Photo of Lemon Bars by WW

Lemon Bars

6
Points® value
Total Time
1 hr 2 min
Prep
12 min
Cook
50 min
Serves
24
Difficulty
Moderate
These bars will certainly make your mouth pucker! They're tart yet sweet - perfect for your next casual gathering.

Ingredients

All-purpose flour

1 cup(s)

Packed light brown sugar

5 tbsp(s)

Salted butter

8 tbsp(s), cold, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

Raw egg

4 large

Vanilla extract

½ tsp(s)

Powdered sugar (confectioner's)

1½ cup(s), divided

Fresh lemon juice

¾ cup(s)

Lemon zest

2 tsp(s)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. To make crust, mix flour and light brown sugar using a food processor until fully incorporated. Toss butter into flour mixture and pulse to combine using short bursts of power until butter is cut into tiny pea-sized pieces and dough appears lumpy. Sprinkle crust mixture onto an ungreased 13 X 9 X 2-inch baking pan as evenly as possible; press down with a spatula to create a packed surface. Place crust in middle of oven and bake until golden, about 20 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, to make lemon topping, beat eggs in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until well blended. Add vanilla extract and 3/4 cup of powdered sugar; mix well. Add lemon juice and remaining powdered sugar; mix until powdered sugar is completely dissolved and then add zest.
  4. As soon as crust is finished, remove from oven and reduce oven temperature to 300°F. Immediately pour lemon mixture over hot crust. Bake completely, about 30 minutes; cool, and cut into 24 bars.
  5. Yields 1 bar per serving.

Notes

The crust must be HOT when you pour on the lemon mixture. You’ll need approximately three lemons to yield the amount of juice and zest in this recipe. You can increase the lemon flavor of these bars by adding more zest or eliminate the zest altogether for a less tart taste. You can also change the flavor completely by subbing fresh lime juice and zest for the lemon.