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lemon bars on top of parchment paper and cooling rack
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4.90 from 19 votes

Not-Too-Sweet Meyer Lemon Bars

Sublimely tart, not-too-sweet, luscious Meyer Lemon Bars. Perfect for your not-so-sweet tooth.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Cooling Time2 hours
Total Time45 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Not Too Sweet Lemon Bars
Servings: 24 squares
Calories:
Author: The Subversive Table | Lis Lam

Ingredients

Crust

  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 cup cold butter cut into same size chunks
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Filling

  • 6 eggs
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup lemon juice about 6 lemons, preferably Meyer lemons (regular ones will also do)
  • Lemon zest from 3 lemons
  • 2 Tbsp cornstarch
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

To make the Shortbread Crust:

  • Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a 9 x 13 inch baking pan on the bottom and sides.
  • Add dry ingredients into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse dry ingredients a few times. Scatter the cold butter chunks over the top. Process until the mixture looks like coarse sand. If there are large pieces of butter, keep going.
    butter and flour in food processor
  • Dump mixture into the 9 x 13 inch pan. Using clean hands, evenly press the crust into the pan. 
    shortbread crust in baking pan
  • Bake until crust is done, about 18-20 minutes. When the crust is done, the texture should be the same as a shortbread cookie. The color will be pale with golden, crispy looking edges.

To make the Filling:

  • Whisk the eggs and sugar in a large bowl until well combined. Add lemon juice, zest, cornstarch, and salt. Mix well, making sure there are no cornstarch lumps. The filling will look watery and loose.
  • Pour the filling over the pre-baked crust. It's ok if the crust is still warm. Return the baking pan to the oven and bake for an additional 16-20 minutes. DO NOT OVERBAKE!
  • The lemon bars are done when you give the pan a shake and the edges are set and firm but the center is a little bit jiggly.
  • Chill in the fridge for 2 hours, minimum. Serve with a light dusting of powdered sugar.
    lemon bars on top of parchment paper and cooling rack

Notes

*The baking time varies depending on the oven and the material of your 9 x 13 pan. I used a non-stick, dark pan.
**DO NOT use parchment paper when baking these lemon bars! The filling will leak under the shortbread crust. Instead, butter the pan well before baking the shortbread crust and the lemon bars should release with no problem.

Nutrition

Serving: 0g | Carbohydrates: 0g | Protein: 0g | Fat: 0g | Saturated Fat: 0g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0g | Trans Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 0mg | Potassium: 0mg | Fiber: 0g | Sugar: 0g | Vitamin A: 0IU | Vitamin C: 0mg | Calcium: 0mg | Iron: 0mg