Lemon Bar Cookie Cups Recipe | Barbara Bakes (2024)

Published by Melissa on June 23, 2019 | Updated February 28, 2024 | 242 Comments

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These Lemon Bar Cookie Cups are easy to make, and easier to serve than lemon bars. If you’re a lemon bar lover, you’ll love this cookie cup version.

Lemon Bar Cookie Cups Recipe | Barbara Bakes (1)

While searching for fun new cookie recipes to try, I saw several lemon thumbprint cookie recipes, and I couldn’t resist turning them into cookie cups. Cookie cups are fun to make, easy, and the possibilities are almost endless. After I tasted one of my lemon cookie cups, I realized it tasted like a lemon bar.

These Lemon Bar Cookie Cups are a sweet, slightly crumbly cookie filled with tart, silky smooth lemon curd, dressed up with a sprinkle of powdered sugar.

I based this cookie on the Fudge-Filled Toffee Pecan Sandies recipe and filled it with homemade lemon curd. Of course, you could also use store-bought lemon curd, but this lemon curd is so fabulous you really need to give it a try.

Lemon Bar Cookie Cups Recipe | Barbara Bakes (3)

This luscious, best-I’ve-ever-tasted Lemon Curd recipe is from FineCooking.Com and their foolproof method is really unique. You cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl, slowly beat in whole eggs, then add the lemon juice, and finally, thicken it in a pan on the stove.

It is satiny smooth and you don’t need to worry about accidentally having bits of cooked egg white in your curd that need to be strained out.

The Lemon Curd recipe makes more than you’ll need for the cookies. But it will keep in the refrigerator for a week, or it freezes well and will keep in the freezer for 2 months. I made a double batch of lemon curd and plan to make mini lemon pies next week.

Lemon Bar Cookie Cups Recipe | Barbara Bakes (4)

Update: this has become one of my most popular recipes on Pinterest, so I updated it with some new pictures and a new collage for Pinterest and a video to show you how easy they are to make.

If you haven’t tried this one yet, you really should. It’s one of my all time favorites too.

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4.44 from 187 votes

Lemon Bar Cookie Cups

These Lemon Bar Cookie Cups are easy to make, and easier to serve than lemon bars. If you’re a lemon bar lover, you’ll love this cookie cup version.

Cook Time12 minutes mins

Total Time12 minutes mins

Course: Cookies

Servings: 48 cookies

Calories: 104kcal

Author: Barbara Schieving

Ingredients

1 ¾ cups all purpose flour*
½ cup whole wheat flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda*
½ teaspoon cream of tartar
½ cup butter softened
½ cup sugar*
½ cup confectioners’ sugar powdered sugar
½ cup canola oil
1 egg
½ teaspoon lemon extract
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup lemon curd recipe below
powdered sugar for decorating optional

Lemon Curd

6 tablespoons unsalted butter softened at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
⅔ cup fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

Instructions

Prepare lemon curd.
Preheat oven to 350° F.
Combine the flours, salt, baking soda and cream of tartar in a small bowl and set aside.
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in the oil, egg and extracts. Add flour mixture to creamed mixture and stir until combined.
Drop one tablespoon dough (I used a #50 scoop) into each cup of a greased mini muffin tin or lined with mini cupcake liners. Bake for 8 minutes.
Remove from oven and using the end of a wooden spoon handle, make an indentation in the center of each cookie. Fill with a teaspoon of lemon curd. Return to the oven and bake for an additional 4 minutes, or until cookies are firm and lightly browned on the sides. Remove to wire racks to cool.
Sprinkle the edges of the cookies with powdered sugar.
Lemon Curd
In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer, until well combined. Add the eggs and yolks and beat for 1 min. Add the lemon juice and mix until blended – the mixture will look lumpy.
In a medium, heavy-based saucepan, cook the mixture over low heat until it melts. Increase the heat to medium and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens. It should leave a path on the back of a spoon and will read 170°F on a thermometer. Don’t let the mixture boil.(Once it was completely melted, mine thickened and reached 170º in just a few minutes, so watch it closely.)
Remove the curd from the heat; stir in the lemon zest. Transfer the curd to a bowl. Press plastic wrap on the surface of the lemon curd to keep a skin from forming and chill the curd in the refrigerator. The curd will thicken further as it cools. Covered tightly, it will keep in the refrigerator for a week and in the freezer for 2 months.

