Kid-Friendly Lemon Bar Dessert

Combine sweet and tangy flavors to make a delicious lemon bar dessert that’s so easy, even the kids can help create this delectable treat.

My little chef-in-training, Tyler, was given his own apron and kids cookbook for Christmas. We’ve tried a few of the recipes from it so far, including a recipe for Lemon Bars that was absolutely delicious!

I usually am not a fan of lemon-based desserts, but I couldn’t get enough of these lemon bars! I can’t believe how simple they are to make, and of course, the boys loved to help with this recipe. According to Tyler, he had to help since it was from his recipe book!

Last week, Tyler asked if we could make something from his cookbook, and he wanted to make a dessert. So we looked through the book and found this recipe. He gets so excited to help in the kitchen. He immediately runs to grab his stool, wash his hands, and asks for help putting his apron on. Now and then, Ryan decides he wants to help as well.

One of the best aspects of this recipe is the ingredient list. Everything required to make the lemon bars are foods I almost always have on hand. The only thing I don’t always have is a lemon, but the zest is just extra. And I do make sure to have lemon juice in the refrigerator at all times.

Kid-Friendly Lemon Bar Dessert Step by Step

Ingredients

Crust

• 12 tbsp butter (softened)
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar

Filling

• 4 egg whites
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 tbsp lemon zest
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour

Instructions

Crust

Start the recipe by making the crust. Use a mixer to blend 3/4 cup of butter until it becomes fluffy, usually about a minute. You can use a hand-held electric mixer or a stand mixer if you have one.

Then add the flour and powdered sugar, mixing until it forms a soft dough.

Grease a 9×13 baking pan and then press the dough into the pan.

Bake the crust for about 15-20 minutes or until the edges just start to brown. Take it out of the oven and let it cool completely before moving on to the filling.

Filling

Meanwhile, use a mixer to combine the egg and sugar. Then add the lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla extract.

Blend in the flour until it is all combined, scraping the edges as needed.

Once the crust is cool, pour the filling into the pan over the crust. Tilt the pan around to make sure the filling covers the crust.

Bake the lemon bars for about 25 minutes. The filling needs to be completely set. After 25 minutes, I used an oven mitt and gave the pan a slight shake. The filling wiggled a little too much, so I left it in for another 5 minutes. After the filling has cooled, cut the bars into small pieces and dust with a bit of powdered sugar.

Kid-Friendly Lemon Bar Dessert Leftovers

Storage: The lemon bar leftovers should be stored in an airtight container. We like to keep them in the refrigerator since it’s so humid where we live.

Recipe

Lemon Bars

Combine sweet and tangy flavors to make a delicious lemon bar dessert that’s so easy, even the kids can help create this delectable treat.

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Course:

Dessert

|

Snack

Cuisine:

American

Keyword:

crust

|

lemon

|

powdered sugar

Servings: 12 bars

4.80 from 10 votes

Ingredients

Crust

• 12 tbsp butter (softened)
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar

Filling

• 4 egg whites
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 tbsp lemon zest
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour

Recommended Equipment

• Mixing Bowls – Stainless Steel
• Electric Mixer
• Glass Baking Dish
• Lemon Zester

Instructions

Crust

• Preheat the oven to 350F
• Add butter to a medium mixing bowl and blend with an electric mixer for about a minute or until it is fluffy
• Add the flour and powdered sugar and mix until it forms a soft dough
• Press the dough into a greased 9×13 baking dish until it covers the bottom of the dish and is mostly flat
• Bake the crust for about 20 minutes or until it just starts to look golden brown

Filling

• Meanwhile, in a medium mixing bowl combine the egg whites and sugar
• Mix in the lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla extract
• Blend the flour into the mixture, it will still be very runny
• Pour the filling over the cooled crust, making sure the filling completely covers the crust
• Bake again for about 25-30 minutes, or until the filling is firm
• Cut the lemon bars into squares and sift powdered sugar over top

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Nutrition Facts

Lemon Bars

Amount Per Serving

Calories 288 Calories from Fat 117

% Daily Value*

Fat 13g20%

Saturated Fat 7g35%

Cholesterol 85mg28%

Sodium 122mg5%

Potassium 54mg2%

Carbohydrates 39g13%

Sugar 24g27%

Protein 3g6%

Vitamin A 435IU9%

Vitamin C 4.9mg6%

Calcium 15mg2%

Iron 1.1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutrition content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.

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