These Weight Watchers Lemon Bars have a sweet and tangy lemon curd topping. Each bar is only 5 WW points and big enough to satisfy all your lemon dessert cravings. Traditional lemon bars have a buttery shortbread crust but I’ve opted for a graham cracker crust as a simpler alternative. The graham crust also lowers the points for this recipe enough that you can easily work these bars into your day and enjoy a standard-sized lemon bar rather than a scaled-down portion.
These Weight Watchers lemon bars are sweetened with Monk fruit but I’ve also included the alternative amount of points for those who wish to use real sugar and even regular butter rather than light butter. The great thing about WW is that your preferences are flexible. Trust me, these bars taste amazing no matter which route you decide to take. All you need is seven simple ingredients to whip up these citrusy dessert bars in less than an hour.
Why You Should Try This Recipe
- Fresh taste: Lemons have a delicious bright flavor. Often, desserts can be very rich so having a light option that’s not overly sweet or chocolatey can be a great change of pace.
- Portable: Lemon bars don’t require constant refrigeration making them an excellent option on the go. Whether you’re packing one as an afternoon pick-me-up for the office or bringing them along for a picnic or school fundraiser, these lemon bars won’t melt or get mushy.
- Easy to make: This easy dessert is great for all ages. Its universal flavor is something everyone can enjoy making it great for new bakers who want to showcase their skills for a special occasion.
Recipe Overview
- Serving Size: 65g
- Number of Servings: 12
- Time to Cook: 25 minutes
- WW Points Per Recipe: 5 per serving, 60 per entire batch
Ingredients in Weight Watchers Lemon Bars
- 3 Lemons: The juice and the zest of fresh lemons for this recipe to ensure the boldest flavor. Be sure to choose vibrant lemons free from blemishes that aren’t overly soft for the best results. You’ll need about 1/2 cup of lemon juice.
- 1 cup Monk Fruit and Erythritol Blend Sweetener: This zero-calorie sweeter balances the sour lemon flavor.
- 4 large eggs: Eggs make up the curd base for the lemon bars.
- 6 tablespoons light butter: Butter holds the crust together.
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour: A small addition of flour to the base of the curd will help it set up firm once it’s baked.
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar: A light dust of powdered sugar is used to top the lemon bars for a classic presentation. I’ve opted for regular powdered sugar since it’s a small amount and it has the best taste when compared to zero-calorie confectioner’s style sugar options.
- 12 sheets Graham Crackers: For this lightened-up recipe, I’ve opted for a graham cracker crust because it requires much less sugar and butter than a traditional shortbread crust.
Alternative point amounts
Since not everyone chooses to use zero-calorie sweeteners, I wanted to include the points amounts for real sugar. These are based on 1/12 of the batch.
For reference, this recipe as written with monk fruit and light butter: 5 ww points
Using cane sugar and light butter: 10 ww points
Using cane sugar and regular salted butter: 11 ww points
Using Monk fruit and erythritol (or other zero cal. sweetener) plus regular salted butter: 6 ww points
My goal was to have each bar be a standard size, not a tiny bite. 8-inch square pans should typically make 12 servings of whatever you’re baking. However, if you want to use real sugar but feel the points are too high for you, simply cut each bar in half. This will increase the yield to 24 and still allow you to eat the dessert as you prefer. While it will be smaller, it’s still a tasty treat you can enjoy in 3-4 bites.
How to Avoid Inverted Lemon Bars
Sometimes lemon bars can “flip” while baking meaning the lemon curd ends up on the bottom and the crust on top. This is called inverted lemon bars and occurs for a variety of reasons. If this happens, don’t worry, they still taste great. But understandably, it can be frustrating.
To avoid inverted lemon bars the first step is to make sure the crust is very packed down. Especially with using graham crackers, it’s very easy for them to float up. I first tried this recipe with a thinner crust and it was not enough to prevent them from flipping. Be sure to use the full amount of crust ingredients listed since it makes the crust heavy enough to stay put.
