Meyer Lemon Bars
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Meyer Lemon Bars have a layer of nutty, buttery crust topped off with a sweet, tart, and creamy lemon filling with a dusting of powdered sugar on top.
Lemon bars have forever been one of my favorite desserts. Whenever they are made right they are the perfect dessert. I love the buttery bottom crust paired with a sweet yet tart lemon filling.
The problem with lemon bars is that people often feel the need to add too much sugar in order to balance out the tartness of the lemons. With this recipe I used Meyer lemons which aren’t quite as sour as traditional lemons. That means I didn’t have to use as much sugar as I might normally use.
There’s nothing more disappointing then biting into a lemon bar and only tasting butter and sugar. If I’m eating something that has lemon in it I want to have a bit of sour flavor in it so I know it’s lemon.
My Aunt Val has forever made lemon bars at the holidays and we asked and asked for the recipe and were shocked to find that they were a box mix! They are actually very good and my husband and I both enjoyed them but I set out to find a homemade lemon bar that was a little more tart.
I found that recipe with these Meyer Lemon Bars. Oh my! These may be the best lemon bar I’ve ever eaten and I’ve had my share of them!
For this recipe you will need:
- Nuts (macadamia, almonds, or pecans)
- flour
- powdered sugar
- salt
- butter
- eggs
- sugar
- Meyer Lemons
The first thing I did was make the crust. To make it you simply combine all the ingredients in a food processor and process until it begins to stick together. I used pecan meal which is basically ground up pecans but you can use almonds or macadamia nuts as well.
The crust is pressed into a pan and pre-baked. Once it goes in the oven you can get started on the filling. The filling is a simple combination of ingredients. I needed 5 Meyer lemons to make the amount of juice I needed. I was a little worried about how much sugar was going into the filling but because there was a ton of lemon juice I knew it was going to work.
Once the crust is baked the lemon filling goes on top and it’s baked again. When the bars came out of the oven they smelled amazing. I quickly put them on a wire rack to cool.
After they have cooled the bars are sprinkled with powdered sugar and cut into squares. I couldn’t wait to try one! The buttery, nutty crust goes so well with the sweet yet tart lemon filling. There lemon really zings in these bars and they are definitely the best lemon bars I’ve ever had!
Pro Tips and Substitutions:
- If you don’t have Meyer Lemons you can certainly use regular lemons. If you want to give it the Meyer Lemon feel add 2/3 cup lemon juice plus 3 tablespoons orange juice to the bars.
- Use your favorite nut or nut meal in the crust. Pecans, almonds, and macadamia nuts are delicious. Make sure to toast them before using.
- The original recipe calls for 3/4 c. unsweetened shredded coconut in the lemon mixture so if you like coconut add it in!
Meyer Lemon Bars
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 1/2 c. pecans or other nut toasted and chopped
- 1 c. flour
- 1/3 c. powdered sugar
- 1 t. salt
- 1/2 c. 1 stick butter, cut into pieces
For the filling:
- 4 eggs
- 1 1/4 c. sugar
- 1/2 c. flour
- 3/4 c. fresh squeezed Meyer Lemon juice
Instructions
- Line an 8 x 8 baking dish with foil or parchment paper that hangs over the edge so it is easy to take out of the pan.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- To make the crust combine all the crust ingredients in a food processor and pulse several times. Then process on high for 1 minute or until the mixture begins to come together.
- Press the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan and bake in the oven for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, prepare the lemon filling. Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Whisk in the sugar, flour, and lemon juice and mix until smooth.
- Pour the lemon mixture over top of the crust and bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until the filling is set and the edges begin turning golden.
- Remove from oven and cool completely on a wire rack.
- Use the foil or parchment to remove the bars from the pan. Dust with powdered sugar if desired and cut into 16 bars.
- Store bars in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
Nutrition
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These look super yummy! I’ll have to see if they have meyer lemons here. I’d bake and take when I can finally go back to work.
They are awesome because they have a great deal of tartness which I love!
These look amazing! It’s been a while since I made these. Looking at yours, I just want to make and have these. I too like to use Meyer lemons for these. They work perfect.
Great research project perfecting these bars! Love the nuts in the crust and Meyer lemons sound right on!
It’s been a hot minute since I’ve made lemon bars. I must change that, yours look so mouthwatering good.
I haven’t made lemon bars in awhile. Yours look so good I am going to have to get after it. I agree about the tartness. Just tart enough and not too sweet is perfect.