These Simple Lemon Bars with Graham Cracker Crust have a creamy lemon filling made with sweetened condensed milk, which creates the perfect balance of sweet and tangy. A quick and easy graham cracker crust adds a buttery crunch for a some texture in every bite. Prepped and baked in just 35 minutes, these bars are easy enough for weeknights, impressive for entertaining, and thoughtful to share with friends.

Close of up cut lemon bars with graham cracker crust topped with a piping of whipped cream and a slice of lemon.

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Foolproof Graham Cracker Crust Makes the Perfect Lemon Bars

I have always loved lemon bars, but have found that a traditional shortbread crust doesn’t quite match the flavor and texture of a graham cracker crust. It’s a perfect balance of crunchy, sandy texture and a sweet, buttery flavor that can’t be beat, especially when paired with a creamy, lemon filling. And of course, it’s foolproof, which makes it ideal for weeknight baking!

Classic lemon bars use a lemon curd filling. But of course, I’ve put my own twist on these bars after testing several versions with lemon curd and lemon cream. Although both could have worked, I found that pairing sweetened condensed milk with whole egg yolks created a texture that was the best of both and complemented the graham crust beautifully.

If you love dessert with a graham crust, you might also enjoy my simple key lime pie, easy banoffee pie, or these no-bake cherry cheesecake parfaits. It’s such a simple crust that works well in so many easy desserts.

What Makes These Lemon Bars So Easy

As a professionally trained pastry chef, I love sharing simple tweaks that make baking easy and fun. And when it comes to these lemon bars, every step is just that! It’s a simple recipe to make that delivers big flavor, and here’s why you’ll love them:

No special equipment needed. You don’t need a mixer, food processor, or any fancy tools to make the crust or the filling. Just a bowl, a whisk, and a little love!
It all starts with a 4-ingredient graham cracker crust. All you need is graham cracker crumbs, sugar, butter, and a pinch of salt. It’s a quick and deliciously buttery crust.
A simple filling made with 3 ingredients. The creamy lemon filling comes together with sweetened condensed milk, fresh lemon zest and juice, and whole egg yolks. That’s it!

Ingredients Notes

Ingredients for lemon bars with graham cracker crust.

Graham cracker crumbs. The base of our buttery crust! You can buy pre-made crumbs or crush whole graham crackers (honey-flavored is my go-to!) in a food processor. Make sure to pulse them until they are super fine for a perfectly smooth crust.
Butter. Melted butter brings the graham cracker crust together and adds that rich, golden flavor. Use unsalted butter for the best results, but if you only have salted, just skip adding extra salt to the crust.
Sweetened condensed milk. This magic ingredient creates the perfect balance of sweetness and creaminess in the filling. Be sure to grab sweetened condensed milk, not evaporated milk (they’re not the same!).
Egg yolks. This is the secret to the filling's creamy texture. Make sure to separate your eggs carefully. Save the egg whites for another recipe, like Swiss meringue buttercream.
Lemon juice. Nothing beats the bright, tangy flavor of fresh lemons. Roll your lemons on the counter before juicing to release more juice, and strain out any seeds!

How to Make These Bars

Graham cracker crumbs mixed with sugar, salt, and melted butter in a glass mixing bowl.

Mix the crust. Start by mixing the crust ingredients together. You want the graham cracker crumbs evenly coated with butter so they resemble wet sand.

Graham cracker crust pressed into a 8x8 baking pan.

Bake the crust. I like to use the bottom of a measuring cup to press the crust mixture into a prepared pan. Prebake it for 10 minutes, just until it’s lightly golden and smells amazing.

Close up of lemon bar filling mixed in a glass bowl with a whisk in the bowl.

Make the filling. While the crust bakes, whisk together the sweetened condensed milk, egg yolks, lemon zest, and lemon juice until it’s silky smooth.

Lemon bar filling poured into a graham cracker crust in an 8x8 baking pan lined with parchment paper.

Bake the lemon bars. Pour the filling over the warm crust and pop it back into the oven for about 15 minutes, just until the filling is set and jiggles slightly in the center. Let the bars cool slightly, then refrigerate them for at least 2 hours.

Baked lemon bars with graham cracker crust cut into 16 squares set over a round wire cooling rack.

Tips for Perfect Bars

Smooth out the filling. If you see air bubbles after pouring the filling over the crust, gently pop them with a toothpick or lightly pass a kitchen torch over the surface. This helps the bars bake up smooth without little craters on top.
Bake just until set. These lemon bars need only about 15 minutes in the oven. The edges should look set while the center still has a slight jiggle. Overbaking makes the filling too firm and can cause it to crack, so it’s better to pull them a touch early and let them finish setting as they cool.
Slice like a pro. For clean, beautiful lemon squares, dip a large knife in warm water, wipe it dry, and slice. Repeat the process between each cut for those picture-perfect edges.
Scale up for a crowd. I love doubling this recipe and baking it in a 9x13-inch pan to serve a crowd (or have leftovers for the freezer!). Just add a few minutes to the baking time.

Make-Ahead and Freezing

My favorite weeknight desserts are always make-ahead friendly. And because these lemon bars need a 2-hour chill time, they are perfect for making ahead or freezing. You can keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Or you can store them in a freezer-safe bag or container, freeze for up to 3 months, then thaw in the fridge before serving.

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