These easy lemon bars with graham cracker crust and condensed milk are a game changer! Better than old fashioned lemon bars, these treats with graham cracker crust have a creamy filling and a flavorful buttery crust that is irresistible!
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And if you love the flavors in this recipe for lemon bars with graham cracker crust, check out my Gluten Free Olive Oil Cake, my Cherry Crumb Pie, and my White Forest Cake!
Easy Lemon Bars with Graham Cracker Crust
Let’s talk about these creamy lemon bars with a graham cracker crust —because, honestly, who can resist that perfect combo of creamy, zesty, and sweet? These bars are like a little slice of sunshine, with that tangy lemon filling balancing out the sweet, buttery graham cracker crust. It’s like a flavor party in your mouth!
This recipe is perfect for lemon lovers! It's based on my Lemon Icebox Pie, and it has similar flavors to my Ricotta Lemon Pasta, and my Sweet Potato Pie with Graham Cracker Crust! So if you like this one, give those a try too!
Lemon Bars with Graham Cracker Crust and Condensed Milk
Making your lemon bars with graham cracker crust and condensed milk is so much better than old fashioned lemon bars! The graham cracker crust adds this awesome crunch and a hint of honeyed sweetness, which plays so well with the tart lemon topping.
Most lemon squares are made with a shortbread crust, which I also love, but I love lemon desserts with a graham cracker crust even more!
Is it better to bake or not bake a graham cracker crust?
It depends on your recipe, but in my experience either one works! In this recipe for lemon pie bars with graham cracker crust, the crust is lightly baked along with the lemon filling, allowing it to firm up a bit more, but in recipes like my Cheesecake Mousse Cups, the graham cracker crust is simply pressed into the bottom of the no-bake dessert.
Ingredients
Check the recipe card below for the full ingredient measurements and details, but here's a quick look at what you'll need for this recipe:
- graham cracker crumbs - you can't have a graham cracker crust without graham crackers! You can use store-bought graham cracker crumbs, or crush them yourself using a food processor, or use a just a rolling pin and ziploc bag to crush them into fine crumbs.
- butter - melted butter forms the glue that holds our graham cracker crust together. I like to use salted butter for more flavor, but if you only have unsalted butter, you can just add a pinch of salt into your crust mixture.
- brown sugar - light brown sugar adds a rich sweetness to our graham cracker crust.
- cinnamon - this is optional, but i love the added flavor that comes from adding a bit of cinnamon to our graham cracker crust! And if you love warming spices, check out my Chai Spice Bundt Cake!
- sweetened condensed milk - using condensed milk adds to the creamy texture and sweetness of our lemon bar filling!
- lemon juice - use freshly squeezed lemon juice for the best flavor in these classic lemon bars!
- lemon zest - we're adding a bit more lemony flavor with the zest from fresh lemons.
- eggs - you'll want your eggs to be at room temperature. If they feel cold to the touch, submerge them in a bowl of lukewarm water for 15 minutes before cracking them.
- salt - brings out all these amazing flavors in this lemon bar recipe!
And if you're like me, you love adding fresh whipped cream to the top of your lemon bars! Here's what you'll need for your whipped cream:
- heavy cream - you'll need your heavy cream to be very cold. I like to let it sit in the freezer for a few minutes before making my whipped cream.
- vanilla - for the best flavor, I like to use pure vanilla extract. Or you can make your own!
- powdered sugar - adds the perfect amount of sweetness to this whipped cream topping!
See recipe card for quantities.
Equipment
You'll need a 9x9 baking pan to make these easy lemon bars with a graham cracker crust, as well as a large mixing bowl and whisk to mix up your filling! I also like to line my pan with parchment paper to prevent the crust from sticking.
If you don't use store-bought graham cracker crumbs, you'll need either a food processor or a rolling pin and plastic bags to crush your graham crackers by hand. You may also want to have a wire rack to help the bars cool more quickly.
Instructions
The recipe card below will give you detailed step-by-step instructions for making these lemon bars, as well as full ingredient measurements and a recipe video! But here's a quick look at how you'll make this recipe!
Combine graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Add melted butter and stir until well combined.
Press graham cracker mixture into the bottom of your prepared pan.
Mix sweetened condensed milk, fresh lemon juice and zest, salt and egg yolks in a large bowl. Beat until smooth.
