Lightened-up creamy lemon goodness on a graham cracker crust! If you love tart and tangy lemon flavor and creamy, dreamy desserts, you will love these Greek yogurt lemon bars. With only 8 ingredients, these bars are perfectly balanced—not too sweet—allowing the bright, bold lemon flavor to take center stage.
I originally published this recipe in 2016. I have since updated it with new photos, and adjusted the recipe to make a slightly thicker, sturdier crust.
Today I’m sharing an updated version of my recipe for tart and tangy Greek yogurt lemon bars. This recipe makes 12 servings, each packed with 4.7g of protein. This is a fabulous choice if you’re craving real, fresh flavor and prefer a lighter dessert option.
One reader, Mary, commented: “I can’t keep these on the tray!!! I’ll set them out, and the room usually gets quiet because everyone immediately shoves these in their faces. Even before I reveal that they’re low fat, low sugar, low calorie, and low carb! And there’s always someone who wants the recipe. Good thing I have it bookmarked! ★★★★★”
And another reader, Turi, commented: “Wow!! I was totally hankering for lemony goodness—and in making these bars, it’s exactly what I got! Yummy, complete success, everyone loved them, I especially loved the natural lemon flavor and lower sugar… Most lemon stuff, to me, is overpoweringly sweet, and this was PERFECTO!! ★★★★★“
Here’s Why You’ll Love Them, Too:
- A lightened-up dessert with only 158 calories per serving, plus 4.7g of protein
- Perfect for lemon lovers who like their treats tart and not overly sweet
- Made with just 8 simple ingredients
- Extra creamy from the Greek yogurt
- Uses fresh lemon for flavor, nothing artificial. Swap the lemon for lime if you’d prefer!
- Great make-ahead dessert: the bars have to chill after baking, so this is a great recipe to make the day before you plan to serve it
Recipe Snapshot
Flavor: The first thing to know is that these Greek yogurt lemon bars are not super sweet. I reduced the sugar from my traditional lemon bar recipe to just 1/3 cup + 1 Tablespoon for the entire pan. What you’ll really taste is that tart lemon flavor and tangy Greek yogurt.
Texture: The texture of the lemon cream portion of these bars is creamier than typical lemon cheesecake bars. The cream cheese in the recipe serves to help the bars set up, but it’s not as sturdy or solid as cheesecake. We’re using less cream cheese and more yogurt and egg here, so the result is a light and creamy lemon filling that falls, on the dessert density scale, somewhere between lemon pudding or yogurt and no-bake cheesecake.
Start With an Easy 3-Ingredient Crust
Like a classic graham cracker crust, but with less butter and sugar. As a result, the crust is a tiny bit crumblier, but you can still easily hold and bite the bars!
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. Melt and mix with the graham cracker crumbs and a Tablespoon of sugar.
Some helpful crust tips:
- Use a food processor or blender to grind 8 full-sheet graham crackers into crumbs.
- Press into your lined pan just until it’s no longer crumbly. Do not pack down too hard.
- Here’s how I like to line square baking pans. So easy!
- Pre-bake the crust for 8 minutes to give it a head start before topping with the filling.
Make the Creamy Lemon Filling
Let’s talk about that lusciously creamy lemon filling. It’s a total breeze, made from only 6 simple ingredients:
- Reduced-Fat Cream Cheese: The filling won’t appropriately set without brick-style cream cheese—the kind that comes in a block, not the spreadable kind in a tub. I use reduced-fat cream cheese in these bars.
- Nonfat Greek Yogurt: Make sure you are using plain Greek yogurt. You need thick yogurt for today’s lemon bars, or, again, the filling won’t set. I always use nonfat Greek yogurt for these bars, and it’s plenty creamy, but you can use 2% Greek yogurt if you wish.
- Eggs + Extra Yolk: These provide the bars with necessary structure, as well as some richness.
- Lemons: Zest the lemon before juicing it—much easier than the other way around!
