Golden Lemon Streusel Slices

Indulge in the extraordinary delight of these Meyer Lemon Streusel Bars, a captivating dessert featuring three distinct and delectable layers: a rich, buttery shortbread crust, a vibrant, tangy Meyer lemon curd filling, and a delightful sugar cookie crumble topping. This recipe offers a truly scrumptious and elevated twist on the classic lemon bar, promising a dessert experience that is both familiar and excitingly new.

For those who cherish the bright, zesty flavors of lemon in their desserts, these Lemon Streusel Bars are an absolute must-try. Forget the tedious process of scooping and baking batch after batch of cookies; this bar recipe streamlines your baking, allowing you to create a generous portion of perfect treats with ease. Inspired by the wisdom of Nick Malgieri, the esteemed cookbook author and baking guru, you can trust that this recipe will guide you to baking perfection, resulting in bars that are consistently delicious and universally loved.

Why These Meyer Lemon Streusel Bars Are a Must-Bake

While my kitchen often overflows with an abundance of decadent chocolate desserts, there’s something incredibly refreshing about stepping away to create a batch of bright, citrusy treats. These Meyer Lemon Streusel Bars are more than just a diversion; they’re a revelation, offering several compelling reasons to earn a permanent spot in your baking repertoire:

• The Unforgettable Three-Layer Experience: Traditional lemon bars are typically a simple two-layer affair, and while delicious, they don’t quite match the complexity and textural intrigue of these streusel bars. The addition of a crisp, buttery sugar cookie streusel topping elevates these citrusy gems, providing an irresistible crunch that beautifully contrasts the smooth, tangy lemon filling and the sturdy, tender shortbread crust. This trio of textures and flavors creates a truly dynamic dessert that stands out.
• Perfect for Any Gathering: Baking these bars in a standard 9 x 13-inch pan yields a generous 24 servings. This makes them an ideal choice for larger events such as picnics, potlucks, family reunions, holiday parties, or even as a delightful edible gift. You’ll have plenty to share, and they are always a crowd-pleaser. The convenient bar format means easy serving and less fuss compared to individual desserts.
• Designed for Convenience: Life gets busy, and these bars are perfectly suited for the thoughtful planner. You can prepare the foundational shortbread crust and the delightful sugar cookie streusel topping a day in advance. This brilliant make-ahead option allows you to spread out your baking tasks, making the final assembly and baking on the day of serving a breeze. Simply mix the filling, combine your prepared components, and bake for fresh, impressive results with minimal last-minute effort.
• A Refreshing Alternative: In a world often dominated by chocolate and vanilla, lemon offers a vibrant and refreshing palate cleanser. These bars provide a welcome burst of sunshine, making them particularly appealing during warmer months or as a bright counterpoint to richer meals.
• Impressive Presentation, Approachable Baking: Despite their sophisticated three-layer appearance, these Meyer Lemon Streusel Bars are surprisingly straightforward to make. The steps are logical and well-defined, allowing even intermediate bakers to achieve professional-looking and tasting results.

Essential Ingredient Notes for Optimal Flavor

Understanding your ingredients is key to successful baking. Here’s what you need to know about the components of these delicious Meyer Lemon Streusel Bars:

