Lemon Bars with Graham Cracker Crust

I am not a big dessert girl. I like dessert fine – but actually prefer more dinner to dinner + dessert. I crave savory items more than I crave sweet. BUT LET ME TELL YOU → these Lemon bars with graham cracker crust are so very delicious. My friend Jody introduced me to these bars – when we had a pot luck dinner at the house. I tried one – I mean, I’m not crazy…. a bite of a lemon bar never killed anyone! Whoa boy – there was an explosion in my mouth. 💥 Creamy, silky, bright and bouncy L-E-M-O-N flavor, without the TART pucker factor. 🍋 These bars are literally perfect.

The second time Jody brought these lemon bars to my house and I had a bite – there again was that now familiar explosion. I thought it must be voodoo or magic making these lemon bars so bright and a must have on any dessert table.

Traditional Lemon Bars have shortbread crust (but these are BETTER!!)

So I did a little research and I tried making lemon bars and for some reason my lemon bars (which did have a short bread crust) – literally like actual voodoo or black magic — flipped the filling and the crust during baking. The filling was on the bottom of the pan and the crust was on top. They were fine (← Just Fine) tasting – but impossible to serve other than with a spoon. And they weren’t bright and magical in my mouth like Jody’s. And, to make matters worse – it was one of my heroes recipes! It was an adaptation of Ina Garten’s lemon bars. You know she’s a goddess in the kitchen so there was only one thing to do…

I asked Jody for the recipe

And like a good friend she gladly shared it with me. It is below. No major changes. One slight alteration. Trust me, I didn’t mess with perfection. Thanks to Mom on Timeout for the original recipe.

My pics and feedback and tips are as below.

Lemon Bars with Graham Cracker Crust

A bright and fresh silky lemony bar with the perfect graham cracker crust. I guarantee you will love these bars – or your money back! 😂

5 from 2 votes

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 32 minutes mins

Required Refrigeration Time 2 hours hrs

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 25

Calories 121 kcal

Equipment

• 9 X 9 Square Pan
• Parchment Paper

Ingredients

  

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Graham Cracker Crust

• 1½ C Graham Cracker Crumbs
• ⅓ C Sugar
• 6 Tbl Butter melted

Lemon Curd

• 14 Ounces Sweetened condensed milk (1 Can)
• 5 Egg Yolks
• ½ C Lemon Juice (Fresh Squeezed)
• 2 Tbl Lemon Zest (Zest First!)

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Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 375℉

Make the Crust

• Get out your 9X9 (ideal) or 8X8 square pan and line with Parchment paper. (Just cut diagonally on the corners of the parchment paper to allow the corners to overlap inside the pan.). Spray the pan with cooking spray.
• Combine the crust ingredients in a bowl and and stir till combined. Dump into your pan.
  
• Use a small round flat bottomed object to firmly press the mixture into your pan. (i.e. a small glass or a measuring cup etc.)
  
• Bake for 7 -9 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.
• Cool the crust completely.

Make the Curd

• Separate your egg yolks – setting aside the whites for another use.
  
• Zest and squeeze your lemons. Note – more lemon juice is not better. Even if you don't want to waste the last bit of lemon…you only need 1/2 C lemon juice ! 🤣
  
• Whisk all ingredients together in a bowl.
  
• Pour mixed curd ingredients over the cooled crust.
  
• Bake for 25 minutes.
  
• Once the bars get a bit cool – put the entire pan into the fridge for at least 2 hours before slicing and preparing for presentation.

Notes

Consider making the crust in advance.  It has to completely cool before adding the curd.  

The original recipe had a zest + sugar “candied lemon zest” on top which I made the first time – but will skip going forward – and hence it is not included here. This was my one key change to the recipe…  I don’t think it added anything to the bars besides calories.  

Remember the bars have to be in the fridge to set for at least 2 hours before you cut and serve them.  So make the dessert in the morning or the night before your event. 

We cut the bars into a 5X5  == 25 servings.  You do you, though, and cut them as large as you like !  

Nutrition

Calories: 121kcalCarbohydrates: 16gProtein: 2gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 52mgSodium: 78mgPotassium: 80mgFiber: 0.3gSugar: 13gVitamin A: 184IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 56mgIron: 0.4mg

Keyword fresh lemons, graham cracker, lemon bar, lemon juice

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!