Chewy Orange Dessert Bars with Zesty Citrus Glaze

Orange Bars are a citrus twist on classic lemon bars: a buttery shortbread crust topped with a sweet, creamy orange custard. Simple to make and delightfully flavorful.

Citrus Bars

If you love lemon bars or lime bars, orange bars are the next natural step. The rich shortbread base paired with a smooth orange filling makes a refined dessert that’s also easy to prepare.

These citrus bars are versatile. You can keep them simple or experiment with variations — for example, combining orange with strawberries or coconut and lime — but the basic orange bars are bright, sweet, and elegant.

Orange Bars Recipe

Orange bars are the sweetest of the citrus variations — creamy and sweet with a clear orange aroma from fresh zest and juice. They benefit from chilling overnight, which lets the flavor intensify and the texture set for cleaner slices.

Use the zest and juice of two oranges to amplify the orange flavor. If you want a brighter color, a small dab of orange gel paste is optional. To boost orange flavor further, consider adding one of these: 1/8 teaspoon orange essential oil, 1 teaspoon orange extract, or 1 tablespoon thawed frozen orange juice concentrate.

How to Make Orange Bars

For thin, elegant bars I use an 11×7-inch pan. If you only have a 9-inch square pan, it works; for a 13×9-inch pan, multiply the crust by 1.5 so the base isn’t too thin.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease or line an 11×7-inch baking dish with parchment paper that overhangs the long sides by about 2 inches for easy removal. Prepare the crust first so it can bake while you assemble the filling.

For the Crust

*Full measurements and a printable recipe are listed in the recipe card below.

• Combine flour, powdered sugar, salt, and cold butter in a food processor or stand mixer until the mixture looks like fine crumbs that begin to clump.
• Evenly spread the crumbs in the prepared pan and press them firmly across the bottom.
• Bake at 350°F for 18–20 minutes, until the crust is light golden brown.

For the Orange Filling

Begin the filling when the crust is nearly finished baking so you can pour the filling over the hot crust.

1. Whisk together the sugar and flour in a bowl.
2. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking well after each addition until smooth.
3. Stir in the orange zest and fresh orange juice. Add a drop or two of orange food coloring if you want a brighter color.
4. Whisk until well combined and silky.

• Pour the filling over the hot crust and bake another 20 minutes, or until the center no longer jiggles and the edges are slightly browned.

Serving and Storing Orange Bars

• Cool the bars in the pan for about 1 hour, then cover and refrigerate for at least 1–2 hours until thoroughly cold. Chilling overnight gives the best flavor and cleanest slices.
• Lift the bars from the pan using the parchment overhang, trim the edges if desired, and cut into squares. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.
• Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to one week. To freeze, omit the powdered sugar, layer bars with parchment, press airtight, and freeze up to three months. Thaw on a plate at room temperature for 30 minutes or in the fridge overnight.

More Orange Desserts

If you enjoy these orange bars, try other orange-themed treats such as orange rolls, an Orange Julius–style drink, creamsicle cake, orange fluff salad, or orange-infused blondies and brownies.

If you make this recipe, please leave a rating and review in the comments. Thank you!

4.30 from 17 ratings

Orange Bars

Prep: 15 mins

Cook: 40 mins

Chill Time: 2 hrs

Total: 2 hrs 55 mins

Orange Bars are exactly like lemon bars, but made with oranges instead. A shortbread crust is topped with a sweet orange custard. Easy and delicious!

Yields 12 bars

Ingredients

Crust:

• 1 cup (120 g) all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup (30 g) powdered sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter, cold, cut into pieces

Orange Filling:

• 1 1/4 cups (250 g) granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup (30 g) all-purpose flour
• 4 large eggs
• 1 Tbsp orange zest (no white pith, about 2 oranges)
• 2/3 cup (159 ml) fresh orange juice (about 2 oranges)
• Orange food coloring, optional

Equipment

• Food processor or stand mixer
• 11×7-inch pan (or alternate sizes as noted)
• Parchment paper
• Whisk and mixing bowls
• Wire cooling rack

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease or line an 11×7-inch baking dish with parchment that overhangs the sides.
2. CRUST: Combine flour, powdered sugar, salt, and cold butter in a food processor or mixer. Pulse until fine crumbs form and begin to clump. Press evenly into the prepared pan and bake 18–20 minutes until golden.
3. FILLING: While crust bakes, whisk sugar and flour together. Add eggs one at a time, whisking after each. Stir in orange zest, juice, and optional food coloring. Whisk until smooth.
4. Pour filling over hot crust and bake 20 minutes more, or until the filling is set and edges are lightly browned.
5. Cool in the pan about 1 hour, then refrigerate at least 1–2 hours until cold (overnight preferred).
6. Lift bars from pan using parchment, trim edges, cut into squares, and dust with powdered sugar to serve.

Notes

• Store covered in the refrigerator up to 1 week.
• Freeze (undusted) in an airtight container with parchment between layers for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature 30 minutes or in fridge overnight.
• This recipe adapts to a 9×9-inch pan (may require a few extra minutes baking) or a 13×9-inch pan if you increase the crust recipe by 1.5×.
• To intensify orange flavor, add 1/8 tsp orange essential oil, 1 tsp orange extract, or 1 Tbsp thawed frozen orange juice concentrate to the filling.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 bar | Calories: 179 kcal | Carbohydrates: 37 g | Protein: 4 g | Fat: 2 g | Sugar: 25 g

Disclaimer: Nutritional values are estimates.

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