Whole Lemon Bars
This recipe for Whole Lemon Bars uses two whole lemons, blended with their peels, pith, and flesh, to create a deeply flavorful, tangy custard topping over a buttery shortbread crust. The blended lemons are strained for smoothness and combined with sweetened condensed milk for a creamy, balanced texture similar to Key lime pie. The entire recipe can be made by hand, and the bars are chilled before serving for a clean cut and enhanced flavor.
- ▪Two whole lemons, including peel and pith, are blended into the custard for intense citrus flavor.
- ▪The mixture is strained to ensure a silky texture and combined with sweetened condensed milk for creaminess.
- ▪The shortbread crust and custard are baked separately, then chilled for at least 4 hours before serving.
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RecipesWhole Lemon BarsBy Jesse SzewczykMay 1, 2026Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne, Prop Styling by Emma RingnessArrowJump To RecipePrintWelcome to Bon Appétit Bake Club, a community of curious bakers. Each month senior Test Kitchen editors Jesse Szewczyk and Shilpa Uskokovic share a must-make recipe and dive deep on why it works. Come bake and learn with us—and don’t forget to join the Bake Club Group chat over on Substack.A whole lemon—pith, skin, flesh, and all—is a powerful thing. When used correctly, that power can be harnessed for good, heightening the citrus fruit’s bright, piercing notes to soaring new heights. Here, classic lemon bars call upon the brute strength of two whole lemons to embolden the custard with a Lemonhead-like flavor.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Bon Appétit.
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