What works for me is to make sure they are completely cool before slicing, then I use a large kitchen knife which I wipe clean after each slice. Good luck!

Hello, peeps, the pan is ONE LARGE BAR. By cruelly hacking it into pieces, you are allowing the life-giving properties of Lemon Bar to escape into the atmosphere. I can't let you take that risk, Kerri. If you must share Lemon Bar, put a friend on the opposite side and chow down Lady & The Tramp style, taking care to snarf quickly to prevent said escapage from occurring.

What?

Bad Mama Genny
http://thealchemistblog.wordpress.com

I know plastic knives work best for brownies, I'd be curious to know if it helped the sticking from lemon bars too... probably not, but worth a try!

As an alternative to a hot knife I use a tool that's really just steel guitar wire, wrapped around small wood paddles, available from culinary supply houses that focus on chefs (not generally available at the retail shops who focus on home cooks) - it was about $4. In a pinch I use clean unwaxed dental floss but if you have a hard crust that may not work for you. Either tool is handy to have on hand for cutting slabs of chocolate ganache/gianduia, confections, logs of goat cheese, soft bar cookies, and cheesecake.

I'm with Cara! Plastic knives are a great option - if you wait until the bars are completely cooled and wipe the knife between slices. Hope that helps!!

Well dang. Now I'm going to have to make brownies AND lemon bars, and buy a plastic knife, too.

I freeze my bars for about an hour and then slice with a long chefs knife.

Most lemon bar recipes tell you to chill them overnight (if not- do it!) The extra chill time helps them set up great for cutting. BIGGEST thing you can do to get it clean and pretty I've found is just line the pan with parchment before you make them with edges overhanging. When ready, pull the parchment out and you can cut them with a sharp knife on the cutting board. As small as a thing as it seems, just getting the suckers out of the pan to cut them will make them shape 100% better when you cut them. Half of the messy edges is the sides smooshing a little trying ot get the cut bars out the pan. I do mine in diamonds and it always has crisp edges.

Some I know swear by a pizza cutter too once they're out the pan. I know it works great for brownies, but never tried it myself on lemon bars.

People cut lemon bars? Where's the fun in that? Pan, fork, napkin, good to go!

jmorri26 is absolutely right. Perfect bars every single time. But then I like to thaw them cause I don't like my bars cold.

I chill thoroughly and use a large chef's knife dipped in a tall plastic pitcher of hot water. Dip and wipe clean after each cut.

I find it's easier to get pretty squares if you line the pan with parchment so you can pull the whole thing out before cutting. I use a long chef's knife to go all the way across and wipe between cuts.

I always have the same problem too! I guess it depends if you have the time and the amount of people you are making lemon bars for, but have you thought of making them in mini muffin or individual tart pans?

Pizza cutter. I use it for just about anything baked, including ungodly sticky homemade protein bars.

I'm with Sarahj and scotchncoffee--line pan with parchment and use a pizza cutter. Also, I spray the pizza cutter with non-stick spray. Lemon bars, yum!

i use a bench scraper for lemon bars, brownies, and shortbread, wiping off the "blade" between cuts. if i've taken the dessert out of the pan, i'll use a chef's knife, but the bench scraper is easier to manipulate when i am cutting IN the pan, and it's great for loosening the sides.

Wow, thanks everyone! That was my question! Well, I made the lemon bars (my husband's grandmother's recipe, tweaked a bit). Unfortunately, I saw the post just a few hours after I sliced them!!! BUT I ended up sprinkling powdered sugar on them before I sliced them because I was a little short on sugar for the recipe. They were completely cool but some of the sugar settled into the top. They didn't slice perfectly, but the drag was significantly better. It was almost like the sugar set the top even more. I'll be trying all of the great ideas next time, though!!! - Kerri

I use release aluminum foil for all bar cookies. I place in the bottom/sides of my pan and make the bar cookie as usual. When cooled I lift the whole thing out on the a cutting board and cut.

We do alot of catering and we always use the FAMOUS CHEESE KNIFE!! It cuts warm brownies, nothing sticks....lemon bars also!!! It is a plastic type knife, and we actually tried one time by mistake and it worked wonderfully!!! That's all we use now. Just go to cheeseknife.com and look at them. It's made for soft cheese and NO cheese sticks to it either.

That is what i was going to try but i think it would be to much