- Sugar: Just a scant 1/3 cup of granulated sugar is needed to take this tart lemon filling from mouth-puckering to mouth-watering. I do not recommend honey, maple syrup, or other sugar alternatives. I haven’t had great results with coconut sugar, either. Feel free to test some things out but, again, regular sugar is the best choice for these.
- Vanilla: The other flavor the filling needs to carry it into cheesecake/dessert territory.
A handheld or stand mixer makes quick work of bringing the filling together.
Expect a thin filling batter—more liquid-y than a typical cheesecake batter—since we’re using less cream cheese and more yogurt and egg. Make sure you pour it over the crust while the crust is still warm. This will help the filling adhere to the crust a little better.
You’ll likely see some air bubbles on the surface. The batter is very thin, so that’s normal.
Bake until the middle is no longer super wobbly. A little jiggle is ok, because the Greek yogurt lemon bars will continue to set up as they chill in the refrigerator. So you don’t need to bake them until the center is completely solid! In fact, over-baking can cause the surface to crack.
How to Cut Neat Squares
Like cheesecake, today’s bars need to be refrigerated before slicing. If you cut the bars into squares too early, they’ll completely fall apart. If I’m serving these at a party or event, I prepare them the night before just so I know they’ll cool and chill long enough to yield neat squares.
Lift the bars out of the pan by holding the edges of the parchment paper, and transfer the whole thing to a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to slice the bars, and wipe the knife clean with a paper towel between each cut.
Serve plain or with some lemon slices and/or fresh berries. They’d also be delicious topped with a drizzle of raspberry sauce!
And if you like these bars, you’ll love this Greek yogurt fruit tart, too.
Print
Greek Yogurt Lemon Bars
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hours, 55 minutes
- Yield: 12 bars
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
If you love tart and tangy lemon flavor and creamy, dreamy desserts, you will love these lightened-up Greek yogurt lemon bars. With only 8 ingredients, these bars are perfectly balanced—not too sweet—allowing the bright, bold lemon flavor to take center stage.
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 cup (120g) graham cracker crumbs (about 8 full-sheet graham crackers)
- 1 Tablespoon (12g) granulated sugar
- 3 Tablespoons (43g) unsalted butter, melted (or melted coconut oil)
Filling
- 6 ounces (170g) brick cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 3/4 cup (181g) plain nonfat or low-fat Greek yogurt, at room temperature
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature*
- 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature*
- 1/3 cup (67g) granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup (80ml) fresh lemon juice (about 2–3 lemons)*
- 1 Tablespoon lemon zest*
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- optional for garnish: lemon slices and fresh blueberries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300°F (149°C). Line the bottom and sides of an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on 2 sides to easily lift the bars out of the pan before cutting. Set aside.
- Make the crust: In a medium bowl, whisk the graham cracker crumbs and sugar together. Add the melted butter and stir until combined. Press evenly into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool slightly.
- Make the filling: In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese on high speed until completely smooth, about 1 minute. Add yogurt and beat on medium-high speed until completely combined. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a silicone spatula and beat again as needed to combine. Beat in the eggs and egg yolk. Once combined, add the sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract and beat until everything is combined and no lumps remain. Filling is thin. Pour filling into the crust—it’s ok if the crust is still slightly warm.
- Bake for 34–38 minutes or until the middle is no longer 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 perfectly solidified. Don’t over-bake these bars, or the surface may crack.
- Set the pan on a cooling rack and cool for 1 hour, then transfer to the refrigerator to chill for 3–4 hours or even overnight.
- Once chilled, lift the bars out of the pan using the parchment overhang on the sides and cut into bars. For neat bars, I use a very sharp knife and wipe it clean with a paper towel after each cut.
- Cover and store leftover bars in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Prepare the bars 1–3 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.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 8-inch Square Pan | Parchment Paper | Glass Mixing Bowl | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Silicone Spatula | Cooling Rack | Citrus Juicer | Citrus Zester
- Eggs: You will need 2 large eggs plus an additional egg yolk.