Next, after baking the crust I noticed that some air was trapped under the parchment. Gently lift the edges of parchment paper to let out trapped air if you notice it.
Always pour the filling onto the hot crust. Typically you might expect that it needs to cool but with lemon bars, you want the heat from the crust to begin cooking the curd right away. Cooling the crust will likely cause it to invert.
Lastly, don’t overwhisk the filling. This avoids excessive air bubbles than can affect the bake of the lemon bars. You’ll notice some air bubbles from whisking but I don’t recommend using a stand mixer or high speed hand mixer if possible.
Instructions for making Weight Watchers Lemon Bars
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grind the graham crackers into a fine crumb using a blender or food processor. In a large bowl, mix the melted butter and graham cracker crumbs until well combined. When pressed together between your fingers, they should stay together.
2. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment or cooking spray. Press the crust into the pan and slightly up the sides. Use the back of a small measuring cup to ensure that it’s firmly packed. If the crust isn’t packed firmly to the edges, the filling can seep under the crust.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, lemon zest, eggs, sweetener, and flour, until just combined.
4. Bake the crust for 8-10 minutes until browned and firm.
5. While the crust is still hot, pour the lemon mixture onto the crust.
6. Place the dish into the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes until it only slightly jiggles in the center.
7. Let the bars cool on the counter for 1 hour then place into the refrigerator to cool for 2 hours until fully chilled. Then, dust with powdered sugar before slicing and serving. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days.
Variations and Substitutions
- Use Limes: Make this dish with lime juice and zest for a delicious summer-worthy alternative.
- Make a shortbread crust: Cut a stick of butter into cubes and use a pastry cutter to mix with 1 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour. Press the crust into a parchment-lined 8-inch square baking pan and bake for 10-12 minutes until lightly browned. Pour the filling on top while the crust is still hot then bake.
- Add fruit: Add a single layer of fresh blueberries or raspberries onto the crust before baking for a sweet and tasty pop of color.
Tips and Tricks for Weight Watchers Lemon Bars
- Grind the graham crackers into a fine crumb: Chunky pieces will prevent the bars from holding together properly. You can use pre-made crumbs for the best consistency or a quality food processor.
- Make it a pie: Skip the bars and make a pie. Use a pre-made graham cracker crust then fill with the curd filling and bake as directed. Start checking on it 5 minutes before it should be done in case it cooks a bit quicker than the bars. Skip crust-only baking step for this option.
- Quickly bring eggs to room temperature: While it’s not essential in this recipe, using room temperature eggs is a helpful technique in baking. Room-temperature eggs whisk more easily which helps avoid overwhisking that introduces air to the mixture you’re working with. While 30 minutes out of the fridge usually does the trick, sometimes you want to get started right away. Drop your eggs into a bowl of warm water (not hot) for 5-10 minutes to speed up the process.
Related Recipes
29 Best Weight Watchers Desserts
Weight Watchers Strawberry Pie
Weight Watchers Lemon Bars
Equipment
- 1 8×8 inch baking pan
Ingredients
- 12 full graham cracker sheets, crushed into fine crumb
- 6 tablespoon light butter, melted
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 3 lemons, zested and juiced, about 1/2 cup of juice total, 1 tsp zest
- 1 cup granular monk fruit and erythritol blend
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar, for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grind the graham crackers into a fine crumb using a blender or food processor. In a large bowl, mix the melted butter and graham cracker crumbs until well combined. When pressed together between your fingers, they should stay together.
- Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment or cooking spray. Press the crust into the pan and slightly up the sides. Use the back of a small measuring cup to ensure that it’s firmly packed. If the crust isn’t packed firmly to the edges, the filling can seep under the crust.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, lemon zest, eggs, sweetener, and flour, until just combined.
- Bake the crust for 8-10 minutes until browned and firm.
- While the crust is still hot, pour the lemon mixture onto the crust.
- Place the dish into the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes until it only slightly jiggles in the center.
- Let the bars cool on the counter for 1 hour then place into the refrigerator to cool for 2 hours until fully chilled. Then, dust with powdered sugar before slicing and serving. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