• Kitchen Staples – Flour, Sugar, Salt: Always use good quality all-purpose flour for the best texture in both the crust and streusel. Granulated sugar provides the sweetness, and a pinch of salt balances the flavors and enhances the lemon’s brightness.
• Baking Powder: Unlike baking soda, baking powder has a shorter shelf life and can expire before you realize it. To ensure your streusel rises beautifully, always check the expiration date. If you’re unsure of its potency, perform a quick test: drop a spoonful into a small bowl of very hot water. If it’s still active, the mixture will bubble vigorously. If not, it’s time for a fresh container.
• Butter: For both the crust and the streusel, high-quality butter is essential for flavor and texture. Salted butter is perfectly fine to use here; the slight saltiness enhances the overall taste. For the crust, ensure your butter is cut into small, cold pieces to facilitate easy incorporation into the flour mixture, leading to a tender shortbread. For the streusel, melted butter helps create the perfect crumb texture.
• Eggs: Large eggs are the standard for baking. For easy and uniform incorporation into both the crust dough and the lemon filling, it’s best to have your eggs at room temperature. This allows them to emulsify more effectively with other ingredients, creating a smoother consistency.
• Meyer Lemons: These unique lemons are typically in season from November through March. Meyer lemons are a cross between a standard lemon and either an orange or mandarin, resulting in a sweeter, less acidic, and more floral flavor profile compared to their common counterparts. Their thinner skin and distinct aroma make them perfect for this recipe. If Meyer lemons are unavailable, standard lemons are a fantastic substitute at other times of the year. Just be aware that regular lemons are tarter, so you might consider slightly adjusting the sugar level in the filling to your preference for sweetness or pucker.
• Fresh Lemon Juice and Zest: This is non-negotiable for vibrant lemon flavor. Bottled lemon juice simply cannot replicate the brightness and complexity of freshly squeezed juice. The zest, which contains the lemon’s essential oils, is equally crucial, imparting an intense aroma and concentrated lemon essence.

Expert Tips for Baking Flawless Lemon Streusel Bars

Achieving bakery-quality results at home is easier than you think with these professional baking tips. Following these guidelines will ensure your Meyer Lemon Streusel Bars are perfect every time:

• The “Foil Sling” Method for Easy Removal: If you’ve explored my baking recipes before, you might notice my consistent recommendation to line baking pans with aluminum foil, especially when making bar cookies. This simple technique is a game-changer! The foil creates a convenient “sling” that allows you to easily lift the entire slab of baked bars out of the pan. This not only simplifies the cutting process but also protects the delicate layers during transfer.
• PRO-Tip for Non-Stick Baking: To further ensure a seamless release, always spray the aluminum foil with a good quality non-stick cooking spray. This acts as an extra barrier, preventing any lemon filling that might bubble over the crust from sticking to the pan. It also makes cleanup an absolute snap! Alternatively, you can opt for non-stick aluminum foil, which offers similar benefits. Keep this trick in mind for all your holiday baking and entertaining.
• Staged Baking for Stress-Free Preparation: As mentioned, these lemon bars can be made in stages. Preparing the crust and streusel ahead of time allows you to tackle the recipe in manageable parts, reducing the overall stress on baking day. Store the baked crust (covered) and cooled streusel (in an airtight container) at room temperature, then simply prepare the filling and assemble when you’re ready to bake.
• The Importance of Chilling: Patience is a virtue, especially when it comes to cutting bars. Chilling your baked and cooled bars thoroughly (at least 2-4 hours, or even overnight) before slicing is absolutely crucial. This solidifies the lemon filling and firms up the crust, leading to incredibly clean, sharp cuts and preventing crumbling. For more detailed advice, check out guides on how to cut perfect cookie bars.
• PRO-Tip: Always Use Fresh Lemon Juice: This cannot be stressed enough. The flavor of bottled lemon juice simply doesn’t compare to the bright, zesty, and complex notes of freshly squeezed lemons. For the most vibrant and authentic lemon flavor, always reach for fresh fruit. To get the most juice from your lemons, roll them firmly on the countertop before slicing and juicing, or microwave them for 10-15 seconds.
• Perfecting Your Zest: When zesting lemons, use a microplane grater to remove only the bright yellow part of the skin, avoiding the bitter white pith underneath. Zest directly into your bowl of ingredients to capture all those fragrant essential oils.
• Even Crust Distribution: For a uniform crust, once you’ve pressed the dough into your foil-lined pan, ensure it’s an even thickness across the bottom and slightly up the sides. This prevents soggy spots and ensures every bite has that perfect shortbread texture.
• Monitor Streusel Baking: The streusel topping should be golden brown and crisp, not burnt. Keep an eye on it during its separate bake, as oven temperatures can vary. If it starts browning too quickly, you can loosely tent it with foil.
• Knowing When Your Lemon Filling is Set: The lemon filling is done when the edges are set and lightly golden, but the very center still has a slight jiggle. It will continue to set as it cools. Overbaking can lead to a rubbery texture, so watch it carefully.