- 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. I always recommend room temperature, especially cream cheese, when making these types of bars.
- Update in 2025: To ensure the crust is substantial enough AND holds together, I slightly increased the graham cracker crumbs from 3/4 cup to 1 cup, and added 1 Tablespoon of sugar.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 158
- Sugar: 10.7 g
- Sodium: 136.1 mg
- Fat: 8.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 16.8 g
- Protein: 4.7 g
- Cholesterol: 64 mg
Reader Comments and Reviews
If I can make this in a 9×13 pan, how am I supposed to adjust the ingredients?
Hi Ruzgar, 9×13 is the perfect size for doubling this recipe. We’re unsure of the bake time though. Let us know how it goes!
Hi there! these sound great and I plan to make them tonight for a kids’ party. Would they sit well being served in room temp though? we’re in hot and humid asia and it sounds like this filling is runnier. thanks alot!
Hi Suzie! We would keep them cold until just before serving.
I had limes to use up and found your recipe. Just used lime juice and zest instead of the lemon, and they turned out great. Everyone I served them to enjoyed the bars.
These were delicious and easy, and gone in 3 days!
They didn’t taste as lemony as I expected; I’ll increase the zest next time. I found they didn’t cut cleanly; should I try freezing them for a bit? Making them again this weekend!
Hi Jackie, you can definitely try that! Otherwise make sure to use a sharp knife and wipe the knife clean between each cut for clean lines.
I made this with monk fruit instead of sugar and with maple syrup instead of vanilla extract and it is now my new favorite recipe next to your chocolate zucchini bread. Thank you!
Hello the only 8in square pan I have is glass, but as I’ve never used glass for baking before, I’m wondering if I need to make any adjustments given you use a metal tin?
If using glass, you may want to add a few extra minutes of bake time. The best way to determine doneness, however, is not by the time. Give the pan a gently tap– if the center of the bars no longer jiggle, they’re done!
Hi, how high/thick are these lemon bars? I don’t have the correct pan size, I do have one that is similar in square inches but it’s only 1.3 inch high. Do you think it would hold all the liquid?
Hi Jolien, that should work fine! If you seem to have too much batter, you can use it to make a few mini lemon bars in a muffin pan.
Could this be made in a store bought pastry shell instead? Like a lemon tart?
Hi Julia, we’re unsure how this filling would hold up over a pastry shell. We do love this lemon tart!
Great flavour and easy recipe!! Base was surprisingly tasty and came together very well. Recommend for beginners looking for a creamier take on a lemon slice.
These bars are amazing: smooth, creamy, luxurious, lemony, refreshing, and light… a cross btwn a lemon bar and cheesecake. What they are not is cloyingly sweet or heavy. They have the perfect amount of sugar: just enough to enhance the flavor and balance the tartness of the lemon. I’m on a sugar restricted diet, and these bars allow me to enjoy a wonderfully indulgent treat without guilt. I followed Sally’s instructions to the letter with picture perfect results.
Very nice lemon flavor. Cross between a lemon bar and cheesecake! My family loved them!
Would this recipe work if I made them mini size in a muffin pan?
Hi Abby, we haven’t tried this, but let us know how they turn out if you do!
What in the absolute deliciousness!!! Just oh my goodness, light, fluffy, creamy and lemony! Love this! Thank you! I love all of your recipes!
Thank you so much for trying this recipe, Aubrey!
Absolutely delicious! I made a different crust with shredded coconut for a more tropical twist, but the lemon flavor was the star. Tasted like e almost guilt free lemon cheesecake!
I made these for Our family Easter dinner. They are delicious! They are light, lemony and not too overly sweet – perfect after a holiday meal (or for breakfast, late night snack etc.) I will be making these again and again!
I’m making these for our teachers for teacher appreciation and would like to know how long they can be left out at room temp? Thank you!
