A shortbread crust and a super zesty lemon curd make up these super delicious small batch lemon bars.
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small batch lemon bars
This one’s for all my fellow lemon lovers out there. These small batch lemon bars are made with a super easy shortbread crust (no hand mixer or stand mixer required) and are topped with the creamiest, richest, zestiest lemon curd that packs a punch with every bite. And I know lemon bars are typically sprinkled with powdered sugar, but we’re topping these with a thick layer of light and fluffy whipped cream – the perfect compliment to the lemon curd.
why you’ll love these lemon bars:
- They’re super easy to make: you just need a few ingredients for the shortbread, and a few for the curd fililng.
- Lemon curd: we’re making a lemon curd that uses butter which makes the filling extra rich and velvety.
- They’re small batch: aka the perfect size for when you want some lemon bars, but don’t need enough to feed a party.
expert baking tips
Weigh your ingredients:
My recipes are all written in grams because it is the most accurate way to bake. When you use a kitchen scale, you ensure that your baked goods turn out as close to the written recipe as possible. Plus, the cleanup is way easier when using a scale! I will provide standard cup measurements but please note that I have not tested the recipe using cup measurements and therefore can not guarantee your recipe will come out how mine did. Here is my favorite kitchen scale.
try to avoid metal utensils when making the curd
It’s possible for the curd to take on a metallic taste if you are using a metal bowl or whisk, so to be safe I would recommend staying away from those when making the curd.
Whisk the eggs before putting the curd over heat
Please be sure to whisk up your eggs before placing them over the heat so that they’re all broken up and smooth. I learned the hard way (so that you don’t have to) that if you don’t do this, you’ll end up with a lot of cooked egg white pieces in your curd.
Use room temperature ingredients:
Take out your butter about an hour before starting the recipe to allow it to come to room temperature. If your butter is too cold, you won’t be able to beat it properly for the shortbread. And having room-temperature butter for the curd allows the butter to incorporate easier with the curd.
A note on oven temperature:
Ovens vary and fluctuate in temperature and might not always actually be at the temperature they claim to be at. If you love to bake like I do, I highly recommend getting an oven thermometer. They are super helpful for letting you know when your oven might be lying to you! I use this one.
ingredients for small batch lemon bars:
shortbread:
- All purpose flour: for structure in the shortbread. If you’d like to make these gluten-free, you can use a 1:1 swap gluten free flour.
- Light brown sugar: for sweetness, moisture, and flavor. In a pinch granulated sugar will work here as well.
- Unsalted butter: for tenderness and that delicious buttery-shortbread flavor. You can sub in salted butter, just omit the extra salt from the shortbread.
- Salt: for flavor, never skip on the salt!
lemon curd:
- Eggs: the base of the curd and what thickens it up.
- Granulated sugar: sweetens up the curd.
- Lemons: where all the flavor comes from! You’ll need fresh lemons for the zest and the juice.
- Salt: to balance and bring out the sweetness of the curd.
- Unsalted butter: for thickening the curd and giving it that melt-in-your-mouth feel. You can use salted butter here, just be sure to omit the extra salt from the curd.
Whipped Cream:
- Heavy whipping cream: the base of the whipped cream.
- Granulated sugar: just a bit of sugar to sweeten up the cream a little.
- Vanilla bean paste: or vanilla extract, for flavor
- Salt: to balance the sweetness of the whipped cream.
how to make small batch lemon bars
Below are some images of the process of making lemon bars. You can find the full recipe at the end of the blog post!
- Beat together the butter, sugar, and salt – then beat in the flour.
- Press the shortbread dough into a loaf pan and bake it. In the meantime, make the lemon curd.
- Add the eggs, sugar, salt, and lemon zest to a saucepan. Whisk the mixture vigorously until the eggs are completely broken up, then add in the lemon juice and cook the mixture.
- Strain the lemon curd to remove the zest, lemon pulp, and any seeds.
- Mix together the curd and butter.
