Easy Orange Bars Recipe (Like Lemon Bars but Better!)

Orange Bars Recipe

Creamy orange bars are the perfect dessert for you if you’re looking for something bright and citrusy but also want something not too mouth-puckeringly sour like a lemon bar.

These bars win the dreamy category with their buttery shortbread base and creamy orange vanilla filling. The jeweled pieces of candied orange slices add a sophisticated touch that outshines many complicated frosting attempts.

If you love lemon bars but want to try something new, this fresh lemon bars variation is your new heart song.

Active time	Total time	Yield	Difficulty
15 min	80 min	16 bars	Easy

stack of orange bars topped with candied orange slices next to candied orange slice garnish, text overlay

Make these orange cream bars if:

You love citrus anything: the creamy orange vanilla flavor is like a swoon-worthy creamsicle custard.
You’re looking for a fresh Springy dessert: these will be so lovely for Easter desserts, Mother’s Day brunch, baby showers, and any kind of tea party. The bright flavors and vivid colors are perfect for the season.
You don’t have time to fuss about decorating desserts: Almost all of my desserts require very little in the way of decorating. I’d rather spend a few minutes making something with high visual impact like candied orange slices than spending a hand-cramping time piping buttercream. If a dessert can’t be ennobled by a dusting of powdered sugar, is it even worth your time?

Before and After: The secret science that makes this recipe work

closeup of candied orange slices on orange bars and fork on plate — before, too wet top

stack of orange bars topped with candied orange slices next to candied orange slice garnsih — before, too wet top

I struggled through 6 pans to get this recipe right for you guys! Here’s why I failed and what I know now:

pH of Oranges vs. Lemons: Lemons have a much lower pH than oranges (2.0-2.6 vs. 3.3-4.2). As such, the coagulating reaction between the lemon juice and eggs in lemon bars is much stronger. My base recipe for my lemon bars cannot be used for oranges (womp womp).
Magic of sweetened condensed milk: To get my filling to work, I had to use the magic combination of orange juice plus sweetened condensed milk. The bars on the left use egg yolks and orange juice alone, making for a softer set that wasn’t what I wanted. When milk proteins (casein) in sweetened condensed milk hit the acid in the orange juice, they begin to thicken. Combine that with egg yolks and you get a filling that will set in the time it takes for the crust to finish baking. Thank you science!

plate of orange bars topped with candied orange slices

Ingredients for Orange Bars

Orange Filling

Orange juice: fresh squeezed from blood oranges, Cara cara, or navel oranges
Egg yolks
Sweetened condensed milk
Sour cream: balances the flavors, boosts the creaminess.
Vanilla
Salt

Crust

Butter
Powdered sugar
Egg yolk
Vanilla
Salt
All-purpose flour

Garnish

Powdered sugar
Candied orange slices (optional)

Equipment needed

8 x 8 pan
parchment
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double rolling pin
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(optional, but extremely helpful)
whisk
fine mesh sieve
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What kind of oranges should I use?

Any orange will work here, as long as it’s fresh. Do not use bottled juice as it is often too concentrated of a flavor and does not taste fresh.

Step by Step Process for making Citrus Bars

Make the candied orange slices: if you’re making them, follow the recipe for candied orange slices. If you don’t have time to make them, know that you can simply dust the tops of your bars with powdered sugar before serving.
Make the crust: Beat the butter and powdered sugar until smooth. Add in the egg yolk, vanilla and salt, beating until smooth. Add in the flour and beat just until the flour disappears. Line the bottom of an 8 x 8 pan with parchment
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. Scrape the dough into the bottom of the pan. Use a piece of plastic wrap to press the dough into the corners. Spend some time building up an edge all the way around the pan. If you have a double rolling pin
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, it will be very helpful in rolling the dough inside the pan. When the edge around the bottom is about 1/2″ to 3/4″ high, poke the dough with a fork on the bottom. Bake in a 350 F oven for 20 minutes.
Whisk the filling: Whisk together all the filling ingredients in a small bowl. Pour the filling through a fine mesh sieve
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to get out any bits of orange pulp and sour cream.
Bake the filling: Pour the filling onto the hot crust after it has baked for 20 minutes. Bake for another 25-30 minutes until the center is no longer making waves of liquid when you move the pan but the center is still a little jiggly.
Finish the bars: Let the bars cool to room temperature. Just before serving, sprinkle the tops liberally with powdered sugar. Cut candied orange slices into wedges and then top the bars with 16 tiny orange wedges. Cut the cooled bars into 16 pieces. You can serve the bars at room temperature or chilled.

Pro tips for getting the nicest looking orange bars

Do not use a removable bottom pan: I have two 8×8
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pans and my first mistake in the first 3 pans of this recipe was using the removable bottom one. Unsurprisingly, on 2 out of 3, I had problems with the filling leaking out the bottom of the pan to greater and lesser extents.
Build up the edge: This orange filling is very liquidy when it goes into the oven. By building up an edge around the bottom of the crust, you’re making sure that the filling has no chance of finding a gap between the crust and the pan to seep into.
Be sure to strain the filling: Anytime you make a custardy type filling, you should strain it for the smoothest, creamiest filling. Here you’ll want to strain out orange pulp, egg bits, and tiny flecks of uncooperative sour cream that doesn’t want to whisk itself smooth.
Cut around the bars: Despite using parchment
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and building up an edge around the bottom of the pan, it’s likely that a tiny bit of the filling will still seep under the crust, making the bars stick in the pan. Slip a knife around the edge before you lift up the parchment to remove the bars from the pan for cutting. Cool the bars for at least 10 minutes before peeling away the parchment.
Wipe your knife: Have a damp kitchen towel handy. Wipe your knife in between cuts.

