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    Home » Desserts

    Healthy Lemon Bars

    Last Updated August 31, 2020. Originally Published July 15, 2017 By Susan 4 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    three lemon bars stacked on top of one another dusted with powdered sugar
    three lemon bars stacked on top of one another with a sprinkle of powdered sugar

    Healthy Lemon Bars- Indulge your sweet tooth!  These easy to make Lemon Bars have a golden buttery shortbread crust , a custard -like filling with the perfect blend of  sweetness and bright lemon flavor and a light dusting of powdered sugar.  The best part? These Weight Watchers Lemon bars are only 100 cal/each (5 Smart pts) .
    Three lemon bars stacked up on top of one another and dusted with powdered sugar

    I didn’t really intend to have Lemon bars for lunch, but that’s what happened! You see I’ve had this insatiable craving for Lemon Bars for the last few weeks.

    My co-worker had us all over for a BBQ a few weeks back. It was a perfect  sunny ( yes that happens in Seattle!) afternoon spent on the rooftop of his place overlooking the waters of Puget Sound and Mt. Rainier.  The BBQ was working overtime grilling up summer time favorites, everyone  brought  a dish to share and we ended up with a huge feast . I brought this Skillet Mexican Street Corn ( big HIT!)

    I didn’t realize there was going to be an amazing array of desserts that made their way to the table after the dinner plates were cleared. I was so full I just couldn’t partake in the desserts but I got a glimpse of the most delectable looking lemon bars. I was proud of myself for showing some restraint but that was just a temporary thing. I had LEMON BARS on the brain!

    I googled to find a “healthier” version  of traditional Lemon Bars.  I’m not a baker…so for me to source out a baking recipe you know the craving had to be intense! When I came across these Weight Watchers Lemon Bars I knew I HAD to make them.  They had all the makings of a great Lemon Bar, a golden buttery and  flaky crust, tart ( but still somehow sweet) lemon custard-like filling and a light dusting of powdered sugar AND they looked really easy to make (even for a non-baker like myself) AND they only have 100/calories per bar. DONE!

    Healthy Lemon Bars - four lemon bars on a piece of parchment paper

    So how do you make these almost guilt-free lemon bars? (I say "almost" because they still have sugar and butter-as any good lemon bar should. They just have far less of both - but don't worry, when you bite into these bars you wont even know they have been lightened up!  ) It’s really SIMPLE!

    These healthier Lemon Bars come together easily:

    1. Make the crust- First you’ll make the crust, by combining the flour and brown sugar in a food processor ( or blender) until it’s fully incorporated. Then you’ll toss in the butter pieces. The trick here is to have COLD butter because you’ll want to use short burst of power with the food processor ( or blender) until the butter is cut into tiny pea-sized pieces and the dough is “lumpy”.

    2. Cook the crust- Next you’ll spread the crust mixture into an ungreased 13x9x2 inch baking pan and press the dough down with a spatula( or your hands) until it’s even and creates a packed surface. Then the crust needs to cook for about 20 mins so that it can get nice and toasty brown before adding the lemon topping (we don't want a soggy crust!).

    3. Make the filling- While the crust is baking you can make the lemon topping . It’s as simple as beating the eggs in a mixing bowl with an electric mixer and adding the vanilla extract and half of the powdered sugar. Next you’ll add the ¾ cup of lemon juice (which is approx. the juice of 3 lemons) and the remaining powdered sugar and the lemon zest ( don't skip the zest, that extra lemon hit makes the bars)

    4. Critical step when removing crust from oven and adding filling -Here’s the only critical part of the recipe. The crust needs to be HOT when you add the lemon mixture. So as soon as you take the crust out of the oven add the lemon mixture. You’ll want to reduce the oven temperature to 300F (down from 350F for the crust) and bake 30 minutes.

    Weight Watcher Lemon Bars

    5. Cool and enjoy!  Let the lemon bars cool completely and cut  into 24 bars.

    I so wanted to just sink my fork into the pan of lemon bars when they first came out of the oven but waiting for the lemon bars to cool completely  is a  necessary step so that they can be  cut easily.