- Pour the curd over the baked shortbread and bake it again. Allow the lemon bars to cool, then top them with whipped cream and enjoy!
small batch lemon bars recipe q&a
what size pan do I need?
I used a 1 lb loaf pan which was 8.5″ x 4.5″. You could also use an 8×4″ pan – just note that the bars will be a tad thicker and may take a few more minutes to bake, or you could use a 9×5″ pan – just note that the bars will be a tad thinner and may bake a little bit faster. I recommend against using a glass pan, but, if you are using one, note that the bars may take longer to bake.
how to store lemon bars
The bars need to be stored in the fridge. They will keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. If you’re topping them with powdered sugar, I’d recommend topping them only as you want to eat them so that the sugar doesn’t “melt” into the bars.
tools and ingredients:
You can find all my favorite tools and ingredients that I use on my Amazon Storefront page, here!
other recipes you might enjoy:
did you make this recipe?
I’d love to see and know your thoughts! please leave a comment and review below, and tag me on instagram @freshbeanbakery. #freshbeanbakery
Small Batch Lemon Bars
Ingredients
Shortbread Crust
- 84 g unsalted butter room temperature (6 tbsp.)
- ¼ tsp. salt
- 50 g light brown sugar (¼ c.)
- 90 g all purpose flour (¾ c.)
Lemon Curd
- 3 eggs
- ⅛ tsp. salt
- 100 g granulated sugar
- Zest of 3 lemons
- 120 g freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 62 g unsalted butter room temperature (4 ½ tbsp.)
Whipped Cream
- 170 g heavy whipping cream (¾ c.)
- 1 tbsp. granulated sugar
- ⅛ tsp. salt
- 2 tsp. vanilla
Instructions
Shortbread Crust
- Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C. Grease and line a loaf pan with butter and parchment paper.
- In a small mixing bowl, beat together the butter, brown sugar and salt until combined.
- Add in the flour and beat until you have crumbles of dough.
- Press the shortbread down into an even layer in your prepared loaf pan. Poke the dough a few times with a fork to allow air to escape as it bakes.
- Bake the shortbread for 15-20 minutes, until the edges start to turn golden brown. In the meantime, make the lemon curd.
Lemon Curd
- Prep a small mixing bowl by adding the cubed butter to it, along with a fine mesh sieve. Set aside.
- Add the eggs, salt and sugar to a small saucepan, then zest the lemon into the saucepan. Vigorously whisk the mixture together until the egg has been all broken up and you have a cohesive mixture, then add in the lemon juice.
- Set the saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly (this can be slowly – we just need constant movement happening!)
- Continue to stir the curd until it thickens and reaches a temperature of at least 170°F / 76°C (This took me about 3-5 minutes.)
- Remove the curd from the heat and pass it through the fine mesh sieve, over the butter. Mix the curd and the butter together until the butter has melted and the mixture is smooth.
- Once the shortbread is done baking, pour the lemon curd over it and return the pan to the oven. Bake for an additional 18-20 minutes, until the curd only slightly jiggles.
- Allow the lemon bars to sit on the counter for 1 hour, then transfer them to the fridge to cool for at least an additional 2 hours.
Whipped Cream (Optional)
- Add the heavy cream, sugar, vanilla and salt to a medium sized mixing bowl. Beat the mixture until soft peaks form.
- Once the lemon bars have fully chilled, top them with the whipped cream. Silce, serve, and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Please note that the nutrition facts are only an estimate and may vary based on different brands of ingredients and any substitutions made.
I just made these and they were divine! Tasted exactly how I was hoping and they look gorgeous. So lemony and the whipped cream was a great alternative to meringue. I love the idea of small batch baking too, I will definitely be making these again (probably many times!) 🙂
These are delicious and will definitely be making again! My biscuit base didn’t come out perfect though and not sure why but will try again 😊 would be really useful if you could put the weights of the ingredients in the instructions too so you don’t have to keep scrolling up and down the page when you’re baking