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Everyone loves lemon bars with graham cracker crust but when your neighbor brings you a bag of fresh lemons from their yard, making them is a must. I just could not believe the difference between fresh lemons right off the tree and store bought lemons. Several things stood out:
- The backyard lemons were two to three times bigger than the store bought lemons.
- The skin on the store bought lemons was really thick and hard. The backyard lemons had softer skin and less pith on the inside.
- The fresh lemons from her garden were so juicy. I got 3 – 4 times more juice from her lemons then the store bought ones.
- The flavor was off the charts! Sweeter, tangier, more lemony (If that is a thing) then the lemons bought at the grocery store.
I don’t usually make such a big deal out of a lemon, but the difference was enormous both in looks and taste. With that said, my recipe calls for 2-3 lemons; average, store-bought lemons. I only needed one of the “right off the tree” variety to get the juice and zest used in this recipe, so keep that in mind when making the recipe. If you live in an area where neighbors offer fresh lemons, be sure to take advantage of it. You’ll get twice the juice and three times the flavor. If you are like me, you’ll be looking for all kinds of lemon recipes so be sure to check out some of my other favorite lemon inspired recipes like Lemon Brioche French Toast with Whipped Ricotta and Raspberries, or my Lemon Pasta. But, be sure you check out my everyday salad dressing, Lemon and Thyme Vinaigrette Dressing.
You’ll notice I garnished with little lemon zest curls (They are cute, right?). How do you make lemon zest curls you ask?To make lemon zest curls, simply use a vegetable peeler to peel off a large strip of lemon peel. Then, using a sharp knife, slice little strips of the lemon. (see photos below) If they are thin enough, they’ll curl with a gentle squeeze. I use them to garnish cakes, muffins, salads and event roast chicken. Delicious.
One last tip: be sure to let the lemon bars completely cool before cutting and dusting with confectioner’s sugar otherwise, the sugar melts right into the lemon bars. I keep my confectioner’s sugar in a small powdered sugar shaker in my spice cabinet so it is always ready to finish desserts.
To get started on the recipe, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 7 1/2 x 6 inch casserole dish or baking pan with cooking spray. If you don’t have this size, you can use an 8 x 8 baking dish or pan. Just note, the bars will be thinner (but just as good) and you may have to cut the baking time by 5 minutes so check early. I intentionally made small batch lemon bars – I don’t want an entire tray of delicious lemon bars sitting around all week. Who am I kidding? They wouldn’t last a week! LOL Hence, the reason for a smaller batch.
Mix the graham cracker crumbs, sugars and melted butter in a small bowl until all the crumbs are moistened with the butter. Dump the crust into the prepared pan and press until you form the crust on the bottom of the pan or dish.
You can easily make a gluten free graham cracker crust by substituting gluten free graham crackers. There are several good brands that you can pick up at Walmarts or online. Two that I have used are Schar Honeygrams and Pamelas Honey Grahams. I haven’t seen a major change in flavor when using a gluten-free graham cracker crust, so use the products you like.
The same goes for your choice of sugars. You can use regular sugar, but since I’m always in pursuit of healthier and lighter options I use a sugar free brown sugar substitute from Lakanto. Swerve also makes a good one. I use Lakanto monk fruit sugar substitute all the time in place of regular sugar and no one knows the difference. But, I know I’m cutting calories and eliminating the sugar so I feel good about my choice. You decide for yourself.
For the filling, whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice and flour in a large bowl. Pour over the crust and bake for 25 – 30 minutes, until the filling is set. Let cool to room temperature.
Again, if you are gluten-free, just substitute a gluten free all purpose flour of your choice.
Lemon Bars with Graham Cracker Crust
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
FOR THE CRUST:
- 3/4 Cup Graham cracker crumbs, about 5 1/2 graham cracker sheets
- 1 Tbsp. Lakanto monk fruit sugar substitute
- 1/2 Tbsp. Lakanto brown sugar substitute
- 2 Tbsp. Land 'o Lakes Canola Light butter, melted
FOR THE FILLING:
- 4 Large eggs at room temperature
- 1 1/2 Cups Lakanto monk fruit granulated sugar
- 1 Tbsp. Grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
- 1/2 Cup Freshly squeezed lemon juice (2-3 lemons)
- 1/2 Cup All purpose flour
FOR THE PREPARATION
- Cooking spray
- Lankanto confectioners’ sugar substitute, for dusting
- 1/2 Lemon, for Lemon zest curls and/or fresh raspberries to garnish, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 8 x 7 inch casserole dish or baking pan with cooking spray
- Mix the graham cracker crumbs, sugars and melted butter in a small bowl until all the crumbs are moistened with the butter. Dump the crust into the prepared pan and press until you form the crust on the bottom of the pan or dish.
- Refrigerate for 30 minutes until really cold. Then, bake the crust until golden and lightly browned around the edges, about 10-12 minutes. Let cool slightly.
- For the filling, whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice and flour in a large bowl. Pour over the crust and bake for 25 - 30 minutes, until the filling is set. Let cool to room temperature.
- Cut into squares and dust with confectioners’ sugar
- Garnish with tiny curls of lemon zest or fresh raspberries.
