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A plate of lemon bars with dishcloth and lemon juicer.
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Lemon Bars with Pecan Shortbread Crust

My lovely lemon bars with a pecan shortbread crust.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword bars, cookie, crust, lemon, shortbread
Budget Frugal
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 12
Calories 243kcal

Equipment

  • 8"x8" baking pan
  • 2 Medium bowls

Ingredients

For the crust:

  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter slightly melted but still cool
  • cup granulated sugar
  • ¾ teaspoon lemon zest
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup finely chopped pecans

For the topping:

  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons lemon zest
  • 3 large eggs
  • ½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice from 2-3 lemons
  • powdered sugar for garnish

Instructions

For the crust:

  • Spray an 8x8 inch glass baking pan with baking spray.
  • Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees. In a medium bowl, stir the sugar, salt, lemon zest, and the vanilla together. Add the flour, (cooled) melted butter, and pecans until a crumbly dough forms.
  • Press the dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking pan. Prick the dough with a fork all over to prevent air bubbles while baking. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes in the pan before baking. Bake the crust at 325 degrees until lightly golden brown, about 25 minutes.

For the lemon topping:

  • While the crust is baking, stir the sugar, flour, salt and lemon zest together. Whisk in the eggs, one at a time until smooth. Whisk in the lemon juice and refrigerate until the crust is out of the oven,
  • While the crust is still hot pour the lemon topping over the top and spread evenly. Increase the oven temperature to 350 degrees, return the pan to the oven and bake until the topping is set in the center. It should not jiggle when the pan is moved. This should take 20 to 25 minutes.
  • Remove pan from the oven and place on a wire cooling rack and cool until the bars are cooled completely. Refrigerate until chilled and firm enough to cut into squares or triangles. Dust the tops with powdered sugar just before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 243kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 61mg | Sodium: 114mg | Potassium: 59mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 296IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 1mg