LEMON BARS WITH GRAHAM CRACKER CRUST
These bright and sunny lemon bars feature a creamy, velvety lemon filling baked on top of a buttery homemade graham cracker crust. The crust is made by combining graham cracker crumbs with brown sugar and melted butter, then pressing it into the pan and pre-baking. For the lemon filling, sweetened condensed milk is whisked together with egg yolks, lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla and salt until smooth, then poured over the pre-baked crust. After baking until set, the bars need to chill completely before cutting into squares. The combination of the rich, buttery graham cracker base with the tangy-sweet lemon custard topping makes for an irresistible, sunshine-filled treat.
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Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
- 30 g 1 oz or 2 tablespoons packed light or dark brown sugar
- 180 g 6.3 oz or 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs (from about 12 full graham cracker sheets, crushed into fine crumbs)
- 70 g 2.5 oz or 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Lemon Bars
- 120 ml 4 fl oz or ½ cup fresh lemon juice (from about 2 large lemons)
- 3 large egg yolks at room temperature
- 795 g 28 oz or 2 (14 oz) cans sweetened condensed milk
- Zest of 2 large lemons
- 5 ml 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1.4 g ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Graham Cracker Crust
- Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F). Grease an 20x20cm (8x8-inch) square baking pan with non-stick cooking spray. Line the bottom and two sides of the pan with parchment paper and spray again.
- In a food processor, pulse the graham crackers into fine crumbs. In a medium bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, and melted butter using a fork until well mixed.
- Transfer the crumb mixture to the prepared pan and press it firmly into an even layer on the bottom only, using the back of a measuring cup.
- Bake for 10 minutes.
Lemon Bars
- While the crust is baking, prepare the lemon bar filling. In a large bowl, whisk together the sweetened condensed milk, egg yolks, lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla, and salt until smooth and well combined.
- Pour the lemon filling over the warm pre-baked crust and spread it into an even layer.
- Bake for 22-26 minutes, until the edges are golden brown and the center is set but still slightly jiggly.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely on a wire rack. Once cooled, cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight before cutting into bars.
- If desired, dust the chilled lemon bars with powdered sugar before serving.
Nutrition
Calories: 245kcalCarbohydrates: 35gProtein: 4gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 27mgSodium: 142mgPotassium: 188mgFiber: 0.2gSugar: 32gVitamin A: 243IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 149mgIron: 0.5mg
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