How to Make Lemon Bars is the perfect recipe that everyone loves and is easy to prepare. Made with just a few ingredients, these bars are a wonderful dessert for picnics, potlucks, and dinner.

Simple desserts are my favorite to make because who on earth has the time to spend all day in the kitchen? Recipes like Homemade Lemon Ice is another simple way to enjoy a dessert that uses lemon as the star ingredient.

I grew up on this recipe. My mom found it in a church cookbook filled with member’s favorite recipes. She had tried several other lemon bar recipes from other sources before finding the one she liked the best.

Complicated recipes aren’t my style – and I’m guessing not yours either. This one is so easy and is sure to be one of your most requested recipes from family and friends.

What makes these lemon bars taste so special is the powdered sugar in the crust. You also don’t want a bar with a thick crust. These are just perfect.

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Fun Facts About Lemons:

I like to add a bit of trivia to my recipes because it adds a little fun to dinner table conversations.  I’ve gone throughout my life, not knowing if lemons are native to America.  Now I know.  

1) According to contemporaryfoodlab.com, lemons were brought to the Americas by Christopher Columbus in 1493.  

2) Lemons are grown primarily in California and Arizona.  (My guess would have been Florida – but they weren’t even close to the number of acres the other two states have dedicated to lemons.)  They produce 95% of the lemons consumed in the United States.  

3) On average, the US consumes three pounds of lemons per person.  

4) The top two countries we export our lemons to are Japan and Canada.  

5) Each lemon holds on average three tablespoons of juice.  

6) Lemon trees can produce lemons all year round.  

7) You can get 500-600 pounds of lemons from a single tree every year.  

8) Miners in the gold-rush of 1849 paid a premium price for lemons because they helped prevent scurvy.  California is one of the top producing states of lemons because of this demand.  

Lemon Festivals Around the World:  

1) Goleta, California Lemon Festival

This fun-filled event has free parking and admission.  

Some of the activities this festival has are: 

Lemon Dinner – 

Lemon inspired food by local chefs is served in a garden at the Rancho La Patera & Stow House.  

Lemon Run – 

They have a 1k family run, 5k race, and if you’re really ambitious, a 10k race.  They start and finish at Goleta Beach.  

Pie Eating Contest – 

When was the last time you entered a pie-eating contest?  If it’s been awhile – it’s time to start practicing, so you’re ready to show off your dessert-eating skills.  

2) Menton, France Lemon Festival – 

This festival goes all-out on celebrating lemons.  Menton, France has been famous for its lemons for centuries.  They even make sculptures and floats out of lemons!  Some of the things this festival has to offer are: 

Golden Fruit Parade 

Night Parade followed by Fireworks

Garden of Lights

Citrus fruit exhibits and sculptures are enhanced with lighting and music – this event is listed as a must-see.  I googled images of this event – they take celebrating to a whole new level.  

Now you have the perfect excuse to visit France.  

Best Way to Store Lemons: 

You can leave your lemons out on your counter or in a bowl on your dining room table.  

If you want to keep them fresher longer, store in the refrigerator in a plastic bag.  Properly stored, lemons will last from 3 to 4 weeks.  

How to Make Lemon Bars

Ingredients for Lemon Bars

1 1/2 sticks of butter, room temperature

1/3 cup powdered sugar

1 1/2 cups flour, plus 3 tablespoons

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

3 eggs

Juice of two lemons

Directions for Making Lemon Bars

1. Mix together butter, powdered sugar and 1 1/2 cups of flour until it resembles pie dough. Pat dough into a 9×13-inch pan.
2. Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.
3. Mix remaining ingredients; pour over baked crust. Bake 20 minutes more until bubbly.
4. Sift additional powdered sugar over the top of the lemon bars. Cool.
5. Cut lemon bars into squares.

Tips for making Homemade Lemon Bars: 

1) You can substitute Meyer lemons for regular lemons in this recipe.  

2) This is the handy gadget I use to squeeze lemon or lime juice.  I found it on Amazon here.  

How should you store lemon bars?

You can store your lemon bars in an airtight container if you eat them within a day or two. Lemon bars will stay fresh up until one week in the refrigerator when properly stored.

Can you freeze lemon bars?

You can freeze lemon bars up until 3-4 months when properly stored.

We’ve reached the end of How to Make Lemon Bars.  I hope you enjoyed it.

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Let me know in the comments below how you liked this easy Lemon Bars recipe. 

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