Serving ideas to make your orange bars even more lovely

browned meringue on top of lemon meringue bars

whipped cream frosting on plate next to piping bag

Add a dollop of the best whipped cream frosting.
Skip the candied orange slices and add a meringue topping instead.
Serve them with a scoop of raspberry swirl ice cream.

FAQs and troubleshooting

Can I used bottled orange juice?

I can’t recommend it. It does not taste fresh, and it’s often far too concentrated. Squeeze your oranges!

What happened to my filling? It seems to have disappeared!

Girl, I have been there, done that, and got the t-shirt. Likely, there was a gap between the side of the pan and the crust. To fix the next batch: build up the edge so that it’s about 1/2″ to 3/4″ high all around the bottom and inspect the crust for any gaps before you bake the crust. This will give the filling something to sit in as it thickens; without it, the filling will run under the crust, making for a soggy crust with little discernible filling.

Can I make these ahead?

Absolutely. These bars are even better chilled. Cut the bars and then place them in an airtight container for the fridge up to 5 days ahead.

Can I freeze these?

You can, though the texture of the custard will be best if it is only refrigerated and not frozen. To get the best results from freezing, freeze the bars after individually wrapping them in plastic. Wrap the wrapped bars flat in a large plastic bag, removing as much air as possible.

Do I have to make the candied orange slices?

Nope, though they do bump up the pretty factor. If you’re short on time, sift a layer of powdered sugar over the tops of the bars before serving. It’s simple and elegant even if it’s not quite as pretty as the orange slices.

Orange Bars Recipe

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Author: Elizabeth Farr
Total Time: 80 minutes
Yield: 16 bars 1x

Print Recipe

Description

Shortbread crust topped with a creamy orange vanilla filling baked into a silky smooth custard then topped with little jeweled wedges of candied orange slices. These are a simple elegant bright Springy dessert you’ll love for Easter, Mother’s Day, or any other time you’re looking for a sunny pick me up kind of treat.

Ingredients

Scale

Cooking spray for the pan

3 Candied orange slices

Orange Shortbread Crust

1 stick of butter at room temperature (113 g)
1/3 cup (40 g) powdered sugar
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
1 egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla paste
1 cup all-purpose flour (130 g)
pinch of salt

Filling

6 Tablespoons fresh squeezed orange juice from 1-2 oranges
4 egg yolks
2 Tablespoons sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt
1 can sweetened condensed milk (14 oz)

Equipment

- 8 x 8 pan

- parchment

- double rolling pin
  (Affiliate)
  (optional, but extremely helpful)

- whisk

- fine mesh sieve
  (Affiliate)

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Instructions

Make the garnish

If you’re going to use the candied orange as a garnish, make a recipe of the candied orange slices. Alternatively, you can top the bars with slivers of candied orange peel or just plain powdered sugar if you’re short on time.

Make the crust

Preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C). Spritz an 8 x 8 pan with a little cooking spray and then place a piece of parchment that covers the bottom and two of the sides.Spray a little more on top of the parchment and then place a second piece of parchment that covers the other two sides.
Using a paddle attachment on a stand mixer, mix the powdered sugar, butter and egg yolk until just combined.
Add in the vanilla and the salt to the butter to combine. The mixture should be well-combined but not fluffy.
Pour in the flour, then pulse the mixer a few times before letting it run just long enough for the flour to disappear–about 10 seconds. Turn off the mixer, and use a baking spatula
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to squish in any flour that’s hanging out at the bottom of the bowl.
Press the dough into the bottom of the pan into as even of a layer as you can get.If you have one, place a piece of plastic over the dough and use a small double sided rolling pin
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to get into the corners. Build up the edge of the crust to about 1/2” to 3/4” high, and make sure that the entire bottom of the pan is covered. Be sure to inspect the bottom for any gaps between the sides of the pan and the crust. Any gaps could cause the filling to run underneath the crust, making a soggy, sad bar.
Lightly poke the bottom of the crust with a fork all over the bottom.
Bake the crust for 20 minutes until it is set.

Add the filling

While the crust is baking, whisk together the filling ingredients in a small bowl.
Whisk together all the filling ingredients in a small bowl. Pour the filling through a fine mesh sieve to get out any bits of orange pulp and sour cream.
Bake the filling: Pour the filling onto the hot crust after it has baked for 20 minutes. Bake for another 25-30 minutes until the center is no longer making waves of liquid when you move the pan but the center is still a little jiggly. Cut around the edges of the pan between the parchment and the pan to release the bars, and then lift up the parchment to set the bars on a wire rack to cool.

Finish the bars

Let the bars cool to room temperature. Just before serving, sprinkle the tops liberally with powdered sugar. Cut candied orange slices into wedges and then top the bars with 16 tiny orange wedges. Cut the cooled bars into 16 pieces. You can serve the bars at room temperature or chilled. Serve room temperature bars immediately; otherwise, store bars in the refrigerator in a covered container for up to 5 days.