Pour creamy lemon filling mixture over graham cracker crust in the pan, and bake in preheated oven until set.
Hint: Top your lemon bars with whipped cream or powdered sugar (or both) just before serving!
Gluten Free Lemon Bars with Graham Cracker Crust
These lemon bars are so easy to convert to a gluten-free recipe! If you start with gluten-free graham crackers, you're well on your way to making gluten free lemon bars with graham cracker crust! From there, just double check your vanilla extract to make sure it's gluten free, and you're good to go!
Meyer Lemon Bars with Graham Cracker Crust
If you love these lemon bars but want a less tart version, you can make Meyer lemon bars with graham cracker crust! Just swap in juice from Meyer lemons instead of regular lemons, and make the rest of the recipe as usual!
Storage
You can store these old fashioned lemon bars with graham cracker crust in the fridge in an airtight container, or in the 9x9 pan where it was baked if it comes with a lid (you can also just cover it with plastic wrap). Your leftover lemon bars should last up to 4 days in the fridge.
Frequently Asked Questions
You may not have included the correct amount of butter in your graham cracker crust mixture, or you might not have mixed it all together evenly before adding it to the bottom of the pan.
Most likely, you baked them for too long. You don't want to bake your bars until the top is completely firm, because then as it cools, it may crack as the filling contracts. To avoid this, begin to check them about 5 minutes before the baking time is up, and remove them once the outer part of the filling is set, and the inside is somewhat set, but still a little jiggly.
My favorite way to cut these lemon bars is to use a sharp knife, and wipe it down with a damp cloth before each cut. Cut downwards, then swipe backwards for a smooth cut and to make sure you cut through the graham cracker crust.
Top Tip
Don't overbake your lemon bars! The filling should still jiggle a bit in the center when you remove it from the oven.
Related
Looking for other recipes to try? You'll love these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with this recipe:
If you try this recipe, I would love it if you could leave a star review rating and comment below! It’s so wonderful hearing your feedback! And don’t forget to share your creations with me by tagging @chenee_today on Instagram!
📖 Recipe
Equipment you may need
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
- 1½ cup (200 g) graham crackers - crushed (about 12 full graham cracker sheets)
- 6 tablespoon (89 ml) salted butter - melted
- ¼ cup (55 g) brown sugar - packed
- ¼ teaspoon (1 ml) ground cinnamon - optional
Lemon Filling
- 2 14-oz. cans sweetened condensed milk
- 1 teaspoon (10 ml) lemon zest - packed
- juice of 5 medium lemons
- pinch salt
- 4 large egg yolks - room temperature
Whipped Cream (Optional)
- 1 cup (238 g) heavy cream - cold
- 3 tablespoon (44 ml) powdered sugar - plus more for topping lemon bars
- ½ teaspoon (2 ml) pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Line the bottom of your 9x9 pan with parchment paper.
- In a bowl, combine the crust ingredients and mix well until graham cracker crumbs are fully saturated with butter and mixture holds together when pressed.1½ cup graham crackers, 6 tablespoon salted butter, ¼ cup brown sugar, ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Combine all remaining filling ingredients in a large bowl and whisk until smooth. Pour into prepare crust.2 14-oz. cans sweetened condensed milk, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, juice of 5 medium lemons, 4 large egg yolks, pinch salt
- Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until filling is just set. It should still jiggle slightly in the center.
- Chill in refrigerator, loosely covered in plastic wrap for 6 hours or overnight.
- To make whipped cream, combine heavy cream, vanilla, and powdered sugar in a bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Whip for 3 minutes or until soft-to-medium peaks form. Top bars with whipped cream or dust with powdered sugar immediately before serving.1 cup heavy cream, 3 tablespoon powdered sugar, ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Video
Notes
Nutrition
patricia
So yummy! I don't know why I've never made lemon bars with a graham cracker crust! I love graham crackers and this reminds me a bit of cheesecake 🙂 I love that these aren't hard to make, too! Love this recipe.
Chenée Lewis
Thank you so much! I'm a huge graham cracker crust fan too.
Angela
These lemon bars were so incredibly easy to make and very refreshing. The perfect dessert for Summer.
Chenée Lewis
I agree!! They're so summery! ☀️ I'm glad you liked them!
dina and bruce
These were so tangy and delicious! Thank you for this easy to follow recipe!