The Best Lemon Bars

As printed, this recipe was not lemony enough. Using other's suggestions, I tried it again using the juice of 5 lemons (a little over 2/3 cup) and the zest of two lemons. I also added 1/3 c. flour to compensate for the extra liquid. I also had to increase the bake time to about 24 minutes. These turned out GREAT with the extra lemon (and, of course, powdered sugar on top). I also added a dash of salt to the crust and thought it was divine. These weren't anything flashy or out of the ordinary...just exactly what lemon bars should taste like.

Fantastic! The crust was nice, crisp, and buttery- exactly how I love it. And the lemon filling was just right. I took the advice of other reviewers and added the lemon zest. Also a tip to make sure you get maxiumum juiciness out of your lemons- pop them in the microwave for about 15 seconds. They yield much more juice this way! Very lemony, easy, and satisfying! Throw away the boxed stuff and make these!

The title of this dessert and the introduction pretty much sums it all up!...The best lemon bars I have ever had. ---UPDATE---I have been making these for a while now and although I believe they are perfect as written I have recently discovered using 1 Cup Icing Sugar mixed with 2 1/2 TBSP. of Real Lemon Juice (From concentrate/bottle)& 2 drops of yellow food colouring to make a glaze and pour this glaze over the dessert as soon as they come out of the oven and allow to cool in pan. It's unbelievibly great for those tart lemon lovers with a sweet tooth. Also, keep these bars in the fridge they keep their form better then at room temp.

With nearly 1,000 reviews, I don't know that I'm adding much, but these are my favorite dessert to make for myself, throwing parties, and to bring to events. I make three minor adjustments based on other reviews: add 1/4 tsp salt to crust; use 2/3 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice (more precise than measuring by number of lemons); add 1 Tbsp flour to custard because of extra juice. The result: perfection. Everyone loves them, everyone asks for my recipe, and friends give me lemons from their trees because they want lemon bars in return. I really can't say enough good things about these.

My mother always made these when I was a kid, now I make them all the time! They have a buttery crust and gooey delicious lemon filling. In the filling we use 2 cups of sugar and at least 1/3 cup lemon juice (and yes, you can substitute the lemon juice from a bottle). I bake mine 20 min for the crust and an additional 25 with the filling (you want the filling slightly golden brown--a little too long in the oven is better than not long enough). Dust with powdered sugar while they are still warm so it will stick.

These are really good. At first I thought the crust was too thick but now that they've cooled overnight and set up, the crust really is perfect. Definitely add salt to the crust; it comes out nice and buttery-tasting. For the lemon filling, I used 1/3 cup plus 2 tbsp. lemon juice and the zest of 1/2 lemon (whisk it into the dry ingredients before adding liquids). I used about 1/3 cup of flour. The flavor is PERFECT, nice and tart. I lined my baking pans with foil for easy lift-out, and both the crust and the filling stuck to the foil really badly. I'd definitely suggest spraying your pans with cooking spray; if I hadn't used foil, I have no idea how I'd get these out of the pan. With these changes, I'll make these again and again.

These were delicious...and close in flavor to the boxed ones. I used 2/3 cup lemon juice and 1/3 cup flour. The only thing I didn't like was the thickness of the crust..I think it might be thicker than the filling. Next time I will decrease the crust ingredients to make a thinner crust. Also like other reviewer's suggestion of a glaze of lemon juice and confectioner's sugar. I wil ty that next time too. These are so good!

This really is the best. Nice little crunch on the bottom and a nice tangy flavor. I'll make this one again! (I didn't have any lemons, so I used 5 Tablespoons bottled lemon juice. Turned out great.)

I gave this recipe 3 stars as written. The crust should never be more than half the overall height of the lemon bar and with this recipe it was. Also, I prefer a dominant, slightly tart lemon flavor in the custard. That being said, this is what I did to make this recipe a 5 star to me. For the crust I used 1/2 cup butter, 1 1/4 cup flour, 1/4 cup sugar, a pinch of salt and the zest of 2 lemons. The custard I used 4 eggs, 1 1/4 cups sugar, 5 tablespoons flour, and 2/3 cup fresh lemon juice (3 lemons). I baked it in a 9x9" with parchment on the bottom. Cool completely before cutting.