Video

Notes

I made the following high altitude adjustments for the cookies: added 2 tablespoons flour, reduced baking soda to ¼ teaspoon, and subtracted 1 tablespoon sugar.
Lemon Curd recipe slightly adapted from from Fine Cooking

Nutrition

More lemon dessert recipes you might like:

Lemon Doodle Cookies, Barbara Bakes
Lemon Bliss Bundt Cake, Barbara Bakes
Lemon Blackberry Chess Pie, Barbara Bakes
Lemon Lovers Trifle, Melissa’s Southern Style Kitchen
Lemon Jello Cake, Sweet Basil
Lemon Whippersnaps, Mom On Timeout

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About Melissa & Barbara

As of June 2022 Melissa Griffiths now is the one adding recipes. So think of it as Barbara Bakes, and Melissa too! Melissa and Barbara have been blogging friends for over 10 years and when Barbara was ready to retire and spend more time with her family, Melissa took over the site. Read more...

Reader Interactions

Comments

Jeanine
March 01, 2024 at 1:40 pm

Could I use jarred/ready-made lemon curd?
Reply
- Melissa Griffiths
  March 02, 2024 at 10:00 am
  
  That would work great!
  Reply
Amy Iversen
March 01, 2024 at 12:26 pm

Disregard that last question! I figured it out!
Reply
Elaine
December 23, 2023 at 4:10 pm

Overall, I liked the flavor of these cookies. However, after following the instructions to a tee, the dough was way too soft to do anything with it. Even after it was refrigerated for several hours. I ended up adding almost another half cup of flour. After putting the dough in my muffin tins, I refrigerated the cups for about 40 minutes. I filled the cups with my lemon curd then baked them. The cup baked up over the sides of the wells and many baked right into the next one. I’ll try them again in the bring for my future daughter-in-laws wedding shower.
Reply
Ginger
October 03, 2023 at 12:17 am

The flavors are great. My only issue is the bottom of the cups are never baked through. I even bake it longer the recipe states. Any suggestions?
Reply
Nusrat
September 17, 2023 at 5:40 pm

I just made this and found the directions and layout easy to follow (it’s an involved process, so there are understandably multiple steps and ingredients). The results are perfect and looked amazing!! Thank you for sharing something reliable and repeatable🙏🏽
Reply
See Also
21 Newfoundland Christmas Recipes
Dinna
August 20, 2023 at 8:39 am

Can the cups be frozen?
Reply
Cindy Straut
November 16, 2022 at 2:31 pm

Can you use a regular size cupcake pan? If yes, what is the bake time?
Reply
- Melissa Griffiths
  November 18, 2022 at 11:23 am
  
  I haven’t tried it but I bet you would have to at least double the cooking time. Will you let us know if you try it?
  Reply
Beth Shaeffer
June 18, 2022 at 6:20 am

Can I make them ahead and freeze? I read previously that you said you can freeze the crust but I was curious if you could freeze the completed cookie?
Reply
- Melissa Griffiths
  June 20, 2022 at 10:29 am
  
  I haven’t tried freezing them filled – they don’t last that long at my house lol. My concern is that the lemon curd would weep after freezing and thawing and sog out the cookie. They mention at the bottom of this post https://www.diys.com/lemon-curd/ that after thawing some separation may occur and it may need to be stirred to return to its original consistency. So I’d recommend freezing them separately so the cookie doesn’t get soggy from the moisture in the lemon curd. That being said, if you make a batch and have a couple you want to freezer test on, you sure could. I’d love to know how they turn out for you!
  Reply
Nicola
May 07, 2022 at 7:12 pm

