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–+ servings
Bright citrus dessert squares stacked on a plate with a dusting of powdered sugar.

Orange Bars Recipe

Orange Bars Recipe made with butter, flour, sugar, salt, fresh orange juice, orange zest, orange extract, baking powder, eggs, and powdered sugar.
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Course: Bars, Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Orange Bars Recipe
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
Servings: 24 bars

Ingredients

Crust

  • 1 c / 226 g unsalted butter
  • 2 c / 248 g all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 c / 100 g granulated sugar
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Filling

  • 1/2 c / 119 ml fresh squeezed orange juice
  • Zest of 1 orange
  • 1 tsp orange extract
  • 1 1/2 c / 150 g granulated sugar
  • 1/4 c / 31 g all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 4 large eggs
  • Powdered sugar for topping

Instructions

Preheat the oven.

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Prepare the baking pan.

  • Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with foil or parchment paper. Lightly coat with nonstick cooking spray.

Prepare the crust mixture.

  • In a large bowl, beat the unsalted butter with a hand mixer or stand mixer until creamy.

Add the dry crust ingredients.

  • Add the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, and salt. Beat until a dough forms. If using a hand mixer, additional mixing time may be required.

Press the crust.

  • Press the dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking pan.

Bake the crust.

  • Bake the crust for 18 minutes.

Prepare the filling.

  • A few minutes before the crust finishes baking, place the fresh orange juice, orange zest, orange extract, granulated sugar, all-purpose flour, baking powder, and eggs into a blender.

Blend the filling.

  • Blend until smooth, for a few seconds to about 1 minute, depending on the blender. Alternatively, whisk the filling ingredients in a large bowl until fully combined and smooth.

Add the filling to the crust.

  • Carefully pour the orange filling evenly over the hot crust.

Bake the bars.

  • Return the pan to the oven and bake for 20 to 23 minutes, or until the top is set and no longer jiggly.

Cool completely.

  • Remove the pan from the oven and allow the bars to cool completely before slicing.

Finish and serve.

  • Dust the cooled bars with powdered sugar. Slice into 24 bars and serve.

Notes

To make this Orange Bars Recipe gluten free, replace the all-purpose flour in both the crust and filling with a gluten-free 1:1 baking flour blend. Verify that the orange extract, baking powder, powdered sugar, and all packaged ingredients are labeled gluten free. Use clean bowls, utensils, mixer attachments, blender parts, and baking pans to prevent cross-contact with gluten-containing ingredients.