How To Make Greek Yogurt Lemon Bars
Packed with the zesty goodness of lemon protein, these tasty lemon bars are made lighter with Greek yogurt and made creamy with cream cheese lots of eggs!
Serves:
Ingredients
For Crust:
- ¾cupgraham cracker crumbs,(about 5 to 6 full sheet graham crackers)
- 2tbspbutter,unsalted, melted, or melted coconut oil
For Filling:
- 6ozlight cream cheese,brick style, softened to room temperature
- ¾cupplain Greek yogurt,non-fat, or low fat Greek yogurt, at room temperature
- 2large eggs,at room temperature
- 1large egg yolk,at room temperature
- ⅓cupgranulated sugar
- ⅓cupfresh lemon juice,(about 2 lemons)
- 1tbsplemon zest
- 1tsppure vanilla extract
- fresh fruit,for topping, to serve, optional
Instructions
-
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
-
Line the bottom and sides of an 8- or 9-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil or parchment, leaving an overhang on all sides to easily lift the bars out of the pan before cutting.
-
Set aside.
Crust:
-
Mix the graham cracker crumbs and melted butter together in a medium bowl until combined.
-
Evenly press the crust into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 8 minutes.
-
Remove from the oven and set aside.
Filling:
-
In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese on high speed for about 1 minute until completely smooth.
-
At medium-high speed, beat in the yogurt until completely combined. Then beat in the eggs and egg yolk until combined.
-
Finally, beat in the sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract until everything is combined and no lumps remain.
-
Pour the filling onto the crust.
-
Bake for 28 to 32 minutes or until the center of the bars no longer jiggles (remove from the oven and gently wiggle the pan to check).
-
Allow the bars to cool at room temperature set on a wire rack for 30 minutes, then transfer to the refrigerator to chill for 3 to 4 hours or even overnight.
-
Once chilled, lift the foil out of the pan using the overhang on the sides and cut into squares.
Recipe Notes
- For neat squares, use a very sharp knife and wipe it clean with a paper towel after each cut. Leftovers keep well in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Make-Ahead and Freezing Instructions: Prepare the bars 1 to 3 days in advance and store covered tightly in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Bars can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
- Eggs: 2 large eggs plus an additional egg yolk will be needed to make a total of 3 egg yolks and 2 egg whites.
- Lime Bars: Instead of lemon juice and lemon zest, try lime juice and lime zest for a tangy lime bar instead.
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Room temperature dairy and eggs mix easily and more evenly into one another. Room temperature is recommended, especially for cream cheese, when making these types of bars.
Nutrition
- Calories: 138.39kcal
- Fat: 9.77g
- Saturated Fat: 5.12g
- Trans Fat: 0.12g
- Monounsaturated Fat: 2.40g
- Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.92g
- Carbohydrates: 9.42g
- Fiber: 0.15g
- Sugar: 7.14g
- Protein: 3.69g
- Cholesterol: 69.45mg
- Sodium: 96.69mg
- Calcium: 38.02mg
- Potassium: 45.42mg
- Iron: 0.38mg
- Vitamin A: 86.81µg
- Vitamin C: 3.27mg
Was this page helpful?
Have your own special recipe to share? Submit Your Recipe Today!
Related Recipes