WONDERFUL just the way it is. It aggravates me that so many people want to add their own recipe in the review. If you want to have others see YOUR way of doing it just submit a recipe, don't steal the thunder of someone else. It is just perfect the way it is!!! I would change NOTHING

First off, this recipe is VERY easy to make given that it is homemade. I really recommend it for any new bakers out there. I JUST finished this recipe and followed it almost exactly as called for. The ONLY changes I made were to use 3 large lemons and a bit of lemon juice just to get to 2/3rds of a cup of juice. I then added 1 tablespoon flour to the mix as a previous reviewer suggested. I just tasted it and it is VERY lemony delicious. (VERY lemony) So, for anyone that wants to make sure they get a lemon flavor, I would say squeeze at least enough lemons to get a 1/2 cup of juice. THE TASTE OF THE CRUST IS AMAZING. Do not listen to those that said it has no flavor. It is rich, buttery, and melts in your mouth. You do not want the crust to be too sweet, because the filling is VERY VERY sweet (trust me). This crust balances that sweetness. The only difficulty I had with the crust portion was the bake time, and no I do not know why (probably my oven). I baked it for 30 minutes and it still slightly undercooked in my opinion, but still MORE than edible. Next time, I will bake the crust for 40 minutes. I just put it in the fridge and I can't WAIT to share it with everyone tomorrow. It is TRULY fantastic. This was so simple to make and very inexpensive ingredients. TRY IT.

I can't stand it when people change 27 things about a recipe and then rate it by their changed version. I give this recipe 5 stars because it's delicious, without all the changes. There was more crust than I was expecting. If you like a 50/50 split between lemon goo and crust, then this one is for you!

OK, I made these last night with a few changes based on some of the reviews I read. I kept the crust ingredients the same, but when it came to the filling I detoured a bit. If you want a sweet lemony bar that gives you a PUCKER EFFECT on your first bite, with a good filling to crust ratio, this is what I did...I kept the 4 eggs, increased the sugar to 2 cups, increased the flour to a third of a cup, and used the zest and juice of SIX lemons. These changes took these bars over the top! I had to bake a little longer, and when they were completely cooled I dusted with a little powered sugar. Enjoy!

Since I know how to bake, I was able to make the steps that aren't really described here (such as how to crumble the butter into the flour until desired consistency). That being said, even with the addition of the zest of one lemon, these were not the best I've had. I believe there is a bit too much flour in the egg mixture, mine came out being rather eggy and too stiff. The crust was slightly overcooked, doing 20 minutes and then a further 15 with egg/lemon mix. I must say that if I had followed the recipe exactly (not adding the zest and even extra juice) that these would not have been edible, to me. I would recommend the following changes: adding the zest of one lemon, and the juice of an extra one, plus pre-baking the crust for only 12-15 minutes. Also, adding salt to both the preparations, about 1/2 tsp. Hope that helps.

Yum! While not as good as the ones I can get at at my local bakery, these really aren't bad at all. Having said this, I did make a few tweaks to suit my tastes. As MommyFromSeattle did, I also upped the amount of lemon juice (1/2 c. / ~ 2-3 lg. lemons - I was able to squeeze 1/2 c. of juice out of 2 lemons) and 2 lemon's worth of zest. Before I added my eggs, I tested my filling to ensure that it was to my liking. The sweet / tart ratio was perfect for me, but you may prefer otherwise (if you like em' sweet, go with less juice, etc.). I think 2/3 c. juice would make these far too tart, but that's just my $.02. :) I baked my bars in an 8x8 in. stoneware baking dish to ensure they'd be nice and thick (I do not like thin bar cookies). It took 30 minutes for my crust to cook to a light golden brown color and 25 minutes for my filling to cook thru. NOTE: If you are going to dust your bars with powdered sugar (HIGHLY recommended!), be sure to do so when they are warm - right out of the oven is ideal. If you wait until your bars have cooled, the sugar will not "stick." One more observation.... If you refrigerate until completely cool, these will firm up nicely and be MUCH easier to cut into uniform squares. Using a plastic knife also seems to work well. Thanks for sharing your recipe, Patty! I will be sending my hubs with a plate of these to take to his office tomorrow. :-)

I made this tonight and I thought they were good, but missing something. I used unsalted butter, but didn't add a pinch of salt to the mixture. I think that is what it was missing. Possibly next time I will add a little more lemon as well. I will definately make again.

