meyer lemon brown butter bars

If you’ve ever wondered what sunshine tastes like, look no further than these sweet and tangy Meyer lemon brown butter bars. Bright and bursting with Meyer lemon zest and juice, I’ve never liked a lemon bar more!

The secret to the best lemon squares is pairing the fruity Meyer lemon filling with a press-in brown butter shortbread crust. Brown butter is the fastest way to add depth of flavor to any recipe, giving these bars a richness that balances nicely with the lemon filling.

Perfectly sweet-tart, serve the chilled lemon bars with a generous dusting of powdered sugar for the best spring dessert!

How to Make the Best Lemon Bars

Fresh Juice – Use fresh Meyer lemon zest and juice for the best citrus flavor! Meyer lemons are sweeter than regular lemons – if you don’t have Meyer lemons and want to use regular lemons instead, increase the sugar in the filling to 1 cup.

Brown Butter Crust – To make the crust, brown butter in a heavy saucepan. Pour browned butter into a large mixing bowl and let cool for 5 minutes. Whisk in sugar, vanilla, and salt until smooth. Fold in flour until incorporated, then press the crust firmly and evenly into prepared baking pan.

Pre-Bake Crust – Bake the crust at 350°F for 22 to 24 minutes, until the top is set and edges are golden. Remove crust from the oven and reduce over temperature to 325°F.

Meyer Lemon Filling – When the crust is almost finished baking, make the Meyer lemon filling. Sift together flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk in eggs, Meyer lemon zest, and juice until smooth and fully incorporated.

Bake Filling – Slowly pour the lemon filling over the warm pre-baked crust. Carefully return pan to oven and continue baking the bars at 325°F until filling is firm and no longer jiggles, 22 to 25 minutes.

Cool Bars – Remove bars from the oven and cool for 1 hour on a wire rack, then chill in the refrigerator (uncovered) for at least 2 hours before serving.

Serve Bars – When you’re ready to serve the lemon bars, lift parchment and transfer to a cutting board. Cut into squares with a sharp knife and dust squares with powdered sugar just before serving.

Freeze Lemon Bars – Once the bars are sliced (skip the powdered sugar topping), arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until firm, 1-2 hours. Once the bars are frozen, wrap individually in plastic wrap and store them in a freezer bag up to 2 months. Thaw the bars overnight in the refrigerator, and dust with powdered sugar before serving.

Double the Recipe – If you’re making treats to share, this recipe easily doubles for a 13 x 9-inch baking pan. Simply double the ingredients and bake as directed (the baking time will remain the same).

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More Meyer lemon recipes you’ll love:

Meyer Lemon Poppy Seed Cake
Meyer Lemon Meringue Pie
Meyer Lemon Cream Puffs
Meyer Lemon Layer Cake