Creamy Lemon Bars with Browned Butter Raspberries.
Extra springy, extra creamy lemon bars with browned butter raspberries. Hands down one of my favorite sweet bars for spring. These bars are buttery, silky smooth, hinted with vanilla, perfectly lemony, and just sweet enough. This combination makes for a truly simple but delicious creamy, sweet, and tangy filling. Made with a buttery Ritz cracker crust, each bar is then finished off with fresh raspberries tossed in browned butter. A truly decadent spring (or summer) dessert!
Well would you look at that? I finally made a lemon bar.
I’m not sure if this is expected of me or not, but when I decided to make these, I was shocked that I was actually going to do it. For the longest time I just never understood why someone would want to eat a dessert like a lemon bar or a key lime pie. I mean, where is the chocolate? Or at least the sweet fruit filling?
I used to only believe in chocolate desserts. No vanilla, no fruit, just chocolate. To this day, chocolate is still very high on my list, it probably always will be. But as I’ve learned to experiment with new flavors, I’ve really grown to love fruit based sweets. And now tangy citrus sweets too!
This is something I never thought would happen, but here we are! So, today I have some of the best lemon bars to share with you all, and I am so excited.
These bars really are something special, and very different…at least for me.
To be upfront, my original intent was to make a key lime pie. My (soon to be) sister-in-law has been telling me that key lime pie is her favorite dessert. What a coincidence, it’s my brother Brendan’s favorite too. These two must really be meant for each other (it’s my grandpa’s favorite too!). Lyn’s has said that the fact that I do not have a key lime pie recipe here on HBH is truly upsetting.
Clearly I need to make this key lime pie happen, and I was finally going to do it too. But then…I did what I always do, I over-think, and in the end these lemon bars excited me more.
Sorry, I love lemon in my fruity desserts, so the sound of a lemon bar just sounded too good.
The sound of key lime pie? Well, let’s just say it still needs to grow on me. But mark my words, I will get to making a key lime pie. Someday.
Anyway, instead I made these creamy lemon bars. And I topped them with browned butter raspberries. Every bite you’ll take is SO GOOD.
Filled with toasted, buttery Ritz crackers, creamy, sweet lemon, and juicy, buttery raspberries. Mouth watering.
Shockingly, these bars are super simple and very easy. I always thought something like a “fancy” lemon bar would be more involved, but in reality it’s the complete opposite.
To start, make the crust. Traditionally a shortbread or saltine cracker crust is used for a lemon bar/tart, but I love using buttery, salty Ritz crackers. They take things to a better level, and while they’re not fancy, they are so very good. Better than shortbread. Better than saltiness.
While the crust bakes, make the filling. Eggs, sweetened condensed milk, lots of lemon, and a splash of vanilla…seriously so simple.
Pour the filling over the crust and bake for 15 minutes. Yes, just 15 minutes. Again, easy and simple. When the bars come out of the oven you’ll have a lemon bar that’s bright yellow and so pretty.
The trickiest step comes next…chill time. These bars need at least an hour or two in the fridge before they’re ready to be cut. Honestly, the waiting time is hard, but so worth it. Once the bars are cut, you’ll expose the silky, smooth, and very creamy, delicious lemon filling.
Now, the raspberries. You might not think the raspberries are not needed, but please do trust me when I say this, your lemon bars need these browned butter raspberries. It’s the layer of flavor that puts these bars over the top and makes them truly burst with flavor, both light and indulgent.
And let’s be real, browned butter is always the right move. Always.
So with that, I think our week could really use a bright lemon bar, don’t you? If not this week, then at least for your Easter celebrations. Fingers crossed you will all love these just as much as I do!
If you make these creamy lemon bars, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to also tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Creamy Lemon Bars with Browned Butter Raspberries.
These bars are buttery, silky smooth, hinted with vanilla, perfectly lemony, and just sweet enough. Made with a buttery Ritz cracker crust, each bar is then finished off with fresh raspberries tossed in browned butter. A truly decadent spring (or summer) dessert!
Ingredients
- 1 sleeve Ritz crackers, finely crushed into crumbs (about 1 1/2 to 2 cups crushed crackers)
- 6 tablespoons salted butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 large egg + 2 large egg yolks
- 1 can (14 ounce) sweetened condensed milk
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 1 cup freshly squeeze lemon juice, preferably from Meyer lemons
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Browned Butter Raspberries
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 1/2 cups fresh raspberries
Instructions
-
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8x8 inch square baking dish with parchment paper.
