Grandmas and baking just go hand in hand. There’s something about that special touch and old-school recipes that brings a smile to your face every time. (My grandma’s sweet potato pie is a staple in my family, and no one makes it quite like her.)
Reddit, obviously, knows how it goes: An old-fashioned recipe for “Grandma’s lemon bars” — no frills, no pictures — recently went viral. The person who created the post said that they were a hit and their family still makes them to this day. The recipe is simple, and you can tell it’s stood the test of time.
It even conjured up some memories for people reading: “This looks just like a church ladies’ cookbook that my mom contributed to back in the ’80s! Flashback!! I need to dig that out. There are some real gems in there,” one commenter said. Others who made the recipe themselves raved “these are fab!” and “they are the best lemon bars I’ve ever had!” With that kind of praise, I knew I had to try the recipe for myself.
Get the Recipe: Grandma’s Lemon Bars
How to Make Grandma’s Lemon Bars
To make these old-fashioned lemon bars, all you need are a few simple ingredients: flour, butter (or margarine), powdered sugar, eggs, lemon juice, sugar, and salt. The ingredients are listed within the recipe’s steps (not as an up-front list), and the directions are very simple and paired down, so you need to read carefully. I had fun with it; in a way it kinda felt like I was doing a technical challenge on The Great British Bake Off.
To start, cream together 2 cups of flour, 1 cup of softened butter, and 1/2 cup of powdered sugar until light, fluffy, and fully combined. Press the mixture into a 9×12 pan and bake at 350°F for 20 minutes. While that’s baking, whisk together 4 eggs, 5-7 tablespoons of lemon juice (I opted for 7), 2 cups of sugar, 4 tablespoons of flour, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Once the crust has finished cooking, remove it from the oven, allow it to cool for a little bit, then pour the lemon mixture on top. Bake for 25 more minutes at 350°F.
The recipe then says to sprinkle the bars with powdered sugar while warm, but I didn’t do that. Instead, I let the lemon bars cool for an hour at room temperature, then allowed them to set in the fridge overnight, since I like my lemon bars chilled. When I finally took them out, I sprinkled the powdered sugar over the top and dug in.
My Honest Review of Grandma’s Lemon Bars
These lemon bars looked amazing and made my apartment smell delicious as they baked. As I cut through them, I found that some areas set up more than others. Most sections cut clean, but a section in the upper right corner was a bit more runny and the curd wasn’t fully set. (It could have been due to my oven.)
But, wow, the taste was sublime, classic, and definitely reminiscent of something grandma would make. The base tastes kind of like a shortbread; it holds up but is crumbly and sort of melts in your mouth. The lemon curd on top is bright, zesty, and sweet.
Since the lemon curd layer is my favorite part, I wish there was more of it (honestly probably double the amount to the base), but it was still a delicious little treat. The edges get a little caramelized and chewy, too, which I love. Put a batch of these out, and I’m sure they’d be gone in no time. Grandma definitely knows what she’s doing.
