Lemon Poppy Seed Bars Recipe

These bars are some of my favorite things- lemon, sugar cookies, and poppy seeds - all rolled into one. Chewy and dense, they are the perfect dessert! They make a lot, so they are awesome for potlucks or parties.

Prep Time10

Cook Time15

Total Time25

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: lemon dessert, Lemon Poppy Seed Bars, lemon squares, poppy seeds

Servings: people

Calories: 168kcal

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
2½ teaspoons lemon extract
4 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
4 teaspoons poppy seeds

Frosting:

½ cup butter softened
¼ cup milk
1½ teaspoons lemon extract
4 cups powdered sugar
a couple of drops yellow food coloring (optional)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a large 15x10x1" baking sheet (cookie sheet) with non-stick cookie spray.
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until fluffy (I used a mixer, but you could also do it by hand). Add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each one. Mix in lemon extract.
In a separate bowl, mix together flour, salt, baking soda, and poppy seeds. Add in with wet ingredients and mix until just combined.
Spread the dough all the way to the edges in the prepared cookie sheet . I have found that it's easier to just use your hands to spread it (the dough may be sticky, so spray hands with non-stick cooking spray to make it easier to spread).
Bake for 10-15 minutes or until dough is a light golden brown. Cool completely before frosting.
For frosting: Mix frosting ingredients together until completely combined. Spread over pan of bars.

Nutrition