2. In a small bowl, mix together the cracker crumbs, melted butter, and brown sugar. Press the mixture into the bottom of the prepared baking pan. Transfer to the oven and bake 15 minutes, until light golden on top.
3. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the egg and egg yolks. Add the sweetened condensed milk, lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla, and salt until combined. Pour the mix over the cracker crust. Return to the oven and bake for 15-17 minutes, until just set. Allow the bars to cool in the pan, then place in the fridge to cool completely, at least 2 hours or overnight.
4. Cut into bars. Just before serving, spoon over the browned butter raspberries. The bars can be kept chilled in the fridge for up to 4 days.
5. To make the raspberries, add the butter to a skillet set over medium heat. Allow the butter to brown lightly until it smells toasted, about 2 minutes. Stir often. Remove from the heat and add the lemon zest. Gently toss the berries with the butter and spoon overtop the bars.
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Hi!
This recipe looks incredible, can’t wait to try it! Probably will make this for Easter for my mom-in-law.
The calories that is written down is for 8 or 16 bars?
Thank you
Hi Samantha! The calories are for just one bar! I hope you love this recipe! xTieghan
Hi!
What is a sleeve as a measure for crackers?
Cheers,
Hi Anna! A sleeve is one entire roll inside a Ritz cracker box.. there are usually four sleeves in one box! Let me know if you have any more questions! xTieghan
Fruit Rules! Had a lime tart with Kaffir lime a couple of weeks ago…life changing.
Lemon bars have always been a favorite. Never met a citrus I haven’t loved. Not sure on the Ritz Crackers though.
I hope you try these Joyce.. I think you will like them! xTieghan
I’m not huge on fruity desserts, but lemon is where I make an exception! These bars look absolutely incredible, especially with those raspberries on top!!
Thank you Sarah!! I am so glad you like these and I hope you try them! xTieghan
YES! These look incredible. I think I’ll add it to the list of weekend cooking.
For the key lime pie…I used your graham cracker + coconut flake crust from your banana cream pie in the HBH cookbook when I was coming up with a recipe for lime pie. Highly recommend incorporating that bad boy whenever you go to develop that recipe! 😉
Ooo yes!! Thank you for this Sydney! I hope you love this recipe as well! xTieghan
These images made me so happy! What gorgeous lemon bars. I don’t know how it’s even possible but your photography just keeps getting better and better, Tieghan. Well done you!
Thank you Julia! xTieghan
Awwww! Just in time for Spring and warm weather! And wow, just wow! I begin craving fruity desserts about this time of year. And this recipe here looks like it will most definitely satisfy those cravings. I’m so intrigued by the browned butter raspberries. What an added treat for these bars. As always, thanks for sharing.
So perfect for Spring right?! I hope you try these, Linger! Thank you! xTieghan
Your “soon to be sister in law”, is my niece and she is right about Key Lime pie, but THESE lemon bars with the Ritz cracker crust? WOW! Who knew? Browned butter is a whole different flavor! So good!
So creamy and tart! I’ve been making lemon bars for years, but these?…amazing!
Hi Jacque!! Ah that is so amazing Lyndsie is your niece! Also, so glad you are loving these bars and I hope you try them! xTieghan
I’m so making these tonight for our wine night with my girlfriends… I love making desserts that look impressive but are easy to make.
Thank you so much Becca! xTieghan
I need to make this asap. Can I confirm by Ritz crackers you mean the savoury crackers? Yellow packet. I live in Singapore, might be sold differently here so just checking. I would normally use digestives for a biscuit base.
Hi Catherine! Yes, they’re savory and sort of have a buttery flavor! I hope you love this! xTieghan
Hi there, what a wonderful post. Just curious if this is possible; can you substitute 1 can (14 ounce) sweetened condensed milk with anything else?
Thanks for your reply in advance-
Jenna
Hey Jenna! Unfortunately, I don’t recommend replace the condensed milk as it both sweetness and add moisture to the bars. You’d have to make a lot of adjust to replace the condensed milk. That said, You could try 1 1/4 cups whole milk and 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar, BUT I do not know what the outcome will be if you try this. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
These look incredible! Can’t wait to try them! Approximately how many lemons did it take you to get a cup of juice?
