Name: Easy Lemon Bar Recipe - Sunburst Lemon Bars
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: 9
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: ½ cup confectioner's sugar; 1-2 tablespoons of lemon juice; 3 large eggs; 1 ½ cups of granulated sugar; ¼ cup of all-purpose flour; ¾ teaspoon of baking powder; ¼ cup of fresh lemon juice; 2 teaspoons of grated lemon zest; 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract; 1 ¼ cups of all-purpose flour; ¼ cup of confectioner's sugar; ½ cup of unsalted butter, (1 stick) at room temperature; ½ teaspoon of grated lemon zest

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These easy lemon bars are a great choice when you need a dessert recipe with bright, bold flavors. In addition to the lemon filling in these bars, there’s a the lemon glaze adds an extra boost of citrus flavor with a sweet finish.

These easy lemon dessert bars deliver the right balance of sweet and tart. They’re a treat that’s simple to make and hard to resist.

Whether you’re heading to a potluck or baking for your family, this recipe is sure to delight. Keep reading to get the full recipe for these sunburst lemon bars.

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Ingredients for the easy lemon bars recipe

To make these sunburst lemon bars, you will need the following ingredients:

Crumb crust

1 ¼ cups of all-purpose flour
¼ cup of confectioner’s sugar
½ cup of unsalted butter (1 stick), at room temperature
½ teaspoon of grated lemon zest

Lemon filling

3 large eggs
1 ½ cups of granulated sugar
¼ cup of all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon of baking powder
¼ cup of fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons of grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract

Glaze for lemon bars

½ cup confectioner’s sugar
1-2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice

You will also need a stand mixer, a food processor, and a 8 x 8-inch baking pan.

How to make these sunburst lemon bars

Start by pre-heating the oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease the bottom of a 8 x 8-inch pan.

In a food processor, combine 1 ¼ cups of all-purpose flour, ¼ cup of confectioner’s sugar, the butter, and ½ teaspoon of lemon zest. Pulse until the crumb crust mixture is crumbly.

Press this mixture into the bottom of a greased 8 x 8-inch baking pan.

Bake the crust for 13-15 minutes until it is light golden brown and the edges are just beginning to brown.

While the crust is baking, make the lemon filling. Add the eggs to a stand mixer and beat them on medium speed until they are light and fluffy – about 30 seconds.

Beat in the granulated sugar, ¼ cup of flour, and the baking powder until everything is well blended – about 1 minute.

Add in ¼ cup of lemon juice, 2 teaspoons of fresh lemon zest, and the pure vanilla extract and beat the mixture for about 30 seconds.

Be sure to use fresh lemon juice (not the bottled variety). You need fresh juice to get the bright citrus flavor that makes this recipe so special.

Pour the lemon filling evenly over the warm base and spread with a spatula until smooth.

Return the lemon dessert bars to the oven, and bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until the top is light golden brown.

Cool completely for 1 hour. When they are cooled, cut the bars into 9 slices.

Now it’s time to prepare the lemon bar glaze.

In a small bowl, combine ½ cup confectioner’s sugar with 1-2 tablespoons of lemon juice and mix with a spoon until you get the desired spreading consistency.

The icing should have a smooth, viscous texture.

Drizzle the glaze over the bars and place in an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator.

When you’re ready to serve the glazed lemon bars, you can either eat them straight from the fridge, or allow the bars to come to room temperature.

Tasting the easy lemon bar recipe

These bars are light, with a nice balance of sweet and tart. The lemon sugar glaze gives an extra boost of citrus flavor.

The recipe is sure to become a family favorite.

More lemon dessert recipes

If you love the flavor of fresh lemons, here are a few more lemon desserts to try.

Lemon Pudding Bundt Cake Recipe – This delicious cake also has a lemon glaze!
Lemon Cheesecake Bars – Animal Crackers are used to make the crust for these bars.
Gluten-Free Lemon Slice – Your family will love these tasty lemon slices with a crumble topping.

Share this easy lemon bars recipe on X

If you enjoyed making these sunburst lemon bars, why not share this dessert recipe with a friend? Here is a post to get you started:

Bright, tangy, and simple to make—these sunburst lemon bars are loaded with bright, bold flavors! Get the easy recipe on Recipes Just 4U. 🍋 #LemonBars #EasyDessert #BarRecipes #CitrusLovers #LemonGlaze Share on X

Pin this recipe for easy lemon bars

Would you like a reminder of this glazed lemon bars dessert recipe? Just pin this image to one of your dessert boards on Pinterest so that you can easily find it later.

You can also watch this YouTube slideshow video that shows how to make these glazed lemon dessert bars.

Admin note: This easy recipe for lemon bars first appeared on the blog in August 2013. This post has been updated to add all new photos, a printable recipe card, and a video to enjoy.

Yield: 9 lemon dessert bars

Easy Lemon Bar Recipe - Sunburst Lemon Bars

These sunburst lemon bars have a crumb crust, lemon filling and sweet lemon glaze.

The easy lemon bars are the perfect dessert to take to a potluck dinner.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients

For the crust

1 ¼ cups of all-purpose flour
¼ cup of confectioner's sugar
½ cup of unsalted butter, (1 stick) at room temperature
½ teaspoon of grated lemon zest

For the filling

3 large eggs
1 ½ cups of granulated sugar
¼ cup of all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon of baking powder
¼ cup of fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons of grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract

For the glaze

½ cup confectioner's sugar
1-2 tablespoons of lemon juice

Instructions

Pre-heat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease the bottom of a 8 x 8-inch pan.
In a food processor, combine 1 ¼ cups of flour, ¼ cup of confectioner's sugar, the butter, and ½ teaspoon of lemon zest.
Pulse until the mixture is crumbly.
Press this mixture into the bottom of a greased 8 x 8-inch pan.
Bake for 13-15 minutes or until the crust is light golden brown and the edges are just starting to brown.
While the crust is baking, prepare the lemon filling.
Add the eggs to a stand mixer and beat them on medium speed until they are light and fluffy - about 30 seconds.
Beat in the granulated sugar, ¼ cup of flour, and the baking powder until well blended - about 1 minute.
Add in ¼ cup of lemon juice, 2 teaspoons of lemon zest, and the vanilla extract. Beat for about 30 seconds.
Pour the lemon filling evenly over the warm base, and spread it smooth with a spatula.
Return the lemon bars to the oven, and bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until the top is light golden brown.
Cool completely for 1 hour.
Cut into 9 squares.
Prepare the glaze by combining ½ cup of confectioner's sugar and 1-2 tablespoons of lemon juice in a small bowl, and mix with a spoon.
The icing should be smooth and have a viscous consistency.
Spread the glaze over the cooled bars.
Store the lemon bars in and airtight container in the refrigerator.
At serving time, either enjoy the bars right from the fridge, or allow them to come to room temperature.

Easy Lemon Bars Recipe – Glazed Sunburst Lemon Bars Dessert