This Lemon Slice recipe is one of my most requested desserts. It’s an incredibly easy no-bake treat that’s bursting with lemon flavor and only needs a few simple ingredients.
Have you ever made a dessert that’s so good people hound you for the recipe? That is this dessert my friends! Every time I make it, I receive tons of texts from people asking for the recipe.
Recently, I shared some slices with a gentleman who was trimming trees in our neighborhood and he messaged my husband not once, but twice requesting the recipe. “Those are the best lemon slices I’ve ever had!” he exclaimed, “Mmmmm good!”
What is a Lemon Slice?
A lemon slice is an Australian no-bake dessert made with crushed biscuits, lemon, condensed milk, coconut, and a few other basic ingredients.
Despite its simplicity, this dessert is so flavorful! I’ve never made it for a potluck or get-together and seen people eat only one slice. As soon as they take a bite they go back for another one.
Why You’ll Love This Lemon Slice Recipe
- Easy. You’ll only need a food processor and a few simple ingredients to make this lemon-coconut dessert.
- Flavorful. Every bite is full of bright citrus flavor and coconut-y goodness.
- Flexible. In Australia this dessert is made with sweet biscuits that are hard to find in the US. Instead, I usually use graham crackers. You can also use Nilla wafer cookies or Mexican Maria cookies.
- Perfect for warm weather. This dessert comes together in minutes and doesn’t require any baking. You just assemble and chill in the fridge, no need to turn the oven on.
How to Make a Lemon Slice
Are you ready to make a Lemon Slice? Here’s a quick overview. Be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for ingredients and the full recipe.
- Prep your tools. Line an 8×8 baking dish with aluminum foil, leaving an overhang you can use to remove the bars from the pan later. Set aside.
- Crush the graham crackers. Add the graham crackers to a food processor and pulse until you have fine crumbs.
- Make the crust. Transfer the graham cracker crumbs to a large bowl. Add the coconut and lemon zest. Mix well. Add the sweetened condensed milk and 3 tablespoons of regular milk. Mix well, first with a spoon and then with your hands, until everything is well combined. The mixture should hold its shape when you press it together with your fingers. If it is too crumbly add the remaining tablespoon of milk.
- Chill the crust. Press the graham cracker mixture into the lined baking dish. Use the back of a spoon to smooth out the surface. You want the crumb mixture to really be pressed in there so that it holds together when you go to cut your bars later. Place in the fridge and chill for 2 hours.
- Make the lemon frosting. When the chill time for the graham cracker base is almost done, it’s time to make the icing. Combine the confectioner’s sugar, lemon juice, butter, and lemon zest. Mix until you have a thick but spreadable frosting. If it is too runny, add more sugar 1 tablespoon at a time. If it is too thick to spread, add more lemon juice 1 teaspoon at a time.
- Frost the bars. Spread the lemon frosting over the chilled graham cracker crust.
- Top with coconut. Sprinkle more coconut on top of the frosting. You can use as much or as little as you like.
- Chill. Place the bars in the fridge and chill for 30 minutes.
- Slice and serve. Cut into squares and serve.
Tips for Success
- Line your pan with aluminum foil. This simple step will make it easier to lift the Lemon Slice out of the pan and cut it into squares.
- Let it chill. You can eat your lemon bars right after the frosting is added, but I prefer to let them chill for at least 30 minutes. This gives the frosting time to set and makes it easier to get a clean cut.
- Want to double the recipe? You can easily double this recipe and use a 9×13 pan instead of an 8×8 pan. Since there is no baking time to adjust, all you need to do is double the ingredient amounts.
- Serving sizes. You can control how many servings this recipe makes by how large you cut the bars. For serving at home I usually cut the finished dessert into 9 bars. If we are taking this dessert to a potluck, I usually make the bars smaller and cut about 18 rectangles.
How to Store
These bars need to be stored in the fridge and will keep for up to 1 week. You can store them in your baking dish, covered with saran wrap. Or you can slice them into bars and transfer them to an airtight container.
Lemon Slice
This Lemon Slice recipe is bursting with citrus and coconut flavor! All you need is a few simple ingredients to put this easy no-bake dessert together.
Ingredients
For the Lemon Slice Base
- 2 sleeves graham crackers, 18 sheets with 4 crackers each
- 1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 3 tablespoons and 1 teaspoon sweetened condensed milk
- 3-4 tablespoons milk
For the icing:
- 1 ½ cups confectioners sugar
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- Sweetened flaked coconut, for sprinkling on top
Instructions
- Prep your tools. Line an 8×8 baking dish with aluminum foil, leaving an overhang you can use to remove the bars from the pan later. Set aside.
- Crush the graham crackers. Add the graham crackers to a food processor and pulse until you have fine crumbs.
- Make the crust. Transfer the graham cracker crumbs to a large bowl. Add the coconut and lemon zest. Mix well. Add the sweetened condensed milk and 3 tablespoons of regular milk. Mix well, first with a spoon and then with your hands, until everything is well combined. The mixture should hold its shape when you press it together in your fingers. If it is too crumbly add the remaining tablespoon of milk.
- Chill the crust. Press the graham cracker mixture into the lined baking dish. Use the back of a spoon to smooth out the surface. You want the crumb mixture to really be pressed in there so that it holds together when you go to cut your bars later. Place in the fridge and chill for 2 hours.
- Make the lemon frosting. When the chill time for the graham cracker base is almost done, it's time to make the icing. Combine the confectioners sugar, lemon juice, butter and lemon zest. Mix until you have a thick but spreadable frosting. If it is too runny, add more sugar 1 tablespoon at a time. If it is too thick to spread, add more lemon juice 1 teaspoon at a time.
- Frost the bars. Spread the lemon frosting over the chilled graham cracker crust.
- Top with coconut. Sprinkle more coconut on top of the frosting. You can use as much or as little as you like.
- Chill. Place the bars in the fridge and chill for 30 minutes.
- Slice and serve. Cut into squares and serve.
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Nutrition
Serving: 1lemon slice | Calories: 170kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 58mg | Potassium: 74mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 65IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 0.3mg
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as a courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
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What would be the approximate volume of crumbs when the crackers are crushed? I have “pre-crushed” crumbs I would like to use.
I’m not sure! Next time I make this recipe I’ll measure the crumbs. 🙂