Hi, can you substitute almond flour for the AP and whole wheat flour combo? Would the measurement be the same?
Reply
- Barbara Schieving
  May 08, 2022 at 11:50 am
  
  Hi Nicola – almond flour doesn’t substitute straight across for all-purpose flour or whole wheat flour without probably adjusting the amount of egg. Here’s more info https://www.bluediamond.com/blog/everything-you-need-to-know-about-almond-flour#:~:text=Can%20you%20Substitute%20Almond%20Flour,egg%20to%20bind%20the%20flour.
  Reply
Marsha
February 27, 2022 at 1:23 pm

I had a quick question. When you remove from the oven should you leave them in the muffin tin on the rack for a few minutes so they can firm up slightly before you remove? Or on the opposite side of that question, how long is too long before you remove? (Can you tell I’ve had issues in the past – grin?) Thanks
Reply
- Barbara Schieving
  February 27, 2022 at 1:57 pm
  
  Hi Marsha – it really depends on how firm they are in the muffin tin. If they are too tender to remove from the tin then let them firm up for a while in the hot muffin tin, or give them a little longer cook time. If the cookies are firm, then you’ll want to remove them from the muffin tin right away so they don’t get too done. Every oven cooks just a little bit differently.
  Reply
Clare
July 21, 2021 at 9:34 am

How can can u keep the mini lemon cups
Reply
- Clare
  July 21, 2021 at 9:35 am
  
  Typo, how long can u keep the mini lemon cups
  Reply
  - Barbara Schieving
    July 21, 2021 at 10:35 am
    
    Hi Clare – if you’re not eating all the lemon cups right away, you’ll want to refrigerate them. They’ll keep in the refrigerator for several days. They also freeze well if you need to keep them longer. Enjoy!
    Reply
Anna
July 11, 2021 at 3:29 pm

It’s too bad you don’t include whether its 350 degrees fahrenheit or celcius. Some people outside the US read this too, y’know. And when no specification is added, people tend to use their usual unit system. And trust me – this baked on 350°C is not recommended. Always the same, it makes me sick… such a disappointment.
Reply
- Barbara Schieving
  July 11, 2021 at 6:50 pm
  
  Hi Anna – I’ll update posts with the F symbol during future updates – thanks for the suggestion. However, a typical Celcius oven doesn’t have a 350 setting, so it’s doubtful that anyone is going to think it’s 350 degrees Celcius.
  Reply
- Dano
  September 12, 2021 at 9:06 pm
  
  Go away Little common sense would do wonders smh
  Reply
- Halfbaked baker
  June 09, 2023 at 11:45 am
  
  You should know that 350 degrees celcius would be 662 degrees faranheit. No such temperature in a no commercial oven.
  Reply
Karla Y Clunie
April 23, 2021 at 5:04 pm

Can you use mini cupcake liners instead of spray for the muffin tin?
Reply
- Barbara Schieving
  April 23, 2021 at 5:29 pm
  
  Hi Karla – yes, others have used mini cupcakes liners and it worked well.
  Reply
Patti R
April 23, 2021 at 10:03 am

Have you tried baking them in a silicone mini muffin pan?
Reply
- Barbara Schieving
  April 23, 2021 at 10:24 am
  
  Hi Patti – I haven’t, but I assume it would work well with this recipe.
  Reply
  - Suzanne B
    March 01, 2024 at 9:44 am
    
    How long can they stay out without refrigeration? I want to mail some to my son but don’t know if they’ll last that long.
    Reply
    - Melissa Griffiths
      March 02, 2024 at 10:01 am
      
      They should be ok a few days!
      Reply

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Lemon Bar Cookie Cups Recipe | Barbara Bakes (2024)

FAQs

Do lemon bars need to be refrigerated after baking? ›

Do lemon bars need to be refrigerated? Yes, it's best to store lemon bars in the refrigerator. To store them, simply cover them with plastic wrap and pop them in the fridge. Stored this way, your lemon bars should keep for about 1 week.

