I’ve Been Making Ina Garten’s Lemon Bars for Over 15 Years—My Family Loves Them

For perfect lemon bars every time, turn to Ina Garten’s dependable recipe. I’ve been making her easy lemon bars for over 15 years—they’re the only ones I make.

May 7, 2024 - 12:00

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I’ve Been Making Ina Garten’s Lemon Bars for Over 15 Years—My Family Loves Them

Ina Garten cut-out on a green and yellow background next to a photo fo lemon bars — Simply Recipes / Photo Illustration by Wanda Abraham / Sara Haas

It was my mom’s love of lemon bars that prompted my search for the best version. I didn’t know much about Ina Garten then, but my mom always spoke highly of her, so her cookbooks were where I searched first. I’ve never looked back. My mom loved Ina Garten's lemon bars the first time I made them and I still bring them to her when I visit.

I’ve since found another lemon bar lover in the family: my 11-year-old daughter. From a young age, she would ask for plain lemon slices or wedges and would pop them right in her mouth, sucking on them like you would an orange or other citrus. So it didn’t surprise me that when I was making a batch of lemon bars for my mom, she hungrily grabbed one to sample—and instantly fell in love.

lemon bars on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet — Simply Recipes / Sara Haas

How To Make the Best Lemon Bars

I’d like to think I’m the reason that my family loves these bars so much, but I know that it has more to do with Garten’s fantastic recipe.

It begins with making a simple shortbread crust. Similarly to making cookie dough, you beat sugar and butter together before adding a bit of flour and salt. The mixture is pressed into the prepared pan and bakes for about 15 minutes.

While it bakes, make the filling, which only requires a few eggs along with sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and flour. After whisking, pour the filling into the baked, slightly cooled crust and bake for 30 minutes. Patiently wait for them to cool, then cover the tops with confectioner’s sugar before slicing and enjoying.

My Tips for Making Ina Garten’s Lemon Bars

I’ve learned some things about these bars in the 15-plus years I’ve been making them:

Add lemon zest to the crust: Stir in one to two full teaspoons of lemon zest when you make the crust, before pressing it into the pan and baking. It’s a simple tweak that produces an even bigger lemon flavor.
Use salted butter: I know everyone will tell you not to use salted butter in baking, but I almost always use it. Mostly because there’s not that much salt in it and I love how salt brings out the flavor of sweet dishes, like these bars. So go ahead, use salted butter, and thank me later.
Alter the proportions: You can absolutely make this recipe as written and get perfect results, but if you love crust like I do, try this slight adjustment to the ingredients. Instead of using a 9x13-inch pan, use an 8x8-inch pan. Make the full amount of crust and bake as instructed. Then, make only HALF of the filling mixture to place on top. Check after 20 minutes for doneness.