    Highly suggest the sprinkling of powdered sugar, it ups the fancy factor . Luckily these Weight Watcher Lemon Bars only have about 100 calories each because if you go a little crazy, like I did, you can just make lemon bars your lunch:) . Craving subsided!

    3 lemon bars stacked on top of one another and dusted with powdered sugar
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe

    Lemon Bars

    Healthier Lemon Bars- Indulge your sweet tooth!  These easy to make Lemon Bars have a golden buttery shortbread crust , a custard -like filling with the perfect blend of  sweetness and bright lemon flavor and a light dusting of powdered sugar.  The best part? These Weight Watchers Lemon bars are only 100 cal/each (5 Smart pts) .
    Prep Time12 mins
    Cook Time50 mins
    Total Time1 hr 2 mins
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Servings: 24 bars
    Calories: 100kcal
    Author: Susan | SimpleHealthyKitchen.com

    Ingredients

    • 1 ¼ cup s all-purpose flour
    • 5 Tbsp packed light brown sugar
    • 8 Tbsp regular butter cold, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
    • 4 large egg s
    • ½ tsp vanilla extract
    • 1 ½ cup s powdered sugar, divided
    • ¾ cup s fresh lemon juice
    • 2 tsp lemon zest

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350F.(Adjusting rack so it is in the middle of the oven)

    For the crust

    • In a food processor (or blender) mix the flour and brown sugar until fully incorporated. Add COLD butter to the flour mixture and pulse, using short bursts, until the butter is cut into tiny pea-sized pieces and the dough appears lumpy.
    • Spread dough as evenly as possible in an ungreased 13 x 9 x 2 pan. Press down with a spatula to create a packed surface. Place pan in the center of oven and bake until golden, approx. 20 mins).

    For the filling

    • In a medium bowl, beat eggs with an electric mixer until well blended. Add vanilla extract and 3/4 cup powdered sugar and mix well. Add lemon juice and remaining powdered sugar. Continue to mix until powdered sugar is dissolved, mix in lemon zest.
    • Remove crust from oven and reduce oven temperature to 300F. Immediately pour lemon filling mixture over hot crust. Return to oven and continue to cook for an additional 30 mins. Cool bars completely before cutting. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve.

    Notes

    Recipe Notes:
    The crust needs to be HOT when you add the lemon filling mixture. So as soon as you take the crust out of the oven add the lemon mixture. You’ll want to reduce the oven temperature to 300F ( down from 350F for the crust) and bake 30 minutes.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1bar | Calories: 100kcal | Carbohydrates: 16.6g | Protein: 1.3g | Fat: 3.9g | Saturated Fat: 2.4g | Cholesterol: 10.4mg | Sodium: 11mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 10.4g
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    Recipe from Weight Watchers - Lemon Bars 

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    About Susan

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    Comments

    1. Linda

      July 20, 2018 at 10:14 am

      These look awesome -- LOVE lemon flavor. One question -- can they be frozen? Thanks!

      Reply
      • Susan

        August 01, 2018 at 8:27 pm

        Hi Linda, Yes you can freeze these but it's a two step process (to avoid a sticky mess) . First, Cut the lemon bars into squares and place the individual squares on a flat surface (like a baking tray) and place in the freezer uncovered for a couple of hours. Then wrap each individual bar in plastic wrap and place all the individually wrapped bars in a ziplock freezer bag. When you are ready to eat, remove the desired number of bars from the freezer and remove the plastic wrap right away so the lemon bar doesn't stick to the plastic wrap when it defrosts. Hope you enjoy!

        Reply
    2. Melissa | Bless this Mess

      July 17, 2017 at 9:45 am

      Yum! These look delicious. I've been doing Weight Watchers recently so I'm excited to see a WW-friendly recipe! Thank you!

      Reply
    3. athleticavocado

      July 17, 2017 at 4:45 am

      Lemon bars are the epitome of the perfect summer dessert! These look amazing! Love that they are lightened up:)

      Reply

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