Lemon Raspberry Crumb Bars

These not-too-sweet bars, with an in-your-face lemon flavor, are a quick dessert to make anytime. The bars have the very slightest hint at a crumb topping, which adds a nice bit of texture, in my opinion-but feel free to skip that part entirely, and simply use the whole mixture for the bottom crust instead. They taste great at room temp, but are even better cold! Store in the refrigerator.

• Preparation Time: 20 mins
• Cooking Time: 30 mins
• Total Time: 50 mins
• Calories: 349 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon salt, divided
• 2 tablespoons lemon zest
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• ⅓ cup powdered sugar
• 6 ounces fresh raspberries
• ¾ cup unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Bake crust in the preheated oven for 10 minutes.

Step 2

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a 9-inch square pan with enough parchment paper to have overhang on all sides.

Step 3

Mix together 1 1/2 cups flour, powdered sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a large bowl until combined. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Measure out 1/2 cup of the crumb mixture and set aside to use for the topping. Press remaining crumb mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan.

Step 4

While crust bakes, prepare filling: Mix together white sugar, eggs, lemon juice, lemon zest, 2 tablespoons flour, baking powder, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in a large bowl until well combined.

Step 5

Remove crust from oven and scatter raspberries evenly over top. Pour filling evenly over the raspberries, then sprinkle reserved 1/2 cup crumb mixture randomly over top.

Step 6

Place pan back into the oven and bake until bars are set, 20 to 25 minutes. Allow bars to cool completely in the pan, 30 to 45 minutes. Use the parchment overhang to remove from the pan and cut into 9 bars.