The Cookin Chicks

  • Home
  • About Kristin
  • Recipe Index
  • Contact
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Home
  • About Kristin
  • Recipe Index
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Home
    • About Kristin
    • Recipe Index
    • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home » Recipes » Christmas

    Lemon Dream Bars

    Published: Dec 5, 2024 by Kristin · This post may contain affiliate links. · 3 Comments

    FacebookTweetPinEmail
    Jump to Recipe

    Celebrate the holiday season with these delicious and easy-to-make Lemon Dream Bars. With a creamy filling, buttery shortbread crust, and lemon frosting, these bars are the perfect treat for any festive occasion or as a sweet treat for yourself!

    lemon dream bars on a parchment paper ready to serve.

    Want to save this recipe?

    Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!

    Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.
    Loading

    Growing up, I remember my mom putting together Holiday goodie trays to share each year. Some new additions were thrown in there, but we could always count on our favorites. One of those favorites were these Christmas Lemon Bars. With the coconut, nuts, and lemon combination, they were a nice change from the other classic recipes like Buckeye Balls, Fantasy Fudge, and Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies.

    shortbread crust, refreshing lemon filling, and crisp nut topping combine into these lemon dream bars

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients needed for these Lemon Dream Bars:
    • How to prepare:
    • Tips for Success
    • Storing Lemon Dream Bars
    • More Christmas Recipes You’ll Love
    • Holiday Lemon Dream Bars

    Ingredients needed for these Lemon Dream Bars:

    Below is a brief overview of each ingredient needed. To see printable recipe card with exact amounts, scroll to the bottom of this post.

    • Butter– unsalted butter is my go to for this recipe since salt is being added as well.
    • Flour– you’ll want to use all purpose flour for this dream bar recipe.
    • Sugar– this adds the perfect amount of sweetness throughout each and every bite.
    • Eggs– you’ll need 2 large eggs, letting them get to room temperature is best as this allows them to combine into the mixture easier.
    • Brown Sugar– light is best, packed.
    • Coconut– look for the shredded coconut bags found at your local grocery store.
    • Nuts– I use chopped pecans, however, chopped walnuts work great too.
    • Salt– this combines with the baking powder to give the bars their texture and rise.
    • Baking Powder– ensure freshness by changing your baking powder out every 6 months.
    • Vanilla Extract– opt for pure vanilla extract versus imitation.
    • Lemon Rind– grate the rind off fresh lemons. You’ll only need one lemon.
    • Lemon Juice– fresh is best, however, bottled lemon juice works too.
    • Powdered Sugar– this will be used to sweeten the lemon frosting for the topping. Confectioners sugar is the perfect addition.

    lemon dream bars cut on a wood board.

    How to prepare:

    1. Cut butter into the flour and sugar using a pastry blender or two knives. Continue until fine.
    2. Press mixture firmly into the bottom of an ungreased 8 x 8 baking pan.
    3. Place in a preheated oven, 350 degrees, for about 15 minutes, or until golden brown.
    4. In a medium bowl, stir together the eggs, brown sugar, coconut, nuts, salt, baking powder, and vanilla extract.
    5. Spread mixture onto the partially baked crust evenly.
    6. Place pan back into oven (350) for 25-30 minutes.
    7. While bars are cooking, whisk the lemon zest, lemon juice, and powdered sugar together in a small bowl.
    8. Once bars are done, remove from oven and let bars cool for about five minutes. Frost with the lemon glaze.
    9. Allow to cool completely prior to cutting. Enjoy!

    step by step on how to make an old fashioned bar for the Holidays.

    Tips for Success

    • The bars will slice best when cut with a warm knife. Run under hot water in between cuts and wipe it with a paper towel for clean slices.
    • Recipe can be doubled and made in a 9×13 baking dish. Just adjust bake times as necessary.
    • Although chopped pecans are my favorite in this dream bars recipe, you can also use chopped walnuts.

    Whether you make these for the Holidays, make these for a party, or just to enjoy as a delicious sweet treat any time of the year; these flavor packed bars are definitely a must try!

    Storing Lemon Dream Bars

    • Allow the bars to cool completely before placing in an airtight container. These bars are good at room temperature for about 4 days.
    • If placed in the fridge, they will be good for about 1-2 weeks.
    • To freeze, cut bars into desired size and place parchment paper in between layers to prevent sticking together. Freeze up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.

    a stack of Christmas bars on a wood board.

