Soft and dreamy, The Best Lemon Sugar Cookie Bars are loaded with tart and citrus flavor, the most tender cookie texture and finished off with a creamy and super lemon flavored frosting. Fresh lemon juice and lemon zest make these Lemon Bars sweet and tangy and perfect for spring entertaining.
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Ready for spring and summer? Lemon Sugar Cookie Bars are the perfect addition to all of you spring gatherings. These bars are quick and easy to make, soft and tender and loaded with lemon flavor!
Made with simple ingredients, these Easy Lemon Sugar Cookie Bars are made using one sugar cookie dough recipe that is infused with a lot of lemon flavor and a creamy and tart frosting that covers the top! These bars are pressed into a 9x9 inch square cake pan, baked and ready to enjoy in no time.
Whether you are celebrating Easter, Mother's Day or needing an easy dessert to share with friends and family, these are The Best Lemon Sugar Cookie Bars and they will be a huge hit. You will also love our Funfetti Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars or for something nutty our Chewy Pecan Bars.
Ingredients
Flour
All purpose flour is the most popular and versatile flour to use when baking. Do not replace the flour with another type of flour or it will change the consistency!
Leavening Agent
You will only need baking powder in this recipe. Do you substitute baking powder for baking soda or you will have a very different outcome!
Butter
I prefer to use unsalted butter when baking and add the salt in on my own so that I can control the amount of salted added to the recipe. If you only have salted butter just remove the salt from the recipe.
Sugar
Only granulated sugar is used to make these easy lemon bars!
Lemon
Fresh lemon zest and lemon juice will make these bars extra tangy tart. Before you juice the lemon, use a microplane to zest the skin of the lemon and this adds an extra boost of flavor.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Prep
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and prepare a 9x9 square cake pan coated with butter or pan spray and lined with parchment paper
Dry Ingredients
In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside
Wet Ingredients
In the bowl of the electric mixer, cream together the butter, granulated sugar and lemon zest until smooth and creamy; Scrape down the sides in between mixing. Add the eggs, lemon juice and vanilla extract and continue mixing until all ingredients are combined (it will look clumpy)
Combine The Wet and Dry Ingredients
On low speed, add the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl and mix until fully combined (scrape down the sides in between mixing)
Bake and Cool
Bake for 13-14 minutes or until the center is set (do not overbake, the bars should be light in color). Remove the bars from the oven and allow them to cool completely before adding the frosting
Prepare The Frosting
In the bowl of an electric mixer combine the butter and powdered sugar and mix on low speed until the butter is mixed throughout the powdered sugar. Add the heavy cream, lemon juice and vanilla extract and mix on medium speed until smooth and creamy (if the frosting is too thick, add one more tablespoon of lemon juice and if it is to thin, add more powdered sugar). Spread the Lemon Frosting on the top of the bars and allow the frosting to set for 1-2 hours before cutting (refrigerate the bars to allow the frosting to set if you want to cut the bars quickly). Cut the bars into 9 squares or the desired shape and size!
Tips To Make Easy Lemon Sugar Cookie Bars
Room Temperature Ingredients
Make sure to use room temperature ingredients when baking to ensure that every mixes and bakes evenly!
Ingredient Substitutions
Need to make these gluten free? You can substitute the all purpose flour for 1 to 1 Gluten Free Flour!
Storage and Freezing
Store the lemon bars in an airtight container for 3-5 days! If you want to keep them longer, wrap the bars in plastic wrap and then store inside an airtight container and these will stay good for up to 3 months in the freezer!
FAQ's To Baking The Best Lemon Bars
YES! These are all lemon and if you don't use fresh squeezed lemon juice it will change the flavor of these bars.
No! Lemon Bars are going to have a crust and a creamy filling that sets when it bakes. These Sugar Cookie Bars are all cookie, no filling!
I love baking bars because you can cut them any shape and size. These are easy to cut into small, medium or large squares or any other shape you desire!
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The Best Lemon Sugar Cookie Bars
Equipment
- 1 Electric Mixer
- 1 9" Square Cake Pan
Ingredients
Lemon Sugar Cookie Bars
- 2 ¼ Cups All Purpose Flour
- 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
- ½ Teaspoon Salt
- 1 Cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 Tablespoon Lemon Zest
- ¾ Cup Unsalted Butter Room Temperature
- 2 Eggs
- 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Lemon Frosting
- 3 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter Room Temperature
- 1 ½ Cup Powdered Sugar
- 1 Tablespoon Heavy Cream
- 1-2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Instructions
Lemon Sugar Cookie Bars
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and prepare a 9x9 square cake pan coated with butter or pan spray and lined with parchment paper
- In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside
- In the bowl of the electric mixer, cream together the butter, granulated sugar and lemon zest until smooth and creamy; Scrape down the sides in between mixing
- Add the eggs, lemon juice and vanilla extract and continue mixing until all ingredients are combined (it will look clumpy)
- On low speed, add the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl and mix until fully combined (scrape down the sides in between mixing)
- Evenly spread the sugar cookie batter into the prepared cake pan
- Bake for 13-14 minutes or until the center is set (do not overbake, the bars should be light in color)
- Remove the bars from the oven and allow them to cool completely before adding the frosting
- Prepare the frosting while the bars cool
Lemon Frosting
- In the bowl of an electric mixer combine the butter and powdered sugar and mix on low speed until the butter is mixed throughout the powdered sugar
- Add the heavy cream, lemon juice and vanilla extract and mix on medium speed until smooth and creamy (if the frosting is too thick, add one more tablespoon of lemon juice and if it is to thin, add more powdered sugar)
- Spread the Lemon Frosting on the top of the bars
- Allow the frosting to set for 1-2 hours before cutting (refrigerate the bars to allow the frosting to set if you want to cut the bars quickly)
- Cut the bars into 9 squares or the desired shape and size
Notes
Make sure to use room temperature ingredients when baking to ensure that every mixes and bakes evenly Ingredient Substitutions
Need to make these gluten free? You can substitute the all purpose flour for 1 to 1 Gluten Free Flour! Storage and Freezing
Store the lemon bars in an airtight container for 3-5 days! If you want to keep them longer, wrap the bars in plastic wrap and then store inside an airtight container and these will stay good for up to 3 months in the freezer!
Nutrition
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