We’re getting in the Christmas spirit over here and every year I make sweet chewy lemon bars for Christmas morning breakfast. I love that these are so sweet and lemon-y, as they use lemon zest and a whole cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice! Make these lemon bars to enjoy on Christmas morning and your family will be so pleased!
For past several years I have made these lemon bars for Christmas morning. In fact, these were one of the first recipes I learned how to make way back in the day. Something about the taste of lemon in the morning makes these sure taste healthy and refreshing, even if they do have sugar in them! But we like to eat these on Christmas morning alongside a hearty egg, sausage, and cheese casserole dish, so that we can enjoy opening presents all morning long. If you like lemons and you like dessert for breakfast, you will love these!
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How to Use your Lemon Bars
These sweet, chewy lemon bars are a treat, so pair them with some of my favorite breakfast ideas. We will be serving these bars with a sausage-egg-cheese casserole dish. You could also serve with crispy breakfast potatoes, friend eggs and spinach, english muffins, or slices of ham. Anything with protein, veggies, or grain is perfect to balance out the sugar. Maybe a real hearty breakfast pumpkin pie.
Freeze them! This recipes yields a large serving, so feel free to freeze your lemon bars and enjoy them over time.
As a summer picnic snack, or a late night refreshing dessert. What I love about lemon bars is they are a dessert, yes, but they don’t have that heavy taste that chocolate does. Don’t get me wrong I love chocolate! But these have a lighter taste which I really appreciate. Bring these on a summer picnic or a dinner party to enjoy as dessert. Your guests will love them!
As a gift! Wrap the lemon bars in cellophane and give as a hostess or holiday gift.
Tips for Making Sweet Chewy Lemon Bars
Use organic lemons! One of the reasons these lemon bars are so good is because they use fresh lemon zest. So make sure you get organic lemons if you have them available, so that you’re getting a good quality lemon skin.
Follow the recipe to a T. The proportions are important here (trying saying that 5 times fast). If you just wing this recipe you’ll end up with runny lemon bars. Trust me, I’ve done it. So make sure to follow the recipe exactly.
Let cool completely before serving. These are not meant to serve warm. Letting them cool also allows them to firm up a bit. You want chewy lemon bars, not runny lemon bars. How to make Lemon Bars
Watch: How to Make Lemon Bars
This recipe was extracted from Ina Garten’s Lemon Bars. See below for the printable recipe card!
Ingredients
For the Crust:
1/2 pound (two sticks) of unsalted butter, at room temperature. Very important that your butter is soft at room temperature!
White sugar, 1/2 Cup
2 cups flour (all-purpose is fine)
1/8 teaspoon salt
For the filling:
6 eggs at room temperature (farm fresh is best)
Organic white sugar – 3 cups (cane or turbinado is fine)
2 TBSP grated lemon zest (about 5 lemons)
1 C freshly squeezed lemon juice
All-purpose flour, 1 cup
Powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
For the crust, cream the butter and sugar until light in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Combine the flour and salt and, with the mixer on low, add to the butter until just mixed. Dump the dough onto a well-floured board and gather into a ball. Flatten the dough with floured hands and press it into a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking sheet, building up a 1/2-inch edge on all sides. Chill.
Bake the crust for 15 to 20 minutes, until very lightly browned. Let cool on a wire rack. Leave the oven on.
For the filling, whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and flour. Pour over the crust and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the filling is set. Let cool to room temperature. (make sure to cool completely!)
Cut into squares or triangles and dust with powdered sugar.
Sweet Chewy Lemon Bars
These sweet, chewy lemon bars are the perfect treat for Christmas morning or a dessert on a hot day. Make these and freeze them ahead of time, or let them cool completely and dust with powdered sugar for immediate serving. I love this recipe because it’s made with real lemon zest and a whole cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice. So if you like lemon you will love these soft chewy lemon bars.
For the crust:
- 1/2 pound 2 sticks unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1/2 cup organic granulated sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
For the filling:
- 6 eggs at room temperature (farm fresh if possible)
- 3 cups organic granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons freshly grated lemon zest (about 5 lemons)
- 1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- Powdered sugar for dusting
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- For the crust, cream the butter and sugar until light in the bowl of an electric mixer (with a paddle attachment if you have one). Combine the flour and salt and add to the butter until just mixed. Dump the dough onto a well-floured board and gather into a ball. Flatten the dough with floured hands and press it into a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking sheet, building up a 1/2-inch edge on all sides. Chill.
- Bake the crust for 15 to 20 minutes, until very lightly browned. Let cool on a wire rack. Leave the oven on.
- For the filling, whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and flour. Pour over the crust and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the filling is set. Let cool to room temperature.
- Cut into square or triangles and dust with powdered sugar.
Thanks to Ina Garten for the original lemon bars recipe.
Music: https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/f1F3Bq5ekA
Thank you so much making lemon bars with me! I know you and your family will enjoy these as much as we do. If you’re new to my page, make sure to subscribe on YouTube and like on Facebook. Each week I post a new farm-to-table recipe, homesteading, and healthy living from our Homestead here in Duvall. See you next week!
These look so delicious! I love anything lemon flavored!
Me too! Makes them very refreshing.
I love lemons! I really like that you used the whole lemon. So tasty! I’m going to make these soon. I might substitute the flour with gluten-free flour so my daughter can eat them too.
Oooooh yes, let me know if you do that! Great idea.
Yum dilly um!!! These look delightful!
Yum – yes! Thank you!
Yum dilly um!!! These look delightful!