Lemon Sugar Cookie Bars

Lemon Sugar Cookie Bars

Jessie Cagliero
Recipes

Soft, chewy and bursting with zesty sweet lemon, these sugar cookie bars are absolutely gorgeous. Pair them with afternoon tea or add them to your dessert menu for a cute cookie idea that will wow!

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I need to be honest with you about something. These lemon sugar cookie bars are SERIOUSLY addicting. I ate wayyy too many and I may need to eat a few more. Since the new year, I have been trying to refrain from eating so many of my own baked goods and it has really tested my will power and focus. And I was doing okay… until I met these bars. They are SERIOUSLY addicting. SERIOUSLY. Oh, did I already mention that? I’m sorry, my brain is a little scrambled because all I can think about is how I want another one! Is there a support group for this?? I need HELP!

Why you’ll love lemon sugar cookie bars

Aside from their addicting nature (I’m not sure if that is a positive or a negative), I think you will find that these cookies are stunning to look at. They are very aesthetic and appealing considering how they only take about 10 minutes to mix up and about 25 minutes to bake. No need to roll out dough and use time consuming cookie cutters, no need to mix up frosting and spread it over each cookie. Plus you can make them all in one bowl so less dishes!

They are soft and chewy, and the lemon zest mixed into the dough and sprinkled with sugar on top make them punchy and bright. I think they might be the best lemon sugar cookie bars? No, they are and I’m sure of it.

Recipe Tips for the best lemon sugar cookie bars

  • Do not skip the lemon zest. This step is very important if you want the lemon flavor to really stand out. The lemon zest holds the most concentrated flavor, please take advantage.

  • Do not over bake them. The key to a soft and chewy cookie is to pull them out of the oven as soon as they puff up in the center and turn light golden brown around the edges. The same is true for cookie bars. This is not a secret, but it makes a HUGE difference in the texture of your cookie, and I think it also makes them last a little longer too!

Recipe Variations for lemon sugar cookie bars

  • Try adding ¼ cup white chocolate chips to make these cookie bars extra good!

  • Make them vegan - switch out the butter for an oil like coconut oil or grapeseed oil and switch out the egg for 1 teaspoon baking soda mixed with 1 tablespoon white vinegar.

FAQ

  • Cookie bars are actually a bar dessert rather than a cookie. Cookies are shaped or dropped onto a pan in individual serving sizes, while cookie bars are baked in a baking dish as one piece and sliced into individual sized pieces. The flavor outcome is very similar, and I find bar cookies to be even faster and easier than cookies!

  • To zest a lemon, first wash the peel of the lemon thoroughly and pat it dry.

    Use a zester or fine grate on a cheese grater to gently grate the peel of the lemon. One swipe will do the trick, you don’t want to include any of the bitter white pith.

    Do this all the way around one lemon and you’ll have about ½ tablespoon of zest.

  • In the oven, cookies and bars expand and puff up and they naturally deflate once cooked, which causes the signature cracking of the top crust.

  • You either have too much flour in the recipe

    • Your dough will look crumbly and be hard to compact together. Add 1 tablespoon of melted and cooled unsalted butter at a time until until the dough is just able to stick together.

    Or you left the pan in the oven too long

    • Sorry, there is really no way to fix this. The next time you bake this recipe, set a timer and check the bars five minutes early, then you can watch them closely until they are ready - they should be just lightly golden brown around the edges and puffy in the middle.

Helpful Kitchen Tools

  • 8 x 8 inch baking dish

  • Parchment paper

  • Spatula

Ingredients

Dough

  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar

  • 1 teaspoon baking powder

  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

  • 1/2 cup butter (melted and slightly cooled)

  • 1 egg

  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest

  • 1 cup flour

Topping

  • 2 tablespoons Granulated Sugar

  • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest

How to make lemon sugar cookie bars

  • Preheat oven to 350℉. Line an 8 x 8 baking dish with parchment paper.

  • Melt the butter and allow it to cool slightly.

Make the dough

  • In a large bowl add granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and mix until well combined. Mix in the melted butter, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Mix in the egg, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Add flour and mix until well combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl.

  • Pour the mixture into the parchment lined pan and spread it evenly to each corner.

Make the topping

  • Mix together the sugar and lemon zest. Sprinkle it evenly over the top of the dough.

Bake

  • Bake for 20 - 25 minutes, or until the edges become lightly golden brown and the middle puffs up slightly.

  • Let cool and set in the pan for about 1 hour or until completely cooled. 

How to Store

Store lemon sugar cookie bars at room temperature in an air tight container for up to five days, or store in the refrigerator for up to five days. If stored in the refrigerator, let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes, or pop in the microwave for five to ten seconds to warm to room temperature.

You can also freeze lemon sugar cookie bars easily. Just place (fully baked and cooled) in an air tight freezer container and store in the freezer for up to three months. Remove from the freezer and place in the refrigerator 24 hours prior to serving.

lemon cookies, citrus cookies, bright, aesthetic cookies, easy cookies, easy bars, easy dessert, dessert menu, easter party, party planning
dessert, cookies, bars
american
Servings: 12
Author: Jessie Cagliero

Lemon Sugar Cookie Bars

Soft, chewy and bursting with zesty sweet lemon, these sugar cookie bars are absolutely gorgeous. Pair them with afternoon tea or add them to your dessert menu for a cute cookie idea that will wow!
Prep time: 10 minutesCook time: 25 minutesTotal time: 35 minutes
Cook modePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients

Dough
Topping

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350℉.
  2. Line an 8 x 8 baking dish with parchment paper.
  3. Melt the butter and allow it to cool slightly.
  4. Mix together granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and mix until well combined.
  5. Add the melted butter and mix, scraping down the sides of the bowl.
  6. Add the egg and lemon juice and mix, scraping down the sides of the bowl.
  7. Add flour and mix until well combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl.
  8. Pour the mixture into the parchment lined pan and spread it evenly to each corner.
  9. Mix together the sugar and lemon zest. Sprinkle it evenly over the top of the dough.
  10. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes, or until the edges become lightly golden brown and the middle puffs up slightly.
  11. Let cool and set in the pan for about 1 hour or until completely cooled.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

162

Fat

8 g

Sat. Fat

5 g

Carbs

21 g

Fiber

0 g

Net carbs

21 g

Sugar

13 g

Protein

2 g

Sodium

173 mg

Cholesterol

34 mg

*Nutrition is auto-calculated by recipes generator.

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