Easy to make with a great shortbread crust. After reading the reviews I used a 2 1/2 qt glass baking dish and thought the ratio of crust to filling was perfect. I used 1/2 cup of fresh lemon juice and the grated peel of 2 lemons and thought it was the perfect lemon flavor. I would note that I was in a hurry when I made these and I dumped the filling on top of the crust as soon as it came out of the oven. Some of the egg started to cook separately because of the hot crust. Next time I will let the crust cool some before putting the final product in the oven.

I took the advise of some other reviewers and added 1/4 tsp salt to the crust. I used 2/3 cup lemon juice, 1/3 cup flour and 1 tsp lemon zest in the filling. I think that "2 lemons, juiced" is a very inacurate measurement; my lemons were kind of dry, and 2 of them would never have been enough. This is a 5 star recipe with the changes, but the original only rates 3, so I rated it 4.

I'm sure these would have been delicious had I been able to chisel them out of the 9 X 13 ungreased pan (per instructions). Lesson learned: USE PARCHMENT PAPER.

wow,, congrats to the author.. the crust is great, however if you have my luck, your 2 lemons will give you like 2 tablespoons of juice LOL. so i used 2/3 cups juice.. but.. when i poured it over the crust i discovered it was way to little filling. so finally this is what I did. 1/2 cup flour, 2 1/4 cup sugar, 1 cup lemon juice, 6 eggs. this was great.. thanks so much!!

Yum! These bars came out sooooo good. I used the juice of 4 lemons (instead of 2) and also added a tablespoon of flour to the the filling. They came out perfect and were gone in a flash. The only thing I would like to point out is that in the recipe, it says bake the crust until golden brown. I think if I did this the crust would have come out way too hard. I baked it until it got the slightest bit golden at the very very edge, and then took it out. Doing it this way, the crust was perfect. I will definitely make this recipe again.

These are delicious--better the next day even! I used a smaller pan-- 7x10. I love tartness so added the zest of the 2 lemons. I was going to add the juice of 3 but only had 2 lemons- so I used enough bottled juice to make up to 2/3 c total. I needed to cook filling longer too--about a 1/2 hr total or until no longer jiggly soft.

First time making it and didn't like it all that much. Too sweet and lacked a certain tartness. Plus side was easy to make and to share....

This is a repeater on my menue, if I didn't make it for ten days I start to get complains. This should say enough - delicious lemon bars and a crowd pleaser. Very few people that do not like it. I add 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract to the bottom and substitute 1/2 cup bottled lemon juice and 1/2 teaspon lemon extract for the fresh lemons for convinience.

These are perfect. I used the suggestion to use 2/3C of lemon juice (3 good-sized lemons) and a little less sugar. My kids love lots of the lemon custard. I add zest to the shortbread. Delicious.

Very lemony flavour, followed others suggestions of increasing lemon juice to 2/3rd cup and also increased flour, mine did not "setup" totally in the centre though after cooling, a little runny still but the outer 2/3rd's of the dish is ok. Crust does make a lot, not enough for a 9x13 but plenty for an 8x11 or even a 9x9 square pan.

If you love a shortbread crust, these are great! I made them for my co-workers.

So easy to make and with common ingredients! Love this recipe!!

This was good and easy. I took the advice of other reviewers and added more lemon and lemon vest. I still found it not as tart as I prefer, I think it needed a bit more zest. This is a thin bar, so if I make them again I will double the lemon custard.

These bars are a delight. Great texture and lemon flavor. I used 6 T. fresh lemon juice (4 small lemons) and about 1 tsp. of grated fresh lemon peel. My butter was unsalted so I added 1 tsp. of salt to the crust dough. The salt is necessary if you aren't using salted butter. One more note and it is crucial: You MUST grease your pan - at least on the sides. I followed the recipe and did NOT treat the pan and the cookies adhered to the sides of the pan like concrete. No problem though-after I maneuvered the bars out of the pan, I chiseled off the baked on sides and ate them myself. YUM!

