Sticky, gooey, and packed with zesty lemon flavour—these sticky lemon bars are pure sunshine in every bite. A crowd favourite, every time!
These bars are the answer to life’s most important questions:
“What do I feel like eating?” → Sticky lemon bars.
“What should I bring to a friend’s place?” → Sticky lemon bars.
“What does everyone love?” → You guessed it—sticky lemon bars.
There’s just something about them. Maybe it’s the buttery shortbread base, maybe it’s the lush, tangy lemon topping… but one thing’s for sure: these bars make people happy.
I’ve been baking them for years—for cafés here in Brno, school bake sales, even my baking classes—and they never last long. People love them. And today? You're in for a treat, because I’m finally sharing the recipe with you.
I wish I could say it was mine, but the credit goes to Angie Dudley—aka Bakerella—the queen of cake pops and the very first food blogger I ever followed (back in 2007). I used to use this recipe to teach my baking students (back when I ran baking classes several years ago) and now I’m so excited to pass them on to you.
Get ready to fall in love. These aren’t just lemon bars… they’re sticky lemon bars, and they’re on a whole other level.
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Ingredients
Butter - Adds richness and helps create that classic, melt-in-your-mouth shortbread texture. It binds the dry ingredients together and provides flavour.
Plain flour (all purpose) - the main structure builder for the base. It holds the crust together and gives it that firm, crumbly bite and thickens the lemon mixture slightly (in the topping) so that it sets into a smooth, sliceable layer rather than being runny.
Icing Sugar (confectionary sugar)- sweetens the crust while also contributing to a smooth, tender texture. It dissolves more easily than granulated sugar which is perfect for shortbread.
White Sugar - sweetens the tangy lemon topping and balances the acidity of the lemon juice. It also helps create that slightly crisp, caramelized top.
Baking Powder - gives the lemon topping a light, slightly airy texture by reacting with the lemon juice (see here to learn more about how baking powder works with an acidic ingredient).
Eggs - binds all the ingredients together and creates that custardy, luscious texture in the lemon layer. They also help the topping set properly as it bakes.
Lemon Juice - the star of the show! It gives the bars their zesty, citrusy punch and brings the perfect contrast to the sweetness of the sugar.
How To Make Sticky Lemon Bars
1. Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F) and prepare a 20cm x 30cm pan by greasing and flouring it.
2. For the base, mix flour and icing sugar, then rub in the butter until crumbly. Press into the pan and bake for 20 minutes until lightly golden.
3. While the base bakes, whisk together sugar, flour, and baking powder. Add eggs and lemon juice, mix well.
4. Pour topping over the warm base and bake for another 20–25 minutes.
5. Cool completely, then dust with icing sugar and slice into bars.
Baking secrets to help you bake them to perfection:
- The base of these bars require the ‘rubbing in method’ just like when making these and these. This means the base is extra tender and melt-in-your-mouth-delicious because the flour proteins are covered in butter and are better protected from forming too much gluten (too much gluten means chewy and tough bars, which isn’t so nice).
- Note on baking time: When baking these bars, I like to bake them for exactly the suggested time in the recipe to achieve a buttery, soft textured base with a gooey lemon topping.
- I also like to chop the edges off when cutting into bars and save these ‘scraps’ for snacks. My baking students tell me the crunchy bits are the best part and therefore bake their bars a few minutes longer to achieve a crunchier base. So if you’re like me, bake them for suggested time, but if you like them crunchier, leave them baking for 5 or so minutes extra.
Storage
Store lemon bars in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. For best texture and flavour, allow them to come to room temperature for a few minutes before serving.
If you'd like to keep them longer, lemon bars freeze beautifully—just wrap them individually and store in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. Dust with icing sugar after thawing, just before serving.
FAQ
Fresh is always best for flavor, but bottled lemon juice can be used in a pinch—just make sure it’s 100% juice with no added sugar or preservatives
They may have needed a bit more baking time. The topping should be just set in the centre when you take them out. Let them cool completely (to firm up) before slicing.
The base might not have baked long enough or fully cooled before adding the topping. Be sure to bake it until lightly golden and pour the topping over it while it's still warm, not hot.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Sticky Lemon Bars
Ingredients
Base Ingredients
- 225 g (1 cup) butter
- 220 g (1 ¾) cup plain flour
- 80 g (⅔ cup) icing sugar (plus more for dusting)
Topping Ingredients
- 300 g (1 ½) cup white sugar
- 30 g (¼ cup) flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 4 eggs slightly beaten
- ½ cup lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 175 C (350 F) and grease and flour a 20cm x 30cm (9 x 13) pan.
To make base
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and icing sugar. Cut the butter into small cubes and using your finger tips, rub into the flour until combined and crumbly (alternatively you could use a food processor) 3. Press mixture into bottom of pan and smooth with hands. Bake for 20 minutes or until just golden brown.
To make topping
- While the base is baking, prepare topping – In a larger bowl, sift sugar, flour, and baking powder together and whisk to combine.
- Add slightly beaten eggs and lemon juice and mix well. Pour on top of warm baked base and bake for 20-25 minutes.
- When cool, dust with icing sugar and cut into desired sized bars (either 12 large bars or 24 smaller bars).
