Description
Delightfully tangy and creamy lemon squares with a crisp graham cracker crust, perfect for a refreshing dessert or snack. This easy-to-make recipe combines a buttery crumb base with a smooth, sweet lemon custard filling for a burst of citrus flavor in every bite.
Ingredients
Scale
For the crust:
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 24 squares graham crackers
- 1/4 cup sugar
For the lemon filling:
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 can (12 oz) sweetened condensed milk
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) to prepare for baking the crust and filling.
- Prepare pan: Butter and line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving some paper overhanging two sides for easy removal later.
- Make crust mixture: Break up the graham crackers and pulse them in a food processor until crumbled. Add sugar and melted butter, then pulse again until the mixture is well combined.
- Form crust: Press the crumb mixture firmly into the bottom and up 1 inch on the sides of the prepared pan to create an even crust layer.
- Bake crust: Bake in the preheated oven for 12 minutes or until the crust is lightly browned. Remove and let cool completely in the pan.
- Prepare filling: While the crust cools, whisk together the sweetened condensed milk and egg yolks until smooth, using a whisk or electric mixer. Then whisk in the fresh lemon juice thoroughly.
- Add filling and bake: Pour the creamy lemon filling over the cooled crust. Return the pan to the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until the filling is set and the crust edges are browned.
- Cool and chill: Remove from oven and let the lemon squares cool completely on a cooling rack. For firmer bars, refrigerate after reaching room temperature.
- Cut and serve: Using the parchment paper handles, lift the lemon squares from the pan and place on a cutting board. Cut into 16 smaller squares or 9 larger squares as desired for serving.
Notes
- Use freshly squeezed lemon juice for the best bright citrus flavor.
- Press the crust mixture firmly to avoid crumbly edges.
- Refrigerate after cooling to help the filling set firmly for cleaner cuts.
- Use parchment paper for easy removal without breaking the squares.
- You can substitute graham crackers with digestive biscuits if preferred.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 square
- Calories: 190 kcal
- Sugar: 18 g
- Sodium: 85 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 27 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg
