Recipe video above. Just a handful of ingredients is all that's required to make these fresh bars with a beautiful classic shortbread base topped with a lemon curd. This is a really easy recipe, just ensure you don't overbake!
Recipe by Nagi | RecipeTin Eats on September 8, 2023
Prep time: PT15M
Cook time: PT40M
Total time: PT235M
Rating
4.91 stars (160 reviews)
Keywords
easy lemon bars
Ingredients
3/4 cup plain flour ((all purpose flour))
1/4 cup rice flour ((or cornstarch/cornflour) (Note 1))
1 cup caster sugar / super-fine sugar ((sub regular sugar))
2 tbsp plain flour ((all purpose flour))
1 tbsp lemon zest ((do this before juicing))
1/2 cup lemon juice ((2 - 3 lemons))
Categories
Sweet Baking
Cuisine
Western
Steps
Preheat oven to 180C/350F (160C fan). Spray a 20cm/8" square tin with oil and line with baking/parchment paper with overhang (so it can be lifted out once cooked).
Base - Place Shortbread Base ingredients in a food processor fitted with the standard "S" blade. Pulse 5 to 10 times until it becomes like sand. (Or use tips of fingers, Note 2). Pour into the tin, spread, then press firmly into the base, pushing it right up to the edges. Using something flat to press in is helpful!
Bake base for 20 minutes or until golden on the edges and pale golden in the middle. Remove from oven. (⚠️ Note: don't let it cool, pour in curd immediately).
Lemon Curd - While the base is baking, place Lemon Topping ingredients in a bowl and whisk until combined.
Bake 20 minutes - Pour Lemon Curd onto base, then bake for 20 minutes until the topping is set but still soft.
Cool - Remove from then oven and cool on the counter for 1 hour, then fridge for at least 2 hours. Slice into 16 squares. Dust with icing sugar (confectionary sugar) and serve!
Nutitrion
Serving Size: 55 g
Calories: 186 kcal
Carbohydrates: 30.3 g
Protein: 2.2 g
Fat: 6.8 g
Saturated Fat: 4 g
Cholesterol: 50 mg
Sodium: 90 mg
Sugar: 22.6 g
Reviews
Hannah on 2026-09-09 (5 stars): Perfect amount of lemon and super easy to make! Just try to only eat one!
Wendy on 2026-09-01 (5 stars): OMG … these are a-maaazing. I made these and dropped them off to the Gate staff one morning on my way into work. When I left that day they couldn’t stop raving about them. Thank you again Nagi
Lisa Fuchs on 2026-08-22 (5 stars): Awesome recipe, I doubled in a larger tray, and we still can't get enough!
Jeena on 2026-08-21 (5 stars): Such a hit! Was looking to finish off some lemons and took it to my local woodworking class and I thought there will be leftovers because the class had a lot more sugar conscious older folks but the plate was licked clean!!
Jeena on 2026-08-21 (5 stars): Such a hit! Was looking to finish off some lemons and took it to my local woodworking class and I thought there will be leftovers because the class had a lot more sugar conscious older folks but the plate was licked clean!!
Jenny Robertson on 2026-08-09 (5 stars): I couldn't wait 2 hrs to leave in the fridge to cool before trying a slice - just divine!!
Lyndsay on 2026-06-14 (5 stars): Made gluten free by subbing King Arthur GF flour for other flours and added 1TB cornstarch. Everything else was the same. PERFECT recipe!
Sue Mitchelhill on 2026-06-07 (5 stars): Forgot the star rating 🙄
Also made this gluten free & it’s perfect.
Caroline Kosharian on 2026-03-29 (5 stars): Followed recipe exactly and they were delicious. Perfect amount of shortbread and so lemony. It’s a very quick and easy dessert to make. 😋
sam on 2026-03-27 (5 stars): delicious
Lulu on 2026-03-16 (5 stars): Absolutely lovely and SO EASY to put together! When I have made these before using different recipes, you have to make the curd, but this goes on as a mixture and it works! Thankyou Nagi! I will definitely make these again.
Ian on 2026-02-25 (4 stars): Somehow I ended up with upside-down lemon curd bars. The lemon all sank to the bottom.
I followed the directions and poured the curd immediately on to the hot base, straight out of the oven.
They're a bit down on presentation, but tasty-as!
KimK on 2026-02-15 (5 stars): Absolutely amazing and so easy to make. Made these for Valentine’s Day along with homemade vanilla ice cream. I just wish I had a heart shaped cookie cutter.
grant on 2026-02-03 (4 stars): Looking for some new/old items for the local school's stall at the monthly market, I tried the Lemon Bar.
Very tasty, and the folks at work loved them. Is there a way to cut the bars evenly? I used a pizza wheel after seeing the baking paper "lifted" the curd top in places.
Definitely doing again, 16 squares too small