I made these into lime bars using a few small limes and a drop (just 1) of green food coloring for a green, black and white themed baby shower I was throwing. They were great; I got quite a few compliments on how good they were. I also froze them a week ahead and they thawed beautifully the day before the shower in the fridge.

This recipe is amazing. It is easy to cook and the result is fantastic. I greased the pan and didn't have any sticking problems. I used to the juice and rind of 3 lemons, it wasn't very tart. I guess the ppl who like it really lemony should use more. The crust is very buttery and yummy and the filling is perfect. The consistency was good, right out of the oven too.. My family and friends loved it. Will be making it often.

These were perfect just the way the recipe was written. I can't believe how easy they are to make.

For my lemons bars, I use this recipe's crust, 6 eggs, 6 tbs flour, 3/4 cup lemon juice, and 1 3/4 cup sugar. The crust is really good, but I think the more filling, the better!

Delish! With so few ingredients, it's important to use real butter and fresh lemons.

I've made these lemon bars countless times now. They are one of my favorite desserts. I adjust the filling to 1 1/2 times the filling the recipe calls for, I like the crust to be thinner compared to the filling. Sprinkle with sifted powdered sugar and they are absolutely AMAZING!!! Thanks for a super yummy recipe!

These were awful....1st bad rating for me. The needed alot more lemon juice/zest to taste lemony. They did not get eaten.

These bars are amazing! If you like lemon...you'll love this recipie. I had small lemons so I used the juice from 3 and it tasted perfect...not so tart you make a funny face. I tried them warm out of the oven and they melted in my mouth. This will be a great potluck or cookie exchange recipie to have!! Thanks for sharing!

Sadly the crust was too thick and the time to cook it was not nearly enough, it made it soft and mushy. The filling was too thin and not strongly flavored. Very disappointing, I'm bummed.

Great recipe! I took the advice of reviewers and added 1/2 tsp salt and lemon zest to crust and used 2/3 cup of lemon juice and 2Tbl zest to filling. I baked it in a 9x13 pan - no problem. I did let the crust cool before pouring filling over it. I refrigerated overnight and it was easy to cut. Will definitely make again. Got rave reviews from others. Better than the Paula Deen recipe. Tart, lemony taste-yum!

I think this lemon bar really is (almost) the best! A former co-worker of mine has a secret recipe for lemon bars that was really the best I've ever had, and I have been searching for an equivalent recipe. I think this recipes comes close! The only thing I changed was adding more lemon juice. It's hard to tell what "juice of two lemons" means, since lemon sizes and the juice they extract varies. I would say about 1/2 cup to 2/3 cups of lemon juice, depending on your taste preference!

I didn't like these at all. I followed the recipe exactly and I'm not a bad cook - so I don't know what happened. They weren't awful - but nothing I will make again. I took them to a get together, and people didn't seem to be digging them. One lady commented that she liked the ones from the box better. (HOW RUDE!)I've never made lemon bars before so I don't have anything to compare these to, they could be really good as far as lemon bars go but somehow I don't think so.

I use this recipes frequently because it gives exactly what the name promises- The Best Lemon Bars. I upped the juice to 4 lemons, and adjusted the flour to 1/3 cup (in the custard) to maintain consistency. The crust comes out buttery, flaky, and sweet, and the lemon custard is tart perfection! None of my friends can believe the recipe is so simple...

Really good and lemony! I cooked the crust a little longer than called for.

These bars are delicious! But recipes calls for loads of sugar. I halved the ammount of sugar, so they became tangy (the way I like), creamy and very good!

Great recipe. Will make again adding lemon zest and vanilla to the crust.hubby loved it!

Yummy and easy! Thank you to the reviewers: added a bit of salt to the crust, added zest to the filling (used 3 lemons, as mine weren't too juicy), and followed the suggestion of sprinkling fresh blueberries in/on the filling. They were an amazing hot weather desert. Perfect, because not only was it very hot, but we had to travel by car for an hour (no A/C in car!) to get to the party, and I was worried about baking something that would not travel well. These were perfect.Sifted some icing sugar overtop,...and ate lots!They have also kept well. Still OK, after two days in the fridge...