Tell Me More ›

Why are my lemon bars gooey? ›

To avoid them being too gooey make sure you allow them to set completely when you take them out of the oven. You know when lemon bars are done when you move the pan a bit and they don't jiggle. You should cut the lemon bars when they are completely cool.

Read The Full Story ›

How do you make lemon bars not stick to the pan? ›

Simple baking tip…. ALWAYS use parchment paper. Use Pam or any good cooking spray.

Keep Reading ›

Why did my lemon bars crack? ›

Lemon bars can crack two ways: if you over-beat the eggs when mixing and added too much air to the batter, the air will escape in the heat of the oven. Just mix the eggs in until they're fully incorporated, but resist the urge to beat until foamy.

Can lemon bars be left at room temperature? ›

Lemon bars should be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated in order to prevent bacterial growth or foodborne illness.

Tell Me More ›

Can you Rebake undercooked lemon bars? ›

Can you rebake undercooked lemon bars? Results may vary, but it's worth a shot! Throw them back in the oven at the original temperature and rotate every 5 minutes until it appears done.

Discover More ›

Why did my lemon bars get brown on top? ›

Why are my lemon bars brown on top? Check your oven temperature with an oven thermometer periodically to make sure the settings are correct. If you find that your desserts brown too quickly on the top, bake on a lower rack in your oven to prevent this from happening.

See Details ›

Why do my lemon bars look like scrambled eggs? ›

Make sure your oven isn't too hot as this can cause the eggs to scramble instead of baking into a delicious lemon bar.

Learn More ›

How do you cleanly cut lemon bars? ›

A sharp, serrated knife is the best choice for cutting lemon bars. The serrated edge helps to cleanly slice through the crust and filling without crushing or crumbling the bars.

Discover More Details ›

Can I use foil instead of parchment paper for lemon bars? ›

Line your 9x13 pan with foil or parchment paper. I've used both. Foil tends to stick to the bottom of the lemon bars a bit, so if I had to choose one, I'd say use parchment paper.

How do you store lemon bars after baking? ›

Storing: Store cooked lemon bars or leftovers in the refrigerator. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and store for up to 2 days. Freezing the whole batch: Bake the lemon bars as directed and allow them to cool. Before slicing, you can wrap tightly in plastic wrap, then foil and freeze for up to 1 month.

Learn More ›

How do you cut lemon bars without sticking to the knife? ›

Prepare your chef's knife for cutting by coating with cooking spray and then wiping it clean with a paper towel. This step will help prevent the knife from sticking to the bars as you cut.

Read The Full Story ›

Why did my lemon bars turn upside down? ›

Set a timer for 5 minutes after pulling the crust from the oven to ensure it doesn't cool too much—if the shortbread is allowed to reach room temperature, the uncooked lemon curd will slip off the top and pool in the bottom of the dish, turning your lemon bars upside down (sounds bananas until it happens to you!).

What happens if you freeze lemon bars? ›

Yes, lemon bars freeze beautifully—they are even good frozen! To freeze the bars, let them cool completely and freeze the batch whole, covered tightly with aluminum foil or plastic freezer wrap, for up to three months.

Get More Info Here ›

How long does lemon last unrefrigerated? ›

You can safely store lemons at room temperature, but like any fruit, they will start to go bad quicker. On average, you have about a week to use lemons stored at room temperature before they start to dry out, go soft, or worse, begin to mold.

Explore More ›

Can lemon cake be left out? ›

In general, most homemade cakes can be stored at room temperature for 2 to 4 days. If the cake has perishable fillings or frostings (like cream cheese or whipped cream), it might have a shorter shelf life and need refrigeration.

Read On ›