Luscious Southern Meyer Lemon Bars

Luscious Southern Meyer Lemon Bars are the perfect antidote for our cold winter weather. Fresh as sunshine, and full of Vitamin C, these scrumptious lemon bars made with Meyer lemons are guaranteed to brighten anyone’s day.

This year, it seems that everyone with a Meyer lemon tree or almost any citrus in North Florida had a prolific harvest. All the growing conditions must have been perfect, and even a small Meyer lemon tree we have in a pot on our back patio was loaded with the juicy fruit this year. In addition, friends have graciously shared some of their bountiful Meyer lemon and grapefruit harvest with us, so we now have a year’s supply of frozen lemon and grapefruit juice and zest. I also made several jars of preserved lemons, which are a true delicacy.

Of course, with the abundance of fresh Meyer lemons, I wanted to use as many as possible while they were still fresh. These yummy lemon bars are the perfect confection to showcase their lemony goodness!

This recipe for Luscious Southern Meyer Lemon Bars is a little more involved and takes more time than most of my recipes, but I can assure you it’s time well spent. You will end up with luscious lemon bars with the tangy, slightly tart sweetness of lemon curd and a rich cookie shortbread crust, which is topped with a dusting of confectioners’ sugar. And, speaking of a dusting, we got a rare dusting of snow lasting about 30 minutes in Tallahassee last week. For a few minutes at least, as our city ground to a halt and schools were closed, it looked like a winter wonderland!

If you like recipes that use Meyer lemons, you might also enjoy these delicious recipes: Meyer Lemon Tart with Gingersnap Crust, Easy No-Cook Meyer Lemon Ice Cream, and Luscious Lemon Swirl Cheesecake. 

How to make Luscious Southern Meyer Lemon Bars

Take butter and eggs out of the refrigerator at least an hour before making the lemon bars to allow them to come to room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Use an electric mixer to cream the butter and granulated sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy.

Combine the flour and salt and with the mixer on low, gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture until everything is combined.

Turn the dough out into a 9×13 inch baking dish and use your hands or the bottom of a glass to compress and flatten the dough evenly into the dish. Place the dish in the refrigerator and chill for a minimum of 30 minutes.

Once the dough has chilled, remove it from the refrigerator and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until it is lightly browned. Let the baking dish cool on a wire rack.

While the crust cools, place the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and flour in a large bowl and whisk until well mixed.

Pour the lemon filling over the cooled cookie crust and bake for 30-35 minutes at 350 degrees until the filling is set. Remove the baking dish from the oven and let cool completely on a wire rack.

When cool, cut into squares and use a sifter or fine mesh strainer and liberally dust the bars with confectioners’ sugar.

Store any leftover lemon bars covered in the refrigerator for up to three days.

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Luscious Southern Meyer Lemon Bars

Luscious Southern Meyer Lemon Bars are fresh as sunshine and full of Vitamin C! This easy family-friendly lemon bar dessert recipe is made with Meyer lemons!

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Course

Dessert

Cuisine

American, Southern

Prep Time

15 minutes

Cook Time

55 minutes

Passive Time

60 minutes

Servings

20 squares MetricUS Imperial

Ingredients

Crust Ingredients:

• 2 sticks unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/8 tsp kosher salt

Lemon Filling:

• 6 eggs extra large, at room temperature
• 3 cups granulated sugar
• 2 Tbsp lemon zest
• 1 cup fresh Meyer lemon juice may substitute fresh regular lemon juice
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar for dusting

Course Dessert Cuisine American, Southern Prep Time 15 minutes Cook Time 55 minutes Passive Time 60 minutes Servings 20 squares MetricUS Imperial Ingredients Crust Ingredients: 2 sticks unsalted butter at room temperature 1/2 cup granulated sugar 2 cups all-purpose flour 1/8 tsp kosher salt Lemon Filling: 6 eggs extra large, at room temperature 3 cups granulated sugar 2 Tbsp lemon zest 1 cup fresh Meyer lemon juice may substitute fresh regular lemon juice 1 cup flour 1 cup confectioners' sugar for dusting

Votes: 4 Rating: 5 You: Rate this recipe! Add to Shopping List This recipe is in your Shopping List

Instructions

1. Take the butter and eggs out of the refrigerator at least an hour before making the lemon bars to allow them to come to room temperature.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
3. Use an electric mixer to cream the butter and granulated sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy.
4. Combine the flour and salt and with the mixer on low, gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture until everything is combined.
5. Turn the dough out into a 9x13 inch baking dish and use your hands or the bottom of a glass to compress and flatten the dough evenly in the dish. Place the dish in the refrigerator and chill for a minimum of 30 minutes.
6. Once the dough has chilled, remove it from the refrigerator and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until it is lightly browned. Let the baking dish cool on a wire rack.
7. While the crust cools, place the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and flour in a large bowl and whisk until well mixed.
8. Pour the lemon filling over the cooled cookie crust and bake for 30-35 minutes at 350 degrees until the filling is set. Remove the baking dish from the oven and let cool completely on a wire rack.
9. When cool, cut into squares and use a sifter or fine mesh strainer and liberally dust the bars with confectioners' sugar.
10. Store any leftover lemon bars covered in the refrigerator for up to three days.

Recipe Notes

Nutrition Facts

Luscious Southern Meyer Lemon Bars

Amount Per Serving

Calories 326 Calories from Fat 90

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 10g 15%

Saturated Fat 6g 30%

Polyunsaturated Fat 0.3g

Monounsaturated Fat 1g

Cholesterol 88mg 29%

Sodium 83mg 3%

Potassium 65mg 2%

Total Carbohydrates 54g 18%

Dietary Fiber 1g 4%

Sugars 35g

Protein 4g 8%

Vitamin A 8%

Vitamin C 9%

Calcium 1%

Iron 7%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.