I used the juice of five lemons and it came out delightfully tart, just how I like it. This was fine because I also used an 8x11 pan and so the bottom was thick enough to offset the tartness. The only problem with using so much juice is that when you put the powdered sugar on it tends to mostly melt in by the time you take it out to eat it. I would put the sugar on when it comes out just to give it a little glaze, and powder it again right before serving for the visual effect.

I have baked for years but never tried a lemon bar. Mainly because I never cared much for lemon until a few years ago. I made this recipe with suggestions from the other reviewers. I lined a 9 x13 aluminum pan with parchment paper. Next I beat the room temp. eggs for 7 minutes then added only 1 1/2 cups sugar, added 1 loosely packed tablespoon of lemon zest, & not quite 1/2 cup of fresh lemon juice. My 3 lemons were not as juicy as I had hoped they would be. I baked the crust for about 23 min. & added the filling to it without cooling & cooked it for 22 minutes. It was well set & lightly browned on top. After cooling on the counter for 45 min. I sprinkled confectioner's sugar on top & placed it in the fridge. After dinner I removed the parchment paper without a problem of sticking, cut it into bars, & my husband & I ate several bars with coffee. Having never eaten a lemon bar I have nothing to compare it with but next time I would add 2/3 cup of lemon juice & pack the tablespoon full of zest. I might even only use 1 cup of sugar because we like tartness. This was a little too sweet but the crust was perfect. Is the consistency supposed to be a gummy consistency because these were. They were very firm in texture & look like the pics included with the recipe. Overall, they were good. With the above changes, I will make this again.

amazing. The regular recipe works out easily and well. I did take everyones advice with the lemon juice and flour though (2/3 cup of fresh squeezed lemon juice with an additional tbsp of flour). Also I only use 1 cup of sugar in the filling. I sell these at a market and people rave about them. Once I increased the lemon and decreased the sugar everyone told menot to change it again, that combo was perfect. Tastes like actual lemon bars, not that yellow gunk from the stores. I think the people that complain about this recipe are only looking for those kinds of lemon products and don't really know what lemon really tasts like

SO GOOD! First dessert I've ever made and it's always gone in a couple mins!!! I followed a lot of the other comments and for a more lemony flavor 2/3 cups lemon and a tablespoon of flour to balance the liquid in the filling. For more zest use 1 1/2-2 lemons. More tips...leave the egg out until it is room temperature, microwave lemons for 15 seconds to get juice rolling, if not just roll the lemons a bit for the same effect.

These are really good. I gave it a twist though. I put a lemon glaze on top after it was done. 2 cups confectioner's sugar, juice from a lemon and two tablespoons butter.Real lemony!

The shortcake was too "bready" - not flaky and crispy; the lemon topping was too gooey - not smooth and creamy; and as far as the hints to "cool the crust" and to use parchment paper.....DON'T DO IT!! As the shortbread cooled, it pulled away from the parchment. When the topping was poured over, it immediately ran under the crust - I was left with a big pan of sticky pudding with a heavy crust baked on top. I've been making lemon bars for 30 years, and I thought I would try something new - bad idea - time to go back to my tried and true recipe. Sorry!

wow! these really are the best lemon bars i've ever had, the crust is so tasty and thats what truly makes this recipe great. its not overly buttery at all, its absolutely perfect. the only modifications i made was i used 4 lemons juiced and the zest from 1 lemon. but i love the tart flavor and the extra zing the zest gives!

This recipe was great, exactly what I was looking for, simple and delicious. Having made it a few times now, I changed a few things to my liking: First I love a really lemony taste so I added the juice of 3 lemons, added the zest of 2 of the lemons to the dry ingredients and upped the flour to 1/3 cup to make up for the extra liquid. The crust is simply perfect just as it is, buttery and melts in your mouth. Also, just for a change instead of squares, I made this recipe in a tart pan and cut in into thin triangles. Truly a great lemon bar and proves my theory that most times the recipes with simplest of ingredients are absolutely the best! Thanks for a fantastic lemon bar recipe, it's my stand-by and the one I will recommend to others!

