Nectarine Lemon Bars

Recipe Ingredients

Here’s a look at the ingredients you’ll need for these Nectarine Lemon Bars.

Nectarines: Nectarines are similar to peaches in flavor but without the fuzz on the skins, making them a perfect choice for this fruit bar.

Lemons: The zest and juice of two lemons flavor the crust and filling.

Sugar Cookie Mix: This easy crust is a simple mixture of Betty Crocker™ Sugar Cookie Mix and melted butter. Some of the mix is also used to coat the fruit and to thicken the filling.

Butter: Melted butter combined with the cookie mix forms a sweet and buttery base for these bars.

Other Ingredients You’ll Need: Sugar, eggs, and salt. 

How to Make Nectarine Lemon Bars

Here are our best tips for making Nectarine Lemon Bars. See the full recipe for detailed instructions.

1. Make the Crust

First, remove 5 tablespoons of cookie mix and set it aside for later. Combine the remaining cookie mix with the melted butter and lemon zest to form a crumbly dough. Press the dough into a prepared 8x8-inch baking pan.

2. Blind Bake the Crust

Partially bake the crust by itself, without any filling. Also called blind baking, this step will give the crust a jump start on baking and keep it from becoming soggy.

3. Toss the Nectarines with Cookie Mix

Coating the nectarines in a bit of cookie mix absorbs the juices from the nectarines as they bake and prevents the filling from becoming watery.

4. Make the Filling

Combine the filling ingredients, including a little bit more of the cookie mix, to create a smooth lemon filling. The cookie mix, along with a couple eggs, thickens the filling and gives it enough structure to slice. The nectarines and filling are layered right on top of the hot, partially baked crust.

5. Final Bake

Finally, bake the bars! These bars take about 30 minutes to bake, the edges will be golden brown and the center will be set without any jiggle.

How to Store Nectarine Lemon Bars

Follow these tips for storing Nectarine Lemon Bars.

Refrigerator Storage

These bars must be stored in the refrigerator for food safety. Place bars in an airtight container, or wrap individually in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 5 days.

Freezer Storage

Wrap bars individually in plastic wrap and place in a resealable plastic freezer bag. Freeze for up to 1 month.

Thawing

Thaw frozen bars in the refrigerator overnight.