Classic lemon bar recipes: 6 retro ways to make these delicious treats

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In these lemon bar recipes (also called lemon squares), a tangy citrus mixture bakes on top of the buttery cookie crust, making it all into some rich, sweet and delicious bar cookies.

Tangy lemon squares (1977)

Yield: 20 bar cookies

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

Ingredients

1 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar (unsifted)
2-1/3 cups all-purpose flour (unsifted)
4 eggs
2 cups granulated sugar
1/3 cup instant 100% pure lemon juice
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons powdered sugar

Instructions

In a large bowl, cream together butter and the 1/2 cup powdered sugar until fluffy.
Add 2 cups of the flour, beating until blended.
Spread evenly over the bottom of a well greased 9- by 13-inch baking pan.
Bake in a pre-heated 325 F degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small mixing bowl beat eggs until light and foamy.
Gradually add granulated sugar, beating until thick and blended.
Add lemon juice, remaining 1/3 cup flour and baking powder; beat until thoroughly blended.
Pour lemon mixture over baked crust and return to oven, bake 15 to 25 minutes until golden brown and custard is set.
Remove from oven and sprinkle evenly with the 2 tablespoons powdered sugar.
Let cool.
To serve, cut in small squares or bars. Makes about 20 bars.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield: 20Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 257Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 62mgSodium: 115mgCarbohydrates: 39gFiber: 1gSugar: 24gProtein: 3g

Click Americana offers approximate nutrition information as a general reference only, and we make no warranties regarding its accuracy. Please make any necessary calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe, and consult with a qualified healthcare professional if you have dietary concerns.

Cake mix lemon bars recipe from Sunkist

You can’t change the weather, but you can brighten up the day (1974)

Bake up a batch of Sunkist Lemon Bars. With a package of Betty Crocker Sunkist Lemon Cake Mix. Or Sunny Orange Bars with Betty Crocker Sunkist Orange cake Mix.

Both have tart, tangy natural fruit flavor. And you make them even sunnier by adding real lemon or orange people.

They’re easy to make. Sunny to taste. And sure to brighten up any day.

Sunkist Lemon Bars recipe

Ingredients

1 egg
1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 package Betty Crocker Sunkist Lemon cake mix
2 eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. grated lemon peel
1/4 cup lemon juice
Powdered sugar, if desired

Directions

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix 1 egg, butter and dry cake mix untilcrumbly. Reserve 1 cup. Pat rest into ungreased 13x9x2 inch pan.Bake 15 minutes or until light brown.

Beat 2 eggs, sugar, baking powder,salt, lemon peel and juice with rotary beater until light and foamy. Pourover hot crust; sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture. Bake 15 minutes or untillight brown. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Cool. Cut into bars 2×1-1/2inches.

Makes 32 bars

Island lemon bars recipe (1975)

From the Lancaster New Era (Pennsylvania) Feb 24, 1975

Grand winner in the First Annual General Mills Elizabethtown College Bake-Off was Lynette Kean, a freshman from Wenonah, New Jersey, who dazzled the judges with her Island lemon bars, an unusual recipe hailing from the Virgin Islands.

Crust:

1-1/2 cups soft butter
3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
3 cups flour

Thoroughly mix butter, sugar and flour. Pat into a flat pan and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

Filling:

3 cups granulated sugar
6 tablespoons flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
6 eggs, beaten
6 tablespoons lemon juice
Rind of 3 lemons, grated

Mix beaten eggs, lemon juice and rind, add to sifted dry ingredients and mix well. Pour over crust and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar while still warm. Cut into bars after cooling for 25 minutes.

MORE: “Busy-day” lemon cheesecake recipe from 1959

Classic walnut lemon bars recipe (1972)

The Los Angeles Times (California) August 17, 1972

This walnut lemon bar recipe has stood the test of time.

Ingredients

3 egg yolks
1/3 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup sifted flour
Walnut Lemon Topping, see below

Directions

In small bowl of electric mixer at high-speed, beat yolks until thick and ivory color.

In medium or large bowl, cream butter and sugar; add beaten yolks; beat gently to combine. Fold in flour, 1/4 cup at a time.

Spend in a buttered square cake pan (8 by 8 by 2 in.). Bake in a preheated 375 F degree oven for 20 minutes.

While still warm, pour walnut lemon topping over base and let set; cut into small bars.

Walnut lemon topping:

Lemon light bars have winning touch (1970)

A creative twist turns a frosting mix into a bar cookie. Another unusual twist turns a package of lemon gelatin into a cookie glaze.

Such creative ideas are found in this recipe for Lemon Light Cake Bars — the recipe that recently won Mrs. Earl Wyman from Pembina, North Dakota, a trip to the 1970 Pillsbury Bake-Off.

What made Lemon Light Cake Bars a Bake-Off recipe finalist in the cake-frosting category? They’re convenient to prepare. excellent in appearance and taste, and popular in appeal. Simply, the recipe idea, the recipe itself and the baked cookies meet the requirements of a Bake-Off winner!

ALSO TRY: Lemonade chiffon pie with lemonade crust recipe (1956)

Convenience is woven into these Lemon Light Cake Bars in several different ways. A frosting mix is used to make the cookie and the glaze. Thus, by simply opening a box of mix, you avoid measuring many other ingredients.

Also, these cookies are easily-available basic ingredients, thus eliminating special shopping trips.

The one-bowl and one-step mixing methods make these bars simple to mix. They bake for a half-hour and can be glazed ten minutes later. In less than an hour’s time from start-to-finish, Lemon Cake Bars are ready-to-serve.

They’re simply good to eat, too — that’s why they rate high in flavor and taste appeal. Also, the glaze and coconut toppings make them pretty enough to serve for afternoon tea.

In addition, they’re popular in appeal. Whether served at an afternoon kaffeeklatsch, at a dinner party, or at a family night supper, these cookie bars quickly become people-pleasers. (You will find you’ll be baking them often!)

Why not bake up a batch of Lemon Light Cake Bars, then try creating a Bake-Off winning recipe using at least one box of Pillsbury cake or frosting mix?