Christopher Rangel
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White Chocolate Lemon Bars

This was another recipe that I picked up during the pandemic. I think around the time Dalgona Coffee was going around TikTok, I stumbled upon these. Manny is a fan of lemons, so I wanted to try to make something to see if he would like it. Turns out that not only does he like these, but also anyone who has tried them too!

Baked Goods

I am not really sure where the person is from who this recipe came from, but wherever they’re from, their eggs are definitely bigger there and their lemons are smaller too. We live in Southern California, so I have found that I only need 4 large lemons but then need to use 5 large eggs. I will make a note in the steps where you may need to go with one or the other.

Ingredients

For the white chocolate brownies

  • ¾ cup (170 g) salted butter
  • 6 ounces (170 g) white chocolate, chopped
  • 1½ cups (318 g) granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons fresh lemon zest
  • 2½ cups (355 g) all-purpose flour
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder

For the lemon bar layer

  • 4 to 5 large eggs
  • 1⅓ cups (283 g) granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
  • ⅔ cup fresh lemon juice, from about 4–5 lemons
  • ¼ cup (36 g) all-purpose flour
  • Powdered sugar, for dusting

Steps

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9x13-inch baking pan (I use metal) with foil for easier cleanup. Grease the foil with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
  2. For the white chocolate brownies, combine the butter and white chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and heat in 1-minute increments, stirring in between, until smooth.
  3. Stir in the granulated sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, and lemon zest and mix until evenly combined. Stir in the flour, salt, and baking powder until smooth. (Here is where I add another egg. You’re looking for a brownie batter consistency, easily spreadable into the baking pan. I even think one time I used 5 eggs and a yolk.)
  4. Spread the batter evenly in the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 20–22 minutes until the brownies are just slightly set but still soft in the center.
  5. For the lemon bar layer, in a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and flour until smooth and well combined.
  6. Pour the lemon mixture over the top of the warm white chocolate brownies. Return to the oven and bake until the lemon layer is set, about 18–20 minutes. It’s okay if there are bubbles on the surface of the lemon layer; they won’t look very pretty coming out of the oven but they’ll get pretty in just a sec.
  7. Let the bars cool completely in the pan. Refrigerate until ready to serve. When ready to serve, dust the top of the bars with powdered sugar. Cut into squares and serve immediately (the powdered sugar melts into the bars the longer they sit, so dust only when ready to serve).