Frequently Asked Questions About Meyer Lemon Streusel Bars

More Zesty Lemon Desserts You’ll Love

If these Meyer Lemon Streusel Bars have ignited your passion for citrus, you’ll be thrilled to explore these other fantastic lemon-infused recipes:

• Classic Meyer Lemon Bars
• Meyer Lemon Poppyseed Mini Bundt Cakes
• Mile High Lemon Meringue Pie
• Strawberry Lemon Tart
• Discover more of my Best Dessert Recipes

The Recipe:

Meyer Lemon Streusel Bars

Prep Time
30 minutes

Cook Time
55 minutes

Total Time
1 hour 25 minutes

Yield
24 bars

A sweet-tart lemon bar recipe made with Meyer lemons, featuring a buttery shortbread crust and a delicate streusel topping. Adapted from Nick Malgieri.

Ingredients

Crust:

• Non-stick cooking spray
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ⅓ cup granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup cold butter, cut into small pieces
• 2 large eggs, whisked together

Streusel Topping:

• 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ cup butter, melted

Meyer Lemon Filling:

• 3 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon Meyer lemon zest
• ¼ cup fresh Meyer lemon juice
• 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with aluminum foil, extending it over the sides to create a “sling.” Spray the foil generously with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Line a separate baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
3. To make the Crust: In a medium bowl, combine 2 cups flour, ⅓ cup sugar, ½ teaspoon baking powder, and ⅛ teaspoon salt. Stir to combine thoroughly.
4. Add the cold butter pieces to the dry ingredients. Using your fingertips, pinch and rub the butter into the flour mixture until no large pieces of butter are visible and the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
5. Pour the 2 whisked eggs into the dough mixture and mix until well incorporated, forming a cohesive dough.
6. Gently knead the dough in the bowl for a few moments until it fully comes together.
7. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to a 12 x 16-inch rectangle. Carefully fit the dough into the prepared 9 x 13-inch pan, pressing it evenly across the bottom and creating a ½-inch edge up the sides of the pan. Trim any excess dough.
8. Place a rectangle of parchment paper directly on top of the bottom crust. Weigh it down with dried beans or pie weights (this prevents the crust from puffing up). Bake for 10 minutes. Remove the parchment and beans, and bake for an additional 5 minutes, until lightly golden. Cool the crust completely on a wire rack.
9. To make the Streusel Topping: In a clean bowl, combine 1¼ cups flour, ½ cup sugar, and 1 teaspoon baking powder. Stir well.
10. Pour the ½ cup melted butter into the dry mixture and combine with a rubber spatula until coarse crumbs form.
11. Spread the streusel mixture out evenly on the parchment-lined baking sheet, breaking it into small, loose crumbs.
12. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the streusel is golden brown and crisp. Cool completely on a wire rack. If necessary, break any larger clusters into small crumbs once cooled.
13. To make the Meyer Lemon Filling: In a medium bowl, whisk the 3 large eggs and Meyer lemon zest together until combined. In a separate bowl, mix the ¼ cup Meyer lemon juice and 1¼ cups sugar, stirring until the sugar is dissolved.
14. Gently stir the egg mixture into the lemon juice and sugar mixture until well combined. Pour this lemon filling evenly over the cooled baked crust in the prepared pan. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the edges are set and the center has a slight jiggle.
15. Carefully remove the pan from the oven. Evenly sprinkle the cooled streusel crumb topping over the hot lemon filling. Return to the oven and bake for an additional 5 minutes, allowing the streusel to warm and meld slightly with the filling.
16. Cool the bars completely on a wire rack within the pan. Once entirely cool (and ideally chilled for at least 2-4 hours in the refrigerator for the cleanest cuts), use the foil sling to lift the entire slab of bars out of the pan. Place on a cutting board and cut into 24 even bars using a sharp knife, wiping the knife clean between cuts for perfectly neat slices.

Notes

Standard lemons can be successfully substituted for Meyer lemons. Be aware that regular lemons are more tart, so you might consider slightly increasing the sugar in the filling to taste, depending on your preference for sweetness.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

24

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 212Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 59mgSodium: 118mgCarbohydrates: 31gFiber: 1gSugar: 17gProtein: 3g

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