This was good! Here are my changes: I used a graham cracker crust. 12 graham crackers crushed up in an 8x8 pan, butter, sugar. Just eyeball it. Then I made the filling with a factor of .75....so 75% of each ingredient. 1/2 C fresh lemon juice. Baked 25 minutes. RESULT: great thick lemon bars with a crust that doesn't contain 1 C of butter. Success!

Followed the recipe to the T. Not Good according to 4 people.

I followed recipe as written. Filling did not set up and crust was very thin. Not a good lemon bar recipe.

I made this in a 9x13 pan as suggested and had no problems with the crust being too thin, however 'juice of 2 lemons' is far too vague - I used 4 small lemons (about 1/4 c juice) and 1 tsp zest. It tastes good, but I think about 1/3 - 1/2 cup would be ideal. Really tasty and simple to make - just needs clearer lemon instructions.

Came out well - good flavor.

NOTES: I MADE 1 + ½ THE LEMON FILLING. The lemon juice I used was ¾ cup + 2 tlbs zest - it took me six lemons at least to get what juice I needed. Using extra lemon juice requires just a little more flour 1/3 cup. I thought my crust was too brown on the edges, but I cooked my much longer that it says too, probably 10 min. The filling took 25 min. Better too done than not done enough. I sprinkled coconut on mine when there was about 10 min. left of cooking. Excellent. May just double the lemon fillilng next time.

I am a VERY inexperienced cook...I've maybe been really cooking and baking for less than a year. These were my first attempt at lemon bars. I made a few revisions per the reviewers suggestions. I used 2/3 cups of lemon juice and added a tablespoon of flour. It took a lot longer for the crust to cook for me, but that may be my dilapidated oven. I cooked the crust, put it in the fridge for about 15 minutes, then added the filling and put it back in the oven. It turned out AMAZING. Very tart and delicious. I am so proud of myself! Thank you!

These are the best Lemon Bars I have made so far. It is a perfect mix of tart & sweet. I made a couple changes based on the reviews, so I had to give the recipe 4 stars. It is a good base. Here are my changes Crust = as directed Filling = 1 1/2 HEAPING cups white sugar, 2 small lemons zested, 2/3 cup & a dash lemon juice, 1/3 cup flour (to compensate for more juice)

Perfect!! Didn't change a thing!

YUMMY! These came out great! I had about 100mls (almost 7 Tbsp) of lemon juice from my lemons, and the batter looked a little runny, so I added 1 Tbsp of flour and 1 more egg for the extra juice and they turned out perfectly! Very tangy and I think my 5 year old wanted to eat the whole pan!

I made this and took a couple of suggestions from some of the others who tried this delicious recipe. I added a half tsp. of salt to the crust mixture. And, I added the grated rind of the two lemons along with the juice to the filling on top. It was one of the best lemon bars I have ever had. I believe next time I make it I will double the lemon mixture that goes on top. It was sooo Yummy!

Very good lemon bars. I added more lemon then was called for and they were a bit too tangy for me. Next time ill follow the recipe exactly and im sure they will be perfect for my taste!

Good recipe, but I baked it for the entire time and the inner pieces were too gooey. Use at least 1/2 cup lemon juice for a real lemony flavor. Plan to make again and increase the baking time.

Really good. Not overly sweet, but could have used more lemon flavor. Don't know if my lemons didn't produce enough juice; I did add a tbs or two of lemon extract. Next time will use an add'l lemon. Also my dough poofed out a bit, wasn't completely uniform. But will make again. Thank you!

This recipe was de-licious!, my sister and mom devoured it. But I do have to admit it was a little on the sweet side...

if i could give this recipe zero starts i would. i normally make lemon bars on the fly without a recipe, but my wife prefers to go by the book and is a beginner cook. first of all there is no need for such an elaborate crust for something so basic. less is more and in this case way too much. the crust is far too thick and buttery. the topping is bland and far too eggy. i insisted on adding zest, but to no avail. we would have needed the juice of 6 lemons to make these palatable. and, where's the powdered sugar in the recipe?

I thought that this was a great, simple recipe. It did not take long to make and left more time to make other things. I did make a couple changes. For the crust, I used one stick of butter and 2 eggs. I aslo used 2 large lemons for a more lemony flavor. When I was done, I sprinkled some powdered sugar on top for a finishing touch. This is a GREAT recipe!

