Lemon Bars with Shortbread Base

Name: Lemon Bars with Shortbread Base
Total time: 1 h
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 170g unsalted butter, softened; 65g icing sugar, plus extra for dusting; 210g plain flour; 0.25 tsp fine salt; 4 large eggs; 300g caster sugar; 2 tbsp plain flour, for the filling; 3 lemons, zested, then juiced (about 120 ml juice)

Buttery shortbread under a sharp, silky lemon filling, dusted with icing sugar.

Time1 hr plus cooling
LevelEasy
Costabout £0.24 a head
Oven170°C (150°C fan)

Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.

16 bars

Ingredients

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170 gunsalted buttersoftened
65 gicing sugarplus extra for dusting
210 gplain flour
¼ tspfine salt
4large eggs
300 gcaster sugar
2 tbspplain flourfor the filling
3lemonszested, then juiced (about 120 ml juice)

Method

1
Heat the oven to 170°C (150°C fan). Line a 20 cm square tin with baking paper, letting it overhang two sides.
2
Mix the butter, icing sugar, flour and salt until it forms a soft dough. Press it firmly and evenly into the tin.
3
Bake for 20 minutes until pale golden at the edges.
20 min
4
Whisk the eggs, caster sugar, the 2 tbsp flour, lemon zest and juice until smooth. Pour it over the hot base.
5
Bake for a further 22 minutes, until the filling is set with just a slight wobble in the middle.
22 min
6
Cool completely in the tin, then chill for 1 hour. Lift out, cut into 16 squares with a hot knife, and dust with icing sugar.

Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.