Hi Gretchen! We wouldn’t leave them out for more than an hour or two, they may get softer if not served cold.
I made these yesterday. They were delicious!!! The creamy lemon filling atop the buttery, sweet graham cracker crust was a perfect balance of sweet and tart. I especially appreciated the filling not being too sweet. It was just right! We love them. Thanks for the delicious recipe!
Would it work to make these without the crust?
Hi Ruby, we haven’t tested it, but let us know if you do!
An excellent cake. According to some comments I used more biscuits and zest, which was a good idea. Thank you for the recipe!
Hi, I made this for the first time, but it didn’t really set. I had to bake it for a long time, longer than the time listed, and the texture ended up the same texture as yogurt…not runny but soft. I was expecting the texture to be more like cheesecake, or custard. You can barley cut and pick these up to eat.
Did I do something wrong? What is the final texture on these once they set?
Hi R., the texture here is creamier than classic cheesecake. The cream cheese in the recipe serves to help the bars set up, but it’s not as sturdy or solid as cheesecake.
Same thing happened to my bars.
I adore these bars! Lighter texture than cheesecake but rich and smooth with plenty of flavor. Very satisfying!! Just wondering, can the recipe be doubled for a 9×13 pan and turn out ok? My husband could polish off the 8×8 by himself if I let him!
Hi Karla, 9×13 is the perfect size for doubling this recipe. Unsure of the bake time though. Let us know how it goes!
I was wondering how it would be if you used lemon Greek yogurt instead of plain. We usually have lemon Greek yogurt on hand.
Hi Jane, you can definitely give that a try!
Was looking for an easy Easter dessert that would use ingredients I already had and found these. We loved them! It is a fairly sharp lemon flavor, which we really like. The only change I made was using cinnamon graham crackers because that’s what I had already in my cupboard. They worked great!
Fabulous! I love baking your recipes, but I’ve been trying to reduce my sugar and calorie intake. These were a perfectly satisfying and delicious treat for a ladies’ spring luncheon. Tart, creamy, just the right amount of sweetness, and great topped with fresh blueberries. Everyone loved them.
Fantastic recipe. Very light and just delicious. Any thoughts on using key lime juice in these instead of regular lime? Thanks!
Would be delicious, Tracey!
Theses are delicious!
I want to make a bigger batch, would it bake ok if I double the recipe and bake in a 9 x13 pan or should I make it twice?
Thank you!
Hi Ka, Happy you enjoyed these! 9×13 is the perfect size for doubling this recipe. We are unsure of the bake time though.
Hi! I just doubled these in a 9×13 pan and in my oven the bake time was around 46-50 minutes (:
Th lemon bars are so good. I made some today. I added almonds to the graham crackers. It gave a slight crunch a nice addition to the crust. The lemon is a perfect tartness. I will make these bars again in the future.
Do not normally take the time to rate recipes, but this one is a keeper. I was looking for a dessert for my weight lifting, somewhat healthier eating son who often has the willpower to pass on dessert. . I did use Neufchâtel because I bought it thinking the recipe called for it. It didn’t, but I used it anyway. Actually put the whole block in because I would probably end up wasting the rest of it. Since I used the whole 8 ounces of cream cheese, I used 3 whole eggs. My bars were cracked after baking but were delicious. My son and his wife thought they were great and asked for the recipe!
These are so good!! Lemon bars are usually so sweet and rich but these are perfect. I Iike food to be more lemony than most and added some lemon oil to enhance the flavor even more. Thank you for sharing your recipes!
The Greek yogurt lemon bars look mouth wateringly delicious, and I’ll be making this easy recipe this week. Just wondering if you could turn this into a citrusy lime bar using lime juice, lime zest and top it with lime wedges? Thank you!
Hi Toni, yes, lime works wonderfully here!
LOVED these. I used full-fat Fage Greek yogurt. Did everything, from crust to filling, in the food processor. Came out 100% perfect!