Off the Eaten Path

A Food and Travel Blog

  • recipes
  • north carolina travel
  • cookbook
  • about
    • press and publications
  • work with me
    • mentoring and consulting
    • food photography

easy lemon bars

April 12, 2018 by Chrissie 1 Comment

Filed Under: all, desserts, recipes

Jump to Recipe

Easy lemon bars boast a bright, fresh flavor and are a quick, delicious, easy dessert to bake from scratch and will totally satisfy your sweet tooth!

easy lemon bars

Hi guys! I have been meaning to write this post forrrr evvv errr (any other Sandlot fans up in here?) but have been distracted by things like two three day weekends in a row, beautiful weather, and obsessing over editing photos in Lightroom. (Do you ever look at your computer or phone for too long before bed and then see the images endlessly after you close your eyes?

Maybe a sign I need to take a Lightroom break?

Also, I totally was going to post this easy lemon bars recipe Monday, but then after work I had a strong urge to sit in bed and catch up on Southern Charm rather than writing. I mean we had just been in Charleston after all. Sorry, I’m not sorry.

There are not a lot of baking recipes on this blog because frankly, I am not a baker. Sure, I participated in annual Christmas cookie baking with my mom and sister (Grandma Vera’s sugar cookies are my fave!) and would help my mom whip up the occasional batch of chocolate chip cookies (but let’s be honest, I was mostly there for the dough eating) but I much prefer not baking and instead to reap the benefits of those who consider themselves bakers. This makes me an excellent pie taste tester (my sister is like a pie making queen) and cookie consumer (my friend Kate and I lived together when we moved to Charlotte and she’s an excellent baker and makes great cookies and I love cookies so our cohabitation worked out really well).

easy lemon bars

Two weeks ago, I decided to bake.

I am not sure what got into me; maybe it was the three day holiday weekend. Maybe it was because I needed a subject to do my food photography homework (the best kind of homework is the kind you get to eat). Maybe it’s because I have a sweet tooth. Likely a combination of all three. So I thought I’d give it a go at one of my favorite sweet treats: lemon bars.

easy lemon bars

I do have an affinity for chocolate chip cookies, can’t say no to a good cake, and love brownies almost as much as I love brownie batter, but lemon desserts are my favorite. Give me all of the lemon cakes, lemon cookies, lemon merigune pies, lemon tarts, lemon bars.  Growing up, my grandma, Baba, would make me a lemon cake every year  on my birthday, so my love for lemon is totally steeped in nostalgia. (But also, hot take: I prefer fruit flavors over chocolate. I can hear you gasping now.)

And since my limited baking skills do not extend past cookies, brownies (mostly from a box), and the occasional, super indulgent, caramel apple pie, there is not going to be any cake baked by this girl anytime soon (it would not get anywhere close to the high caliber of Baba’s) so with the help of my stand mixer (seriously, from the heavens) I figured I could tackle these easy lemon bars.

easy lemon bars

And these easy lemon bars went off without a hitch (ok, full confession, my baking dish was not quiteee greased enough so some of them looked a little funky after scraping them off the dish, but they still tasted good.) Of course, not as good as one of Baba’s lemon cakes, but they surely satisfied my sweet tooth!

So the moral is y’all, if I can do it, you can do it. Skip the break and bake cookies and the boxed brownies. Instead, make these easy lemon bars and impress your friends, your family, and even your husband who maybe gives you you a really weird look when you tell him on a random Thursday night that you’ll be doing some baking like mine does.

easy lemon bars

Continue to Content
easy lemon bars

easy lemon bars

Yield: 10-12 bars
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Inactive Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes

Ingredients

  • For the crust:
  • 2 cups sifted flour
  • 1⁄2 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 cup butter
  • For the base:
  • 4 large beaten eggs
  • 2 cups white sugar
  • 1⁄2 cup lemon juice
  • 1⁄4 cup flour
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon baking powder
  • lemon zest from one lemon

Instructions

  • For the crust, mix the butter into the flour and sugar until well combined (I used my hands for this step).
  • Press into a 13 x 9 x 2-inch greased baking dish (you can line your baking dish with greased aluminum foil which will help you cutting the bars later).
  • Bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned.
  • While the crust is baking, make the filling. Beat together eggs, sugar and lemon juice.
  • Sift together flour and baking powder and stir into egg mixture.
  • Pour over baked, semi cooled crust.
  • Bake at 350°F for 20 minutes.
  • Cool (even chill in the fridge for a few minutes) and sprinkle with powdered sugar.
  • Cut into bars (if you lined your baking dish with aluminum foil, put the aluminum foil out with the bars and cut on a flat surface).
  • Did you make this recipe?

    Share a photo of your creation on Instagram and mention @chrissie_beth! Make sure you're following along for more delicious recipes!

    © adapted from genius kitchen

    Related Posts

    three cocktail glasses filled with drinks against a blue background
    peach frosé
    buffalo turkey meatballs on a white plate drizzled with ranch dressing and topped with green onions against a blue background
    slow cooker buffalo turkey meatballs
    upstream
    « delicious things i’ve been eating recently (#3)
    four tips to help you throw the easiest dinner party ever (including how to make an instagram worthy cheeseboard) »

    Trackbacks

    1. baking with brian: the best ever carrot cake | off the eaten path says:
      May 3, 2018 at 7:46 am

      […] Sure, I’ve been known to whip up an indulgent caramel apple pie around the holiday season or some easy lemon bars when a craving hits, but I am not a […]

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    chrissie off the eaten path blog
    Hi! I'm Chrissie: a pizza and sushi loving, craft beer and red wine drinking, restaurant exploring and traveling home cook who's been taking pictures of my food since 2013. To learn more about Off the Eaten Path, click here!