    More Christmas Recipes You’ll Love

    • Salted Caramel Pretzel Bark
    • Old Fashioned Peanut Brittle
    • Peppermint Kiss Sugar Cookies
    • Christmas Cornflake Brittle
    • Kitchen Sink Christmas Cookies
    • Holiday Puppy Chow
    • Pecan Caramel Clusters

     

    Want to save this recipe?

    Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!

    Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.
    Loading
    lemon dream bars on a parchment paper ready to serve.

    Holiday Lemon Dream Bars

    Recipe by: Kristin
    These holiday Lemon Dream Bars are a delicious and refreshing dessert perfect for any festive occasion. With a shortbread crust, creamy coconut filling, and lemon frosting, they're sure to be a crowd-pleaser!
    5 from 3 votes
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate this Recipe
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 45 minutes mins
    Total Time 55 minutes mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Servings 9
    Calories 306 kcal

    Equipment

    • Mixing Bowls
    • 8x8 baking pan
    • Pastry Blender
    • Grater

    Ingredients
      

    • ⅓ cup butter
    • 1 cup flour
    • 2 tablespoon sugar
    • 2 eggs
    • ½ cup brown sugar
    • ¾ cup coconut *shredded
    • ½ cup nuts *chopped
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • ⅛ teaspoon baking powder
    • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 2 teaspoon lemon rind *grated
    • 2 tablespoon lemon juice
    • 1 cup powdered sugar

    Instructions
     

    • Cut butter into the flour and sugar using a pastry blender or two knives. Continue until fine.
    • Press mixture firmly into the bottom of an ungreased 8 x 8 baking pan.
    • Bake in a preheated oven, 350 degrees, for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown.
    • In a mixing bowl, combine the eggs, brown sugar, coconut, nuts, salt, baking powder, and vanilla.
    • Spread mixture onto the baked crust evenly.
    • Place pan back into oven (350) and bake for 25-30 minutes.
    • While bars are baking, combine the lemon rind, lemon juice, and powdered sugar together in a small bowl.
    • Once bars are done, remove from oven and allow to cool for about 5 minutes. Frost and cool completely before cutting and serving!

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1barCalories: 306kcalCarbohydrates: 42gProtein: 4gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 54mgSodium: 151mgPotassium: 123mgFiber: 2gSugar: 28gVitamin A: 265IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 31mgIron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @TheCookinChicks or tag #TheCookinChicks!

    More Christmas

    • Avalanche Cookies on a white and black plate.
      Avalanche Cookies
    • a sticky bun breakfast ring on a serving platter.
      Sticky Bun Breakfast Ring
    • a creamy cocktail made with only a few ingredients.
      Salted Caramel White Russian
    • Christmas Cookie Collection
    FacebookTweetPinEmail

    Comments

    1. Beth says

      December 30, 2015 at 3:30 pm

      In the directions, do you mean cut the butter into the “flour” and sugar?

      Reply
      • Kristin says

        December 31, 2015 at 7:54 am

        OOPS!!! Thanks for catching that, I am correcting now!!

        Reply

    Trackbacks

    1. Maria's Mixing Bowl | LEMON DREAM BARS says:
      December 29, 2016 at 12:35 pm

      […] RECIPE HERE~~~>>> https://thecookinchicks.com/2015/12/lemon-dream-bars/ […]

      Reply
    5 from 3 votes (3 ratings without comment)

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Welcome to The Cookin' Chicks…I am so glad you've stopped by! I am Kristin, a busy mom of 3, a wife, and a family chef! There are three things that motivate me each day - Family, Faith, and FOOD! I, along with the occasional help of friends and family, want to share my food creations with you! So, I invite you to join me around my dinner table through the recipes that I will share with you here. I hope you will enjoy the journey as much as I do!

    More about me →

    Summertime recipes

    • Best Ever Juicy Burgers
    • Cilantro Lime Grilled Chicken
    • Ultimate Potato Salad
    • a tropical Island themed dessert with simple ingredients.
      Hawaiian Cheesecake Salad
    • cold pasta salad served in a glass bowl
      Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad
    • a refreshing BBQ side dish with vibrant colors and flavors.
      Mexican Street Corn Coleslaw

    Popular Recipes

    • Ultimate Chicken Casserole
    • French Onion Rice
    • Strawberry Pretzel Salad
    • an up close view of biscuits and gravy breakfast casserole
      Biscuits and Gravy Breakfast Casserole

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    Legal

    • Privacy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • About Me

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2025 The Cookin Chicks

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.