Description
These creamy lemon squares feature a buttery graham cracker crust topped with a smooth, tangy lemon filling made from sweetened condensed milk and fresh lemon juice. Baked to perfection, they make a delightful dessert or snack with a perfect balance of sweetness and citrus zing.
Ingredients
Scale
For the crust:
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 24 squares graham crackers
- ¼ cup sugar
For the lemon filling:
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 can (12 oz) sweetened condensed milk
- ½ cup lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F to get it ready for baking the crust and filling.
- Prepare baking pan: Butter and line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving some paper hanging over two sides for easy removal of the lemon squares later.
- Make the crust: Break the graham crackers into pieces and pulse them in a food processor until fine crumbs form. Add sugar and melted butter, then pulse again until the mixture is well combined.
- Form the crust: Press the crumb mixture firmly into the bottom and about 1 inch up the sides of the prepared pan to create an even crust.
- Bake crust: Bake the crust in the preheated oven for 12 minutes or until it turns lightly browned. Remove and let it cool completely in the pan.
- Prepare filling: While the crust cools, whisk together the sweetened condensed milk and egg yolks until smooth. Then add the lemon juice and whisk until fully combined.
- Add filling and bake: Pour the lemon filling over the cooled crust. Bake again at 350°F for 20 minutes or until the filling is set and the crust is nicely browned.
- Cool and chill: Let the lemon squares cool completely in the pan on a cooling rack. For firmer squares, refrigerate after cooling to room temperature.
- Serve: Use the parchment paper overhang to lift the lemon squares out of the pan. Cut into 16 mini squares or 9 larger squares and serve.
Notes
- You can substitute graham crackers with digestive biscuits if unavailable.
- Use fresh lemon juice for the best bright citrus flavor.
- Refrigerating the squares thoroughly makes slicing cleaner and improves texture.
- If you don’t have a food processor, place graham crackers in a sealed plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin.
- For a more intense lemon flavor, add a teaspoon of lemon zest to the filling.
- Ensure the crust is completely cooled before adding filling to avoid melting the egg yolks prematurely.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 square
- Calories: 180 kcal
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 90 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 24 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 65 mg
