Today I’m sharing a recipe for tangy Greek yogurt lemon bars. A recipe yielding 12 larger squares, all at only 130 calories each. With enough flavor, buttery graham cracker crust action, and healthy protein to keep you satisfied, which—let’s face it—is not typical for light desserts. First thing to know is that these Greek yogurt lemon bars are not super sweet. I reduced the sugar from traditional lemon bar/cheesecake bar recipes to a scant 1/3 cup for the entire pan of bars. What you’ll really taste is that tart lemon flavor and tangy Greek yogurt. The crust for today’s lemon bars is the same I use for my light chocolate chip cheesecake bars and light raspberry swirl cheesecake bars. You’ll need 6 full sheet graham crackers and 2 Tablespoons of melted butter. I’ve made this crust with melted coconut oil and it’s still perfection. You want to use a fat that is solid at room temperature because it helps keep the crust intact. So butter or coconut oil, your choice. Let’s talk about that lusciously creamy lemon filling. It’s a total breeze, made from only 6 simple ingredients: plain Greek yogurt, cream cheese, eggs, lemons, sugar, and vanilla extract. Make sure you are using Greek yogurt. You need very thick and rich yogurt for today’s lemon bars. My preferred brand is FAGE, but I’ve also had success with Chobani. The filling will not set without a thick-style yogurt. I always use nonfat. Likewise, the filling won’t appropriately set without the eggs or brick-style cream cheese—the kind that is sold in a brick. Do not use cream cheese spread or whipped cream cheese. I use reduced fat brick-style cream cheese. Bake the lemon bars at a low temperature to prevent the top from browning and to really cook that filling on the inside. Bake until the middle is no longer super wobbly. A little jiggle is ok—the bars will continue to set up as they chill in the refrigerator, so you don’t need to bake them until the center is rock solid! Don’t overbake these bars, or the surface may crack.
Other Healthier Baking Recipes
Morning Glory Muffins or Healthy Apple Muffins Baked Oatmeal Bran Muffins How to Make Granola Clusters Banana Chocolate Chip Breakfast Cookies No-Bake Greek Yogurt Fruit Tart
Don’t miss my roundup of 20+ healthy dessert recipes for even more inspiration!
