Sunburst Lemon Bars are the best lemon bars I’ve ever tasted and I’m so excited to share the recipe with you all. The bright flavor is reminiscent of stepping into a burst of sunlight.
What is not to love about a sweetly tart lemon bar with a melt in your mouth shortbread crust and a lemony glaze on top? I love traditional lemon bars with powdered sugar dusted across the top and a crisp crust on the bottom, but sometimes you just want something different.
Lemon Bars
Sunburst Lemon Bars start with a buttery, flaky shortbread that is so good, I’ll happily eat it plain. To make the shortbread even better, we’re going to top it with a gooey lemon filling that is sweet and tangy and spoon-licking delicious.
Sunburst Lemon Bars
Sunburst Lemon Bars
Then, the literal icing on the cake is a lemon glaze to take it right over the top. Sunburst Lemon Bars are like no other lemon bar I’ve ever tasted.
The video for this recipe is one of my favorites. Seeing my little boy’s hands in the video and hearing his voice? This is truly one of my favorite things about the work that we do. Also, Nate says if you haven’t tried these bars yet, they really are “perfecto mundo.”
With a review like that how can you resist?
These bars are a gooey sweet twist on the classic, with just enough tang from the lemon juice and zest to balance the sweetness.
We’ve been making these bars for a few years now and every time I make them, I wonder why I waited so long to make them again. As a long time fan of traditional lemon bars, I will admit now that I haven’t made a single batch of the classic lemon bars since I found this recipe.
I make lots of different dessert bars with fruit filling and while I enjoy them all, from Apple Pie Bars to Pineapple Coconut Bars, Sunburst Lemon Bars are near the top of the list of my personal favorites. I could eat one every day and probably not get sick of them (which is saying something since I don’t usually have much of a sweet tooth).
Gluten Free Lemon Bars
This lemon bar recipe can be made gluten free and with regular all-purpose flour. My preferred gluten free flour blend for this recipe is combination of brown rice flour, potato starch and tapioca starch. I’ve made and loved them both the gluten free way and the regular way many times.
Gluten free lemon bars are a great dessert to bring to a party or gathering of any kind even if you can eat gluten. They taste better than any “regular” lemon bar AND the gluten free folks at the party will want you to be their new best friend when you show up with an incredible dessert that they can enjoy too.
Lemon Bars Recipe
The lemon filling in this recipe is what really makes these bars burst with flavor. I use a more than generous amount of fresh lemon juice and zest to pack each bar with the tart and tangy taste of lemon.
If you don’t like your lemon desserts quite so tart, feel free to reduce the amount of lemon zest and juice in the recipe. I, however, like them just as they are.
The glaze in this lemon bars recipe really sets them apart from the crowd. When the glaze sets it creates a beautiful layer of pure sweet extra lemony goodness on top of the lemon filling.
If you have any lemon dessert lovers in your life, you MUST make them these lemon bars. With some lemon desserts I find that the lemon flavor just isn’t strong enough for my liking. If I eat a lemon bar I want to taste the lemon first and foremost.
It just doesn’t get any more citrusy and lemony than Sunburst Lemon Bars, I promise you. These are quite simply the very best lemon bars you will ever make.
Sunburst Lemon Bars
1.Heat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the butter, sugar and lemon zest in a mixing bowl and beat for a minute or so until combined. Add the flours and the beat until the mixture is crumbly. Press the crust into the bottom of a parchment lined or an ungreased 9×13 pan. Parchment paper is not required, but it will make slicing the bars and removing them from the pan much easier. Bake for 25 minutes, until light golden brown.
2. While the crust is baking, in a large bowl lightly beat the eggs with a whisk. Add the remaining ingredients and beat with a whisk until combined. Remove the partially baked crust from the oven and pour the filling over it. Return to the oven and bake for an additional 25-30 minutes, until the top is light golden brown and starting to crack around the edges. Let cool completely, at least 1 hour.
3. In a small bowl, stir or whisk together the powdered sugar and lemon juice. Add more lemon juice, by just a few drops at a time, until the glaze is a pourable consistency. Spread the glaze over the cooled bars and then let it set for at least half an hour before slicing. Cut into bars and store in the refrigerator. Bars can be served cold or returned to room temperature first. Enjoy!
If you love lemon desserts, you’ll want to check out this Lemon Angel Pie, Lemon Crinkle Cookies and this 5-Minute Lemon Curd. (I’m serious, FIVE minutes to perfect lemon curd. Make it now and you can thank me later!) These Coconut Lemon Pudding Parfaits and this Blueberry Lemon Shortcake need to be on your list of desserts to try as well.Check out all of the Gluten Free Dessert Recipes on this website!Get New Recipessent to your inbox!Sign me up!We never share your information with third parties and will protect it in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
Sunburst Lemon Bars {traditional and gluten free recipes}
4.92 from 12 votesRecipe adapted from and with thanks to So, How’s It Taste? and PillsburySavePinPrintReviewPrep Time: 15 minsCook Time: 50 minsTotal Time: 1 hr 5 minsCourse: DessertCuisine: AmericanServings: 18 servings
Ingredients
- ▢Crust Ingredients:
- ▢1 cup butter softened
- ▢1/2 cup powdered sugar
- ▢2 teaspoons lemon zest
- ▢1 1/3 cup brown rice flour *
- ▢1/3 cup tapioca starch *
- ▢1/3 cup potato starch *
- ▢Filling Ingredients:
- ▢4 eggs
- ▢2 cups sugar
- ▢1/4 cup brown rice flour *
- ▢1 teaspoon baking powder
- ▢5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- ▢1 tablespoon lemon zest
- ▢Glaze Ingredients:
- ▢1 cup powdered sugar
- ▢2 tablespoons lemon juice plus more as needed
- ▢* If you are not in need of a gluten free recipe simply substitute 2 cups AP flour for the items marked with an * in the crust ingredients and 1/4 cup AP flour for the item marked with an * in the filling.
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the butter, sugar and lemon zest in a mixing bowl and beat for a minute or so until combined. Add the flours and the beat until until the mixture is crumbly. Press the crust into the bottom of a parchment lined or an ungreased 9×13 pan. Parchment paper is not required, but it will make slicing the bars and removing them from the pan much easier. Bake for 25 minutes, until light golden brown.
- While the crust is baking, in a large bowl lightly beat the eggs with a whisk. Add the remaining ingredients and beat with a whisk until combined. Remove the partially baked crust from the oven and pour the filling over it. Return to the oven and bake for an additional 25-30 minutes, until the top is light golden brown and starting to crack around the edges. Let cool completely, at least 1 hour.
- In a small bowl, stir or whisk together the powdered sugar and lemon juice. Add more lemon juice, by just a few drops at a time, until the glaze is a pourable consistency. Spread the glaze over the cooled bars and then let it set for at least half an hour before slicing. Cut into bars and store in the refrigerator. Bars can be served cold or returned to room temperature first. Enjoy!
