Meyer lemon bars are a bright taste of summer! With its tart-sweet filling and buttery shortbread crust, the delicious dessert is perfect for picnics or potlucks. This easy, classic lemon bars recipe will be part of your baking repertoire for years to come.
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FAQs About Meyer Lemons
You’re probably wondering what is different about a Meyer lemon vs a regular lemon. The difference between the two is easy to discern. A Meyer lemon is a hybrid between a mandarin and a lemon. It has a thinner, deep yellow skin that almost looks like an anemic orange.
A Meyer lemon yields more juice and tastes sweeter than the Eureka lemon – the common one you are accustomed to seeing in the grocery store. The Eureka has a thicker skin and is easier to zest, but yields less juice.
When do Meyer lemons ripen?
While we usually think of lemons as “summer” fruits, Meyer lemons reach their peak ripeness during the cooler months, from November through March. While Eurekas are available year round, their season is from late winter to early summer.
Meyer lemons don’t do well in the cold, so they grow primarily in California.
How to store Meyer lemons
The thicker skinned Eureka lemons will last a long time on the counter, but Meyer lemons don’t seem to last as long. I’m sure it’s because they have thinner skin. When I get more Meyer lemons than I know I’ll be able to use within a week, I prefer to refrigerate them.
Are Meyer lemons better for baking?
With their sweet taste, these lemons work especially well with baked goods and desserts.
This recipe will work with any kind of lemon juice. But bear in mind that these lemon bars are not quite as sour because Meyer lemon juice is naturally not as acidic. If you prefer a tart lemon bar, you can add less sugar or use the juice of a regular lemon.
For more about using Meyer lemons, check out Everything You Need To Know About Meyer Lemons.
Tips For Making This Meyer Lemon Bar Recipe
The ingredient list for this recipe is simple: flour, sugar, eggs, butter, baking powder, salt, and lemon juice.
Here are some tips for making the perfect Meyer lemon bar:
- Make sure all the ingredients are room temperature. This is a good rule in general when baking.
- Weigh your ingredients. A baking scale is very inexpensive and will guarantee success.
- When juicing the lemons, an electric juicer is nice, but a little hand held juicer works just as well and is very inexpensive.
- Line the glass baking dish with parchment paper. When the bars are done, you can easily lift them out for cutting.
- Pre-bake the shortbread crust just until barely golden.
- Don’t cut the bars right away. Let them cool completely.
- If you’re not serving them right away, wait until just before serving to dust with powdered sugar. If you plan to freeze the lemon cars, skip the powdered sugar until ready to serve.
- I like smaller portions, so this recipe, baked in an 8″ x 8″ baking pan, yields 16 bars. You can, of course, make larger servings.
- Garnish with very thin wedges of Meyer lemon if desired.
How Do You Store Lemon Bars?
Meyer lemon bars will last several hours out of the fridge, making them perfect for picnics or potlucks. If you’re not serving or eating them until the next day, it’s best to refrigerate them.
You can also freeze lemon bars and they will keep for 3-4 months. The best way to freeze them is to cut them into squares and place them on a baking sheet. Freeze for one hour, then wrap each bar tightly in plastic wrap and place them all in a freezer bag.
Love lemon? This Lemon Posset is one of the easiest desserts ever! Lemon is also the main ingredient in this Zucchini Ribbon Salad with Feta and this Lemon Roasted Chicken.
This post was originally posted on January 31, 2012, and has been updated to contain nutritional information.
Meyer Lemon Bars
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (4.5 ounces)
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar (2.3 ounces)
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- pinch of kosher salt (omit if using salted butter)
Filling
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature, beaten
- 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/3 cup Meyer lemon juice, about 2 large or 3 small (or a scant 1/2 cup)
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease or line pan an 8"X 8" glass baking dish with parchment.
- Cream butter and powdered sugar together until light and fluffy. Add flour, and mix just until blended. Pat into baking dish. Bake at 350* for 20 minutes or until barely golden
- In the same mixing bowl, blend filling ingredients together.
- Pour onto baked crust and return to oven for an additional 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. The bars will continue to set after removing from oven. Cool completely. Cut into squares and dust with powdered sugar just before serving. Garnish with very thin slices of Meyer lemon wedges.
- (To double batch, bake in a 13″X 9″ pan)
Nutrition
Teri says
Do you add the lemon zest as well for a deeper flavor?
Cynthia says
you can absolutely do that!