    Get in touch: offtheeatenpathclt@gmail.com

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

    NEWSLETTER


    Find the ultimate cheese and food pairings when you are building your own cheese and charcuterie boards at home with Off the Eaten Path's Perfect Pairings Guide!

    FIND ME ON INSTAGRAM

    last week I told AJ I wanted to go to Asheville to last week I told AJ I wanted to go to Asheville to eat so then we went to Asheville and ate.

#doughnuts #donuts #donutsofinstagram #donutlover #donutshop #doughnutsofinstagram #doughnut #doughnuttime #doughnutlover #asheville #ashevillenc #ashevillefood #avl #avleats #avlfood #ashevilleeats #ncmountains #roadtripusa #ncroadtrip #roadtrip #roadtrippin
    mr. kitty’s first hike #hikingadventures #hikin mr. kitty’s first hike

#hikingadventures #hiking #nchiking #nchikes #nchikingtrails #pisgahnationalforest #pisgah #cathiking #hikingwithcats #dayhike #dayhikes #dayhiking #catsofinstagram #catlife #catloversclub #catlover #catsinnature #catbackpack #ncmountains #visitnc #northcarolina #rescuecats #rescuecatsrock #rescuecatsofinstagram #outdoorsy #outdoorsyaf
    We break out these personalized hurricane glasses We break out these personalized hurricane glasses (swipe to see!) twice a year: for our anniversary and for Fat Tuesday! (honestly should be more though).

Even if your friends didn’t give you personalized hurricane glasses as a wedding gift 😂, I’ve got a really easy recipe for you to make some hurricanes at home for Mardi Gras tomorrow!

Hurricane Matthew (named after the hurricane we got married during!)
Makes 2 cocktails

4 ounces light or silver rum
4 ounces dark rum
4 ounces passion fruit juice (pineapple juice can be used instead!)
2 ounces orange juice
1-2 ounces lime juice
1 ounce grenadine
1 ounce simple syrup (optional if you like sweeter cocktails)
orange slice and cherry for garnish

Shake all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and strain into a tap glass filled with ice.

#fattuesday #mardigras2021 #mardigras #mardigrascocktail #fattuesdaycocktails #mardigrasrecipes #hurricanecocktail #hurricanedrink #cocktailsofinstagram #cocktailsathome #cocktailrecipes #cocktailoftheday #cocktailgram #cocktailrecipe #happyhour #cocktailphotography #drinkoftheday #drinkoftheweek #easycocktails #easycocktailrecipes
    Some personal news: I finished watching Dawson's C Some personal news: I finished watching Dawson's Creek!

It's a journey I started in mid-December and I'm proud to say that I finished the 128th episode last night. That’s 96 hours of late 90's nostalgia which I think is a great life accomplishment (and AJ says it's disgusting but nobody asked you AJ).

It just so happens we spent a week at the beach during my watching peak, so we spent an afternoon wandering around Wilmington to see some filming locations. Perfect timing! For my fellow Dawson's Creek fans, you can save this post for stroll (and a short car and ferry ride) next time you're in Wilmington:

Downtown
The Wilmington Riverwalk
Elijah's Restaurant, 2 Ann Street: Pacey's Icehouse in the finale
Reel Cafe, 100 South Front Street: look across Dock Street and you'll see the top of Joey's wall (there is restaurant patio seating in front of the wall now)
Michael's on the Waterfront, 5 South Water Street: Leery's Fresh Fish
Black Cat Shoppe, 8 Market Street: Capeside CD Shop
Hell's Kitchen, 118 Princess Street: It was originally a temporary set but now it's a real bar (the show sold the bar and it's contents to a local owner)
Thalian Hall, 310 Chestnut Street: The Rialto Theater
N Salo Salon, 212 North Front Street: Screen Play Video

Midtown
Alderman Hall at UNCW, 601 South College Road: Capeside High School
Airlie Gardens, 300 Airlie Road: The Ruins

Wrightsville Beach
Dockside Restaurant, 1308 Airlie Road: exterior shots of The Icehouse
Oceanic Pier, 703 S Lumina Ave: the pier from the opening credits 

Kure Beach and Southport
Southport/Fort Fisher Ferry, 2422 Fort Fisher Blvd
The Marina, Yacht Basin Drive and South Brunswick Street: the location for "The Longest Day"

PS: Team Pacey always and forever

#wilmingtonnc #wilmington #wilmingtonriverwalk #wilmingtonriverfront #capefearriver #visitnc #northcarolina #visitnorthcarolina #wilmingtoncoast # #nccoasnorthcarolinacoastt #nc #dawsonscreek #90snostalgia #90sbaby #travelgram #travelblogger #travelblog #wheninwilmington #explorewilmingtonandbeaches #travelawaits #letsgoplaces #letsgothere #letsmakeplans
    apparently it’s national pizza day apparently it’s national pizza day
    • privacy policy
    • disclaimers
    • disclosure policy

    Copyright © 2021 · Foodie Pro Theme by Shay Bocks · Built on the Genesis Framework · Powered by WordPress

    129shares