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I love all things berry and all things lemon. When I found this recipe for Lemon Raspberry Bars in our little cookbook from one of our first cooking classes I knew I HAD to make it. It’s so incredibly similar to our Key Lime Bars-Torta De Limão. It’s become a favorite of mine and I have one more reason in addition to the two above that I love it. It’s the graham cracker crust. Do you love graham cracker crusts? I literally cannot get enough of the crust!
Ok, so this is kind of a cheater lemon bar recipe as we aren’t cooking up lemon curd or anything, but really it’s the version of lemon bars we prefer. You just need sweetened condensed milk, lemon and eggs. That’s it.
When you bite into these bars it’s all creamy, thick and rich, then you hit the berries and they add a bright, fresh pop in your mouth. Continuing on you finally hit the crust and, oh. my. sweet. deliciousness. It’s all thick and buttery. Gosh, it’s so good. Have I convinced you to try them yet? Get on it!
How to Make a Graham Cracker Crust
Did you know that a graham cracker crust can actually be baked or there is a no bake graham cracker crust as well. So how do you make a graham cracker crust? Start out with the best graham crackers. Some will prefer Keebler while others may reach for Nabisco. We’ve found that a generic brand often isn’t as good as some of the others so definitely take your time and snack on a few crackers to decide which one you prefer.
Melted butter is number two and we go for unsalted so that we can choose to add salt if we want to. Then just add sugar, stir to combine until it’s like wet sand and you’re all set!
Now you can bake the crust for a few minutes or you can set it in the fridge to cool completely and you’re good to go! Obviously a baked crust does hold up a little better to a pie filling but both are great. You can even use the recipe to make a wafer or oreo crust too!
Are Raspberries Good For You?
Raspberries have an abundance of nutritional benefits.
Raspberries contain strong antioxidants such as Vitamin C, quercetin and gallic acid that fight against cancer, heart and circulatory disease and age-related decline.
Raspberries can range in color from the popular red and black varieties to purple, yellow, or golden.
Each color berry has a unique composition of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
How Long Will Lemon Bars Keep?
Lemon bars will last for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
Lemon bars should be stored in an air tight container or covered securely with plastic wrap.
Can Graham Cracker Crust Be Frozen?
Graham cracker crust can be frozen to use later.
If you love these, then you have to try these other BAR DESSERTS:
- Snickers Caramel Brownies
- Scotcheroos Peanut Butter Rice Krispies Treats
- Mom’s Famous Caramel Brownies
- Fruity Pebbles Rice Krispie Treats
- Brookie Bars
- Snickerdoodle Cheesecake Bars
- Classic Lemon Bars
- Ritz Reese’s S’more Bars
- Peach Oatmeal Bars
- Peanut Butter Cheesecake Oreo Brownies
- Peanut Butter Caramel Brownies
- Twix Caramelita
- Raspberry Lemon Bars
Lemon Raspberry Bars
Lemon Raspberry Bars
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 3 Cups Graham Cracker Crumbs
- 12 Tablespoons Salted Butter, melted
- ½ Cup Sugar
- 1 Lemon Zest
For the Filling:
- 4 Large Egg Yolks
- 2 Cans Sweetened Condensed Milk, 14 oz each
- 1 Cup Fresh Lemon Juice
- 1 ½ teaspoons Lemon Zest
- 12 Ounces Fresh Raspberries
Instructions
For the Crust
- Preheat the oven to 350℉.
- Spray a 9×13″ inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- In a bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, sugar, and lemon zest.3 Cups Graham Cracker Crumbs, 12 Tablespoons Salted Butter, ½ Cup Sugar, 1 Lemon Zest
- Stir until graham cracker crumbs are moist.
- Press crumbs into the prepared pan.
- Bake for 10 minutes.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool to room temperature.
For the Filling
- Whisk the egg yolks and condensed milk until well mixed.4 Large Egg Yolks, 2 Cans Sweetened Condensed Milk
- Stir in the lemon juice and lemon zest.1 Cup Fresh Lemon Juice, 1 ½ teaspoons Lemon Zest
- Stir until mixture begins to slightly thicken.
- Gently fold in the raspberries with a spatula. Fold carefully so you don’t break the raspberries.12 Ounces Fresh Raspberries
- Pour the lemon raspberry filling evenly over the graham cracker crust.
- Bake for 15 minutes, or until just set.
- Cool to room temperature, then chill for at least one hour before serving.
- Cut into bars and serve.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Peaches n Cream Crumble Bars
These peaches n cream crumble bars are the best dessert I’ve ever had with peaches. That creamy filling and brown sugar oat topping!!
These are amazing – so decadent and rich!
Thank you so much Ashley!!
It was good, my roommate are half in one sitting but it was too sweet for me. Maybe the sugar in the first was too much, but idk. I may just need to tweak it to my tastes, as I have been on a very low gal, low fat diet the last 7 years and haven’t weighed more than 97lbs in my 29 years…
You can definitely change it to fit your needs and likes! Thank you for the feedback!
Can I substitute pineapple juice for lemon juice
Hi Gary! Yes, but you’ll miss most of the lemon flavor in the bars.
Hi, I have only regular condensed milk (not fat free), Can I use this one? If so, how much should I use? This will save me a trip to the store but if you recommend getting the fat free then I can head out 🙂
Thanks!
This is a silly typo! Regular Condensed Milk is the correct ingredient!!
Hello ,is this big enough For a Easter party please get back soon😀
I’m trying the lemon raspberry bars.
They look pretty good in the video.
I hope they are as good as I think they will be.
How were they??
This recipe turned out well with exception of the crust. 12 tablespoons appeared to be too much. The mixture was very wet and when baked, the butter separated and bubbled up through the crust. Butter also came up through the custard. I’m a butter lover so it didn’t ruin the taste. I think I will try reducing the butter to 8 tablespoons and see how that works.
I’m so sorry it didn’t turn out the way you hoped! That is the right ratio of butter to graham cracker crumbs. A pie crust is usually 1 1/2 cups of graham crackers to 6 Tb of butter.