautifully!
Freezing lemon bars is similar to how I freeze my fudgy walnut brownies — once they cool completely, slice them and wrap each piece in plastic wrap. Then wrap them in foil and place them in a freezer-safe container or Ziploc bag.
To thaw, just bring out the pieces you plan on eating or serving and leave them out on the counter to allow them to come to room temperature. That’s it!
I don’t usually sprinkle powdered sugar on bars that I plan to freeze. I do that once I’m about to serve them.
If you’re freezing leftovers though, no worries. You can place parchment paper on top of the powdered sugar before you wrap the bars in plastic wrap so you don’t get a sticky mess later.
I always make Meyer lemon bars with a shortbread crust. I love the combination of the buttery crust and the tangy filling.
I tried it with graham cracker crust once and lemme tell you, it was a soggy disaster. This buttery shortbread crust, on the other hand, is always sturdy enough to hold the filling up.
So while you can try graham crackers (I’m sure Google will turn up lots of results), I always make mine with shortbread and with great success!
I love lemons, graham crackers and coconut though so if you want to explore that flavour combination, try these recipes:
– My favourite Meyer lemon pie of all time — made with condensed milk sitting on a graham cracker and coconut cookie crust.
– The best lemon cheesecake ever — this sweet and tangy lemon cheesecake is light, lemony and complemented by a coconut graham cracker crust and lemon whipped cream.
The best Meyer lemon recipes
If you love Meyer lemons as much as I do, you’ll love these:
- Homemade Meyer lemon curd is such a delightful treat. It takes 10 minutes to make and perfect on buttermilk scones, cakes and cupcakes, your favourite waffles or simply eating straight out of the jar!
- Looking for a Meyer lemon cake recipe? Look no further than this lemon cake with lemon curd filling and lemon buttercream. It’s a cake especially made for lemon lovers!
- If you want a simple, everyday cake, this Meyer lemon ricotta pound cake is one of the easiest recipes you can make with Meyer lemons. Great on its own; no frosting or glaze necessary.
Meyer Lemon Bars
Ingredients
For the shortbread crust:
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
For the lemon filling:
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 4 pcs large eggs room temperature, lightly beaten
- ½ cup Meyer lemon juice (2-3 lemons) see note
- Meyer lemon zest use all the zest from the lemons you used
To serve:
- confectioner's or powdered sugar
Instructions
For the shortbread crust:
- Preheat your oven to 325F and prep a 9×13 inch baking pan by lining it with parchment paper with a slight overhang on each side. This will make it easier to lift the lemon squares out later.
- Using a handheld mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat 1 cup butter, 2 cups flour, ½ cup granulated sugar and ¼ tsp salt until it resembles a coarse meal. Do not over beat. You'll know you're done when no big chunks of butter and large streaks of flour remain.
- Transfer the dough to your pan and, using your hands, press evenly and firmly onto the bottom. You want to be conscientious about this — make sure the crust is packed tightly and evenly so you won't have to deal with a possible seeping situation later.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until it turns a light golden brown. Take out of the oven and allow to cool while you work on your filling. Do not turn your oven off.
For the lemon filling:
- In a large bowl, whisk ¾ cup granulated sugar and 1/ 4 cup flour until combined.
- Add the beaten eggs to the flour mixture and whisk.
- Add ½ cup Meyer lemon juice and Meyer lemon zest and continue whisking. Stop when the mixture gets foamy.
- Pour the filling over your cooled crust and bake for an additional 30 minutes or just until the filling is set. Take the bars out of the oven and leave on the counter to cool completely before cutting into squares. Serve with a dusting of confectioner's sugar.
Video
Notes
- If you can’t find Meyer lemons, you can use the same amount of regular lemon juice and zest to make classic lemon bars. Note that classic lemon bars a more tangy than Meyer lemon bars.
- See post for the complete step-by-step photos, FAQs and baking tips.
Nutrition
Nutritional information are estimates only.
Happy baking!
Did you make Meyer lemon bars? I’d love to hear from you in the comments section below.
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Grace
I baked your lemon bar recipe using lemons (not meyer lemons) and their delicious! My husband loves these as a kid growing up. I love the lemon too but I think I like the crust more so good. Easy to make.
Jolina
Thank you Grace! Glad you and the husband like them 🙂
Kim Bantayan
Hi Ate Jojo. I bought two kilos of calamansi from a friend last weekend. I squeezed the juice out of these calamansi and placed them in the freezer for later use but I’m still left with about half a kilo in my kitchen. I was thinking of trying your lemon bars with shortbread crust but using calamansi. Do you think I should also use 1/2 cup calamansi juice? What do you recommend if I use calamansi juice instead of lemon? Thanks. Kisses and tights hugs to everyone!
Jolina
Hi Tita Kim! I think you can substitute with the exact ratios, your bars would just taste a little bit tarter than lemon bars. What I think your calamansi juice (I’m very jealous BTW lol!) would work really well with are lime bars or key lime bars (I have recipes here, check them out and see if you like them). Xoxo back!
Annette
I love lemon bars! I’ll have to pin this recipe to try out a new recipe. Lemon just reminds me of Spring for some reason. It’s snowing here today. Again. So I could use a little “sunshine.”
Jeff
These lemon bars look delicious, and I really loved your article.
Yadah
These are a favourite in our house! My mum and sister love them so yummy : )
Natanja
I love lemon bars and these look incredibly delicious! Congrats to an awesome recipe.
P.S. I can’t believe you have one of those girly bikes with a cute little basket, I’m so jealous!! I have been dreaming of a bike like that for ages 🙂
Jolina
Thanks Natanja! And yeah, I love my bike. It’s a 3-speed one though so I really struggle uphill but it’s pretty with a pretty wicker basket so I don’t care if everyone overtakes me lol! You should totally get one and cruise around Vienna. It will be awesome.
Kim
These look amazing…my mouth is watering just reading the recipe
Jolina
Thanks Kim! It’s one of my favourite recipes Hope you try it 🙂
Leigh
These sound so good! And not awfully difficult to make either! 🙂
Jolina
Thanks Leigh. No, it’s not difficult at all 🙂 Hope you decide to try the recipe!
Hollie
I love lemon bars and these look fantastic. I think I’m going to try making them!
Jolina
Hi Hollie! If you love lemons I think you would enjoy these lemon bars. Try to get a hold of Meyer lemons if you can 🙂 Let me know how it goes!
Alicia Hensley
I love lemon bars! These look delicious!
Jolina
Hi Alicia! Give the recipe a shot, promise it’s easy 🙂 Then you can have lemon bars whenever you like! Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Jennifer L
Oh don’t these look delicious! Love lemon bars. Great recipe!
Jolina
Hi Jennifer! Thank you!
Ninz
Looks so yummy… I am pinning it to my Yummy Food board and will definitely try to make it one day.x
Ninz
Jolina
Hi Ninz! Thanks very much for sharing 🙂 Hope you enjoy them as much as I do!