Meyer Lemon Bars
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.
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)
Do you add the lemon zest as well for a deeper flavor?
you can absolutely do that!
Easy and delicious!!!
Thank you!
Just what I’ve been looking for in a lemon bar:
Small batch
Easy
No messing with lemon zest
Perfect ratio of buttery crust to filling
Bright, tart Meyer Lemon curd
I’m short, Perfect. My search is over
Thanks so much Peggy! I appreciate it!
This recipe was great! I tried several other recipes and had issues with the cookie crust dissolving into the lemon. This recipe was flawless.
thank you so much!
These Meyer lemon bars look absolutely divine! I remember making a batch with my grandma last summer, and they were such a hit at our family picnic. The sweetness of the Meyer lemons balanced the tartness just right. Your close-up pictures really capture the essence of this delicious dessert!
thank you!
These Meyer Lemon Bars look incredibly scrumptious! The combination of tart-sweet filling and buttery shortbread crust evokes a delightful summertime sensation. I remember having a Meyer lemon tree in my backyard as a kid and using the lemons to make lemonade with my friends. We always loved how sweet and juicy they were compared to regular lemons.
Thank you so much! I appreciate it.
These Meyer Lemon Bars look absolutely divine! The combination of the tart-sweet filling and the buttery shortbread crust has me drooling. I can imagine myself enjoying these at a sunny picnic, savoring the refreshing flavors and feeling the warmth of summer. I’ll definitely be adding this recipe to my baking repertoire for those special occasions.
These Lemon bars are are so refreshing and delicious! The whole family gave them a thumbs up.
Excellent! Thanks!
Meyer Lemon bars are delicious and refreshing! A perfect treat or end to a meal. My family gave a thumbs up to this recipe.
Thank you Jana!
The Meyer Lemon Bars sound absolutely mouthwatering. I can almost taste the bright and tangy flavor of the Meyer lemons, perfectly balanced by the buttery sweetness of the shortbread crust. I remember when I visited California and had the chance to pick fresh Meyer lemons from a friend’s tree, and these bars take me right back to that sunny day.
can you make them GF cup for cup?
Absolutely!
Oh, Cynthia’s Meyer lemon bars bring back fond memories of summer days at my grandma’s. She had a secret grove of Meyer lemons, and we’d whip up something similar on warm afternoons. These look just as mouthwatering and take me right back to those treasured moments.
Love it! Thanks!
I had left over Meyer Lemons so decided the try this. baked at 350 and the top of the lemon curd turned light brown. Maybe my oven is out of whack but you def need to watch them. They tasted great just didn’t look too nice.
once you dust them with powdered sugar, you won’t notice. Did you bake them in the middle of the oven?
Hi! Super yummy recipe! This is the second time I’m making them! The serving size says 1g and that’s 16g of sugar so if I have a bar that weighs 20g am I having 320g of sugar? Or is the serving size incorrect?
Hi jordyn,
Thanks for brining it to my attention. The recipe card automatically defaults to “gr” if I forget to choose “serving”, “bar” or “piece”. I’ve added bar to the recipe card, but the nutritional info would be the same.
Cynthia
How critical is it to use a glass baking dish as opposed to a metal one, especially if you line it with parchment?
If you line the pan with parchment it should be fine. The baking time might vary as glass retains heat better.