Honey Lemon Bars
I love a good sweet and tangy lemon treat. Some of my other favorite lemon treats are Lemon Cheesecake Yogurt Cups, Pink Lemonade Confetti Cupcakes and Lemon Cranberry Scones.
These lightened bars use far less butter and sugar than traditional lemon bars. Honey is a natural way to sweeten these lemon treats but it also darkens the color of the bars compared to traditional version. But no worries, they taste so good you really won’t care. The only problem with these bars is that I find myself making excuses to eat another, so I suggest making these only if you have some friends to share them with! I first posted these in 2012, and noticed some people had issues with the lemon topping running under the shortbread. So I tested them again a few times and perfected them.
Tips for Perfect Lemon Bars
Use a glass or ceramic baking dish. I find using a glass or ceramic baking dish is best to avoid a metallic taste. Make a sling for easy removal. To easily remove the bars from the baking dish once ready, make a sling with parchment paper. Line the pan with the 2 long sheets of parchment paper placed perpendicular to each other in the pan. They should be long enough to hang over the sides to use as handles to lift out the baked lemon bars before cutting. When making the crust, make the sides higher to prevent spillage. Add the flour mixture to the baking dish pressing into an even layer and up the sides of the dish about 1/4-inch so the filling doesn’t spill out. Let the crust cool once baked before mixing the ingredients for the topping. Don’t add the powdered sugar until ready to serve. Use a clean hot knife for cutting. Clean in between cuts.
How To Make Lemon Bars
Photo credit: Jess Larson