This was very tasty. I rated it 4 stars because I think the crust cooking time is off, maybe but as much as 10 minutes. The bars were definitely a little undercooked but they were still well-enjoyed! I suggest checking it a couple of different times and only taking it out once it's browned.

These are fantastic! I used 2/3 cup of lemon juice and added an additional tablespoon of flour to the filling as suggested by others and it turned out perfect! I used aluminum foil in the 9x13 which make cleanup easy.

I've never rated anything other than 5 stars until I made this tonight. I was really hoping this was going to be good, but honestly it's awful. The lemon topping barely tastes like lemon (and I used zest and 1 cup fresh juice). The topping is also very thin and not chewy at all. Quite dissapointing.

These were great! I increases lemon juice to 2/3 a cup and the flour to 1/3 a cup as others sugguested. I made mine in a 9x13 pan and I thought it was perfect. There was exactly 1/2 crust and 1/2 lemon.

Added a dash of salt like suggested and went with 2/3 cup lemon juice, 1 3/4 cup sugar, and 5 Tbsp of flour for the filling. Turned out perfectly with lots of yummy lemon flavor! Powdered sugar on top!

Don't listen to the Reviews! Don't add x-tra lemon or lemon zest it makes the lemon bars way to sour! Stick to the original recipe!

I was excited to make this recipe because I love lemon bars and these were so easy. However, the topping did not adhere to the base, and in fact shrunk away from it. Also, there was little to no lemon flavor. I did make the recipe exactly as written.

I'm kind of surprised how well this recipe is rated. I made the crust as is and there is WAY too much crust! I like crust as much as the next girl but the ratio is way off - almost 2:1 crust to filling. If you're going to try this recipe, my suggestions are: - halve the crust recipe - add pinch of salt (1/8 tsp) to crust - use smaller pan for a thicker bar - use at least 2/3 cup lemon juice, add lemon zest if you like more tartness, add 1tbsp flour to account for more liquid - don't forget to adjust baking time if you make changes to the crust or pan size. Honestly, having to make so many changes to a recipe makes it a little disappointing.

i thought this recipe was going to turn out fabulous after reading all the wonderful reviews but after making not one but 2 pans of "the best lemon bars" and tasting it i was very upset, not only did it take me time to try to some how fix it but i wasted money. they didn't come out stiff or and least put together so i waited and when they still didn't harden i put them in the fridge...nothing then i tried the freezer... again nothing. the thing is i was upset since i had nothing to bring to the party i was going to, but not only that since then after that i had to go to crumbs bakery and get cupcakes , since i wasn't going to show up empty handed. after reading the names and the good reviews i thought this would be okay, but the ingredients weren't right ( powder sugar in the picture not in ingredients )and the directions didn't seem so thought out or clear. what I'm trying to say is next time i ever do a recipe off the internet i will read every review just so that i understand if the recipe is also to good to be true.

I made these for my husband to bring into in work. His boss pulled him aside to let him know who good the lemon bars were. I even took the suggestion of the lemon and lime bars they looked so wonderful on the tray. yum!

I agree with other reviewers and made the following changes: bottom/crust - add 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp vanilla. For the topping - juiced about 4-5 fresh lemons to get 2/3 cup and added the zest of one lemon. Also added 1/8+ cup of vanilla almond milk to the topping. Lots of powdered sugar on top after they cooled and some coconut flakes - - they were delicious!

These were good, but I wouldn't say they were the best lemon bars ever. I did increase the lemon juice and added some lemon zest for a more tart flavour. Everyone said they were good, but there were lots left over, which says to me that they weren't that great. Not sure I will make this recipe again.

Tart and perfect! I will use this recipe again. No improvements needed.

These were PERFECT! This recipe recreated the delicious lemon bar of my childhood! I substituted 1/2 c. Splenda in the crust and in the filling I used 1 c. Splenda and 1/2 c. sugar. Also, my two lemons came out to be almost 1/2 a cup of juice. I can't stop eating them...YUM!

Nobody could get the crust out of the pan so I just gave up on the crust but the rest of the bar was great!But ALWAYS GREASE the pan.

