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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.
If you’re a true lemon lover, don’t miss my lemon cookies or lemon bundt cake! They’re just as easy to make and packed with bright, zesty flavor.
This Australian-inspired lemon slice could hardly be simpler to make. If you love lemons, you are going to absolutely love this super lemony sweet treat that’s similar to lemon bars with a thick frosting. Plus, it’s a no bake dessert, making it great for hot weather or anytime you want to whip something up without turning on the oven. It’s also lovely drizzled with a little homemade blueberry sauce for extra flavor.
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.
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.
What You’ll Need
Here’s a look at the easy ingredients needed to make a lemon slice. Check the recipe card at the end of this post for the full ingredient amounts.
- Graham Crackers – I use 2 sleeves of graham crackers, or 18 sheets with 4 crackers each.
- Coconut – Sweetened flaked coconut.
- Lemon Zest – I like Eureka lemons because they have a thicker skin for zesting, but any type of lemon will work.
- Sweetened Condensed Milk – Make sure to use sweetened condensed milk here because there is no added sugar.
- Milk – I like whole milk or 2% milk.
- Icing – Sifted confectioners (powdered) sugar, fresh lemon juice and zest, melted butter, more flaked coconut.
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.
Lemon Slice
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 + 1 teaspoon sweetened condensed milk
- 3-4 tablespoons milk
For the Icing
- 1½ cups powdered sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, adjust as needed, see recipe instructions
- 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, 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 be really pressed in there so that it holds together when you cut your bars later. Place in the fridge and chill for 2 hours.
- Make the lemon frosting. In the meantime, make the icing and combine the powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, the melted butter, and lemon zest in a bowl. Whisk until you have a thick but spreadable frosting. If it's too runny, add more powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time. If it's too thick to spread, add more lemon juice, 1 teaspoon at a time. Mix between additions to assess the texture of your frosting.
- 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.
Equipment
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
How to Make Lemon Slice
- Prep your tools. Line an 8×8 baking dish with parchment, leaving an overhang.
- Crush the graham crackers. Add the graham crackers to a food processor and pulse until you have fine crumbs.
- Make the crust. Transfer the crumbs to a large bowl and stir in the coconut and lemon zest.
- Make crust. Stir in the sweetened condensed milk and milk until well combined.
- Chill the crust. Press the graham cracker mixture into the lined baking dish and place it in the fridge to chill for 2 hours.
- Make frosting. Combine the confectioner’s sugar, lemon juice, butter, and lemon zest.
- Mix. Stir until you have a thick but spreadable frosting.
- Frost the bars. Spread the lemon frosting over the chilled graham cracker crust.
- Top with coconut. Sprinkle more coconut on top of the frosting.
- Chill. Place the bars in the fridge and chill for 30 minutes, then slice and serve.
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.
