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. Perfectly balanced in sweetness and tartness, they are an easy-to-make dessert ideal for gatherings or a refreshing treat.
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 the oven. Preheat your oven to 350°F to get it ready for baking the crust and the lemon squares.
- Prepare the pan. Butter and line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving some overhang on two sides for easy removal of the lemon squares later.
- Make the crust. Break the graham crackers into pieces and put them in a food processor. Pulse until crumbly. Add sugar and melted butter, then pulse again until the mixture is evenly combined.
- Form the crust. Press the graham cracker crumble firmly into the bottom and about 1 inch up the sides of the prepared pan to form a solid crust layer.
- Bake the crust. Place the crust in the oven and bake for 12 minutes until it is lightly browned. Remove from oven and let it cool completely while you prepare the filling.
- Prepare the lemon filling. In a bowl, whisk together sweetened condensed milk and egg yolks until smooth, using an electric mixer or a whisk. Then, add fresh lemon juice and whisk until fully combined and creamy.
- Add filling and bake. Pour the lemon filling evenly over the cooled graham cracker crust. Return the pan to the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until the filling is set and the crust is browned.
- Cool and chill. Remove from the oven and place the pan on a cooling rack. Let it cool to room temperature, then refrigerate to firm up the lemon squares fully.
- Slice and serve. Lift the lemon squares out of the pan using the parchment paper overhang. Transfer to a cutting board and cut into 16 mini squares or 9 larger squares for serving.
Notes
- Use freshly squeezed lemon juice for the best fresh citrus flavor.
- Letting the squares chill in the refrigerator after baking helps the filling firm up for easier slicing.
- The parchment paper lining with overhang makes removing the squares from the pan simple without breaking.
- For a gluten free version, use gluten free graham crackers.
- You can adjust the sugar in the crust to taste if you prefer it more or less sweet.
- Make sure the crust is fully cooled before adding the filling to avoid uneven baking.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 square
- Calories: 210 kcal
- Sugar: 18 g
- Sodium: 95 mg
- Fat: 11 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 23 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg
