You’ll love these Easy Lemon Bars with Graham Cracker Crust and Condensed Milk. These lemon bars are made simple with just 3 ingredients including fresh lemon juice, sweetened condensed milk, and egg yolks, and feature a delicious buttery graham cracker crust. They’re creamy, delicious, and perfectly sweet and tart!

Easy Lemon Bars with Graham Cracker Crust

Name: Easy Lemon Bars with Graham Cracker Crust
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (2-3 lemons squeezed); 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk; 3 egg yolks (use this separator); 1 1/4 graham cracker crumbs (9-10 sleeves, crushed); 1/4 cup granulated sugar; 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted

Love lemon? Then you NEED these Easy Lemon Bars with Graham Cracker Crust in your life! These creamy lemon bars are so easy to make with just a few, simple ingredients, yet they are bursting full of fresh lemon flavor and are perfectly sweet, tart, and delicious.

You’ll love making these lemon bars for an easy and yummy summer-time treat, and best of all you can even freeze them for enjoying whenever the lemon craving strikes.

If you want to learn how to make the best lemon bars with graham cracker crust, then keep reading below and check out my full step-by-step video tutorial over here.

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Best Lemon Bars with Graham Cracker Crust

When I was younger I used to avoid lemon desserts, claiming they were too tart for my taste. Now that I’m older and MUCH wiser, I’ve jumped on the lemon train and these lemon bars have quickly grown to be a favorite.

The lemon flavor in these bars is perfect – not too tart, not too sweet, and a great light and refreshing treat during the spring and summer months.

Oh and in case you were thinking that making lemon bars would be too complicated or would require a ton of ingredients, think again. One of the best things about these creamy lemon bars is the fact that you only need just 6 ingredients total for both the bars and the graham cracker crust.

Lemon Bars Recipe FAQ’s

Below I’ve included answers to some of the most frequently asked questions. As always if you have any other questions, just drop them in the comments below!

Because the star in this recipe is lemon juice, I 110% recommend using freshly-squeezed lemon juice vs. using the kind you buy in the bottle.

The bottled kind contains all kinds of preservatives and honestly isn’t ever going to taste as good as fresh lemons.

Grab yourself this affordable lemon squeezer and do it the old fashioned way.

You can thank me later.

Ideally, I’d recommend using an egg separator like this. It’s the easiest, fool-proof method and it’s a great inexpensive tool to have on hand in the kitchen.

If you don’t have an egg separator, it’s still pretty easy to separate your egg yolks using the shell method.

First, carefully crack your egg in half and hold it over a bowl. The goal is to catch the yolk in one of the shell halves while allowing the egg whites to drip down into the bowl below.

Next, carefully transfer the yolk back and forth between the two shells and slowly let the egg white drop down.

Take your time and make sure you remove all the egg whites.

Yes, I’d recommend using non-stick cooking spray to grease your pan, and/or lining your pan with parchment paper for easy removal/cutting.

I unfortunately ran out of parchment paper the day I made these bars, but normally I would have also used it so that cutting the bars would have been easier.

Whenever you make a homemade crust, the bottom has a tendency to want to stick to the pan, which is why it’s always a good idea to use parchment paper with an overhang so you can just lift it out and slice.

However, if you want to cut your bars in the pan, I have a little trick that works EVERY SINGLE TIME.

To loosen up the crust, set the bottom of your pan in a shallow amount of hot water.

With this Pyrex pan, I can easily just pop the lid on, fill up my sink with a little bit of hot water, and set the bottom in it for about 30 seconds.

It works like a charm and makes slicing your bars super easy.

The key to clean, mess-free slices is to use a sharp, hot knife, and to slice your lemon bars when they are fully chilled.

Dip a sharp knife down in hot water for 15-20 seconds, wipe dry, and then cut your bars in vertical motions working from the inside to outside of the pan.

I also recommend wiping your knife in between slices and again, make sure your bars are nice and cold.

Yes, lemon bars should be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated.

They will remain fresh for up to 1 week.

Yes, lemon bars freeze up wonderfully!

The only thing I would note is that you should freeze these lemon bars minus any toppings, icings, etc.

Please see my freezing instructions below.

Lemon Bars Storage Instructions

Leftover lemon bars should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator and will remain fresh for up to 1 week.

After that, I would recommend freezing as instructed below.

To Freeze:

After baking and chilling your bars, cut the lemon bars into the desired size and wrap each bar tightly with plastic wrap.

Place the individually wrapped bars in a freezer-safe ziploc bag and freeze for up to 3 months.

To Thaw/Eat:

Once ready to eat your lemon bars, place in the fridge to thaw for 2-3 hours or overnight.

If desired, top with a dusting of powdered sugar and/or some grated lemon zest before serving and enjoy!

How to Make Lemon Bars With Graham Cracker Crust and Sweetened Condensed Milk

Ready to make these easy and creamy lemon bars? Below I’ve included a list of the ingredients and kitchen tools you’ll need. Check out the recipe card below for the detailed amounts. P.S. You can watch the full video tutorial over here!

Lemon Bars Recipe Ingredients:

Lemon Filling:

Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice – the key word here being fresh. I don’t recommend using bottled lemon juice, as it will not give you the same delicious flavor.
Sweetened Condensed Milk
Egg Yolks – You’ll only need yolks (the yellow part) of the egg for this recipe. I recommend this affordable egg separator to make it easy.

Graham Cracker Crust:

Graham Cracker Crumbs – I love making my own crumbs homemade with this blender or you can also crush them by hand using a Ziploc bag. If you’re in a rush though, you can also grab the pre-made crumbs in the bakery section.
Granulated Sugar
Melted Unsalted Butter

Kitchen tools you’ll need

1. Prepare and Bake Your Graham Cracker Crust

First, crush your graham crackers with a food processor or manually with a Ziploc bag.

Combine with melted butter and sugar in a bowl and pour into a 8×8 square baking dish that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray or lined with parchment paper.

Use a fork or the bottom of a measuring cup to press firmly into the pan, ensuring it gets into all the corners.

Bake in the oven for 10 minutes or until the crust is a light golden brown and let cool on a cooling rack while you prepare your lemon bars.

2. Make Lemon Filling and Bake Lemon Bars

To prepare your lemon bars filling, use a lemon squeezer to squeeze out fresh lemon juice, and use an egg separator to separate your egg yolks.

In a large mixing bowl combine lemon juice with sweetened condensed milk and egg yolks, and mix on medium speed with an electric hand mixer for 2 minutes.

Pour onto the cooled graham cracker crust, smooth out the top, and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until the edges are a light golden brown and the middle no longer jiggles.

Let lemon bars cool on a wire cooling rack for 15-30 minutes (or until they are room temperature) and then refrigerate for 2-3 hours before cutting.

3. Slice and Enjoy

Once your lemon bars have fully chilled for 2-3 hours or more, use a hot, sharp paring knife to slice lemon bars.

*If the crust gives you any trouble when slicing, use my helpful tips in the FAQ’s section above.

If desired, top with a dusting of powdered sugar and/or some grated lemon zest, serve, and enjoy!

Easy Lemon Bars with Graham Cracker Crust Recipe + Video Tutorial

Easy Lemon Bars with Graham Cracker Crust

Print Recipe

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Author: Kindly Unspoken
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Yield: 12–16 bars 1x
Category: Dessert
Method: Oven, Baking
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Units Scale

Lemon Filling

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (2-3 lemons squeezed)
14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
3 egg yolks (use this separator)

Graham Cracker Crust

1 1/4 graham cracker crumbs (9–10 sleeves, crushed)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

First preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line an 8×8 square baking dish with parchment paper (letting it overhang) or coat with non-stick cooking spray.
Next prepare your graham cracker crust by crushing graham crackers with a food processor or manually with a Ziploc bag.
Melt butter in the microwave and combine with the graham cracker crumbs and sugar, stirring until evenly combined.
Pour crumbs into the prepared baking dish and use the back of a fork or measuring cup to press firmly into the pan, ensuring it gets into all the corners.
Bake in the oven for 10 minutes or until the crust is a light golden brown. Once baked, let cool on a cooling rack while you prepare your lemon bars.
While crust is cooling, begin preparing your lemon filling.
Use a lemon squeezer to squeeze out fresh lemon juice and use an egg separator to separate your egg yolks.
In a large mixing bowl combine lemon juice with sweetened condensed milk and egg yolks, and mix on medium speed with an electric hand mixer for 2 minutes.
Pour onto the cooled graham cracker crust, smooth until even, and bake at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until the edges are a light golden brown and the middle no longer jiggles.
Let lemon bars cool on a wire cooling rack for 15-30 minutes (or until they are room temperature) and then refrigerate for 2-3 hours before cutting.
Once chilled, use a hot, sharp paring knife to slice lemon bars. *If you run into issues when attempting to slice, please see my tips in the FAQ’s section above.
If desired, top with a dusting of powdered sugar, serve, and enjoy!

Notes

Leftover lemon bars should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator and will remain fresh for up to 1 week. After that, I would recommend freezing as instructed below.

To Freeze: After baking and chilling your bars, cut the lemon bars into the desired size and wrap each bar tightly with plastic wrap. Place the individually wrapped bars in a freezer-safe ziploc bag and freeze for up to 3 months.

To Thaw/Eat: Once ready to eat your lemon bars, place in the fridge to thaw for 2-3 hours or overnight. If desired, top with a dusting of powdered sugar before serving and enjoy!

Similar Desserts You’ll Love:

I hope you enjoyed today’s recipe for my Easy Lemon Bars with Graham Cracker Crust! Are you a lemon lover too? Let me know in the comments below!

Thanks for stopping by! – Cara

Easy Lemon Bars with Graham Cracker Crust

Easy Lemon Bars with Graham Cracker Crust