Lemon Crumb Bars (Printable)

Buttery crumb layers sandwich bright lemon filling in these sweet-tart bars.

# What You Need:

→ Crumb Mixture

01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
03 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
04 - 1 cup granulated sugar
05 - 1 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed

→ Lemon Filling

06 - 2 large eggs
07 - 1 cup granulated sugar
08 - 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
09 - Zest of 2 lemons
10 - 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

→ Optional Topping

11 - Powdered sugar, for dusting

# Steps:

01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8x8-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang for easy removal.
02 - In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Add the cold cubed butter. Using a pastry cutter or your fingers, blend until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
03 - Press half of the crumb mixture firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan to form the crust. Set aside the remaining crumb mixture for the topping.
04 - In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs until well combined. Add sugar, flour, lemon zest, and lemon juice; whisk until smooth.
05 - Pour the lemon filling over the crust in the pan, spreading evenly. Sprinkle the remaining crumb mixture evenly over the lemon filling.
06 - Bake for 32–35 minutes, or until the top is light golden and the filling is set.
07 - Allow to cool completely in the pan. Lift out using parchment, then cut into bars. Dust with powdered sugar before serving, if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The buttery crumb layer balances the tangy filling so perfectly that people will ask how you achieved such harmony
  • These bars travel beautifully and actually taste better after chilling overnight
02 -
  • Cold butter is absolutely essential for the crumb texture, warm butter will make it gummy and dense
  • The bars need to cool completely before cutting or the filling will not set properly
03 -
  • Use room temperature eggs to prevent the lemon filling from curdling
  • Let the bars sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving if refrigerated

Go Back