Great texture and consistency but not nearly " lemony" enough for me. I even added the lemons' zest to the recipe. Still searching for the perfect lip- puckering recipe.

I LOVE these and I'm making my second batch of the week! I have made these using a 9x13 pan and then an 8x11 pan, as someone else suggested. The 9x13 was just right. Be careful not to overbake, though; 20 minutes is perfect.

The basic recipe is very good, but I prefer it with a few modifications, some noted in earlier reviews. Add 1/2 tsp salt to the crust and double the filling, using the zest of two lemons and at least 1 cup (preferably 1-1/4 C)of fresh-squeezed lemon juice. You may need to cook the bars another 5 minutes for the additional filling. My family LOVES these!

GREASE THE PAN. I had a devil of a time getting these out of a glass 9 x 13" pan! But other than that, they were great.

I'm a simple man, so I'm a fan of simple goodness. This recipe nails it. Generally speaking, I'm not much on lemon anything, but I love these. I have to control myself. My whole family loves them. My mom asks me to make them for her all the time. I can't say there aren't better recipes for lemon bars out there, but I haven't found a need to look any further than this one right here. It's like a sweet/tart goodness on top of a shortbread cookie. If that doesn't sell it, you need help! Simple and delicious.

I am a lemon recipe connoisseur! These are the easiest, best tasting lemon bars I have ever made! A couple of tips: I always use a glass pan when baking lemon recipes, because the crust and edges are less likely to darken and crisp up too much. If using a metal pan, dark or not, I lessen the temperature by at least 10 degrees and even more for a dark metal pan. Sometimes bake times must be at lower temp and for longer time, and you can use your best judgment by looks during baking. I agree whole-heartedly with MommyFromSeattle: Use at least 2/3 cup of lemon juice and add lemon zest if you have it! This time I did not have fresh lemons on hand, so I used lemon juice from the bottle and added 2 teaspoons of organic lemon flavoring and used her advice to add the extra Tablespoon of flour for the filling. This allows for that extra tart, super-sweet pop of flavor! Instead of icing, I like to sift powdered sugar over the top, and one can do this immediately after baking to keep it from poofing up everywhere, and a little extra after bars are plated makes for gorgeous presentation! Another thing I like to do with lemon bars is add crushed mint to my crust. I added two teaspoons of crushed mint this time, and I think it was the perfect hint to complement the lemon flavor without tasting overwhelmingly of mint. I did make one substitution: I used half cup of butter half cup of coconut oil. I think this recipe would also work for a graham crust, and plan to try it soon! Mmm-MM!

These are delicious, very lemmon-y. We put the zest of one lemon in the crust and used 2/3 cup of store bought lemmon juice.

These were wonderful. I was looking for a lemon bar that was like my mom used to make.. and these wer BETTER! The only change I made was to toss in about a half tsp of lemon zest- otherwise made it just as stated... and i will absolutely make this one again and again!

I noticed that lemon is one of those ingredients that when added to a recipe, one person might think it is too sweet and the next person might think it was too tart, so I didn't place too much emphasis on others' suggestions when it came to whether is was too tart or too sweet - I only experimented and made it to my liking. I made it per the written recipe and then after tasting, realized it needed a bit more lemon flavor. I ended up using 1/2 cup of lemon juice and also added the lemon zest of about 2 lemons. This gave it the "punch" I personally felt it needed. Other than that, I used 1 tsp. of salt in the crust layer. they went fast at a BBQ I attended, and pointed a couple of ladies to this Website for the recipe. A good recipe - thanks for sharing!

OMG!!!!!! This absolutely turned out terrible! I don't know what happened or what I did wrong, but I don't even think it is worth my time and effort to try this again.

I did increase the lemon to 1/2 cup and added the lemon zest of one lemon. (its all a matter of taste..I like a strong but not too strong lemon bar) Seriously the best lemon bars I have ever had! Even better than the high priced lemon bars I bought at a specialty shop in MI that I thought for years were the best (until this recipe) Fiance said it is his favorite dessert ever.

JUST AMAZING!!! The most perfect lemon bars ever!!! used 2/3 cups of lemon juice and put in 1/4 teaspoon of salt into the crust and it was fantastic