HI! It will depend on the size of your lemons but between 4-6 lemons. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Thank you very much for this recipe! This sounds great! I am a bit struggling with the ammount of crackers. We do have Thema in Germany, but packed differently. Maybe you can tell me the weight of one sleeve? Thank you very much! Greetings from Germany!
Hi! I don’t know the weight of the crackers, but you need about 1 1/2 to 2 cups of crushed Ritz crackers. I really hope this helps you! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
These look divine! Have never made a crust with Ritz, so super interest to try that out. Can’t wait, pinned!
Thank you Jess! xTieghan
Hi, how can i sibstitute condensed milk?
Hi Nina! Unfortunately, I don’t recommend replacing the condensed milk as it both sweetness and adds moisture to the bars. You’d have to make a lot of adjustments to replace the condensed milk. That said, You could try 1 1/4 cups whole milk and 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar, BUT I do not know what the outcome will be if you try this. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Hey Tieghan
In Canada our Ritz comes in one sealed bag within the box not sleeves. Any idea how many crackers is in a sleeve? I can try just a quarter of the box.
Thanks!
Hey Kat! you need about 1 1/2 to 2 cups of crushed Ritz crackers. I really hope this helps you! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Tieghan, I live in the Netherlands and we don’t have Ritz crackers, although we have something similar called TUC. The problem is, the measurement of one sleeve of Ritz, won’t apply. Can you tell me approximately the cup measurement of the crushed crackers? Thanks!
Hi Pamela! you need about 1 1/2 to 2 cups of crushed Ritz crackers. I really hope this helps you! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Made these tonight and they are DELISH! I was sooo sceptical about the ritz crackers, but tried them anyways as HBH has yet to steer me wrong and alas, it was fantastic! For those of you with the ‘how many ritz crackers’ conundrum, I used about 32 crackers and it worked great. Thanks for another winning recipe!
These bars are the prettiest for spring!
Thank you so much Laura! xTieghan
These were divine! I didn’t have quite enough lemon juice but it didn’t matter! We don’t have sleeves of ritz crackers but I did about 35 for those asking!
Thank you Amy! xTieghan
Could I add blueberries or drizzle blueberry syrup on top before baking instead of doing a lemon/rasp combo?
Of course! I would use fresh blueberries. The syrup may affect the way the bars bake. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Do you butter or grease your baking pan, or do you recommend lining with parchment to get the bars out without breaking after baking? Thanks!
HI! I just line my pan with parchment paper. No need to also butter it. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
These were AMAZING! I chilled them overnight and had to stop myself from eating the whole pan for breakfast. I did 1.5x the crust because I used a bigger pan and substituted whiskey for vanilla extract after realizing I was out of vanilla (thanks, Google!). They turned out fabulously.
Hi Steph! I am so glad you loved these bars! Thank you! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan, what size baking pan did you use for your recipe? Thanks!
HI! I use an 8×8 inch square baking pan. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
I made these for my partner’s mom for mother’s day and they were a big hit. Because I had to transport them I wanted to find a way to incorporate the raspberries into the lemon bar without having to make brown butter in their kitchen so I put them into the bar like you did in the blueberry cheesecake bars and it turned out lovely. I was skeptical about the salted butter and the ritz crackers but it balanced out the whole thing nicely! I’m going to try the s’mores bar next
Thank you so much Ashley! I am so glad you loved these bars! xTieghan
Hi!
Tieghan, this recipe is amazing!! I’m a celiac and had to swap out the crust for a gluten free graham cracker crust. I haven’t had a lemon bars in years and decided to try it out! Best decision ever!! The lemon, raspberries, and brown butter are the most delicious combination. Thank you for all your delicious recipes and hard work!!
That is so amazing! I am so glad you got to enjoy lemon bars again!! Thank you for trying this, Lexi! xTieghan
So I made this this weekend and the flavor was delicious however my crust came out really soggy? Any ideas on why? I baked it as directed.
Hi India! I am not sure why your crust was soggy, but in general the crust should not be crispy. How soggy was it? Can you give me some info on how you baked these? Was there any changes? Even slight changes? Really hope I can help!
I made these specially for my father-in-law’s birthday because he likes lemon; it is almost impossible to find a dessert he likes and he ate THREE of these! My mother-in-law said that was the most dessert she has ever seen him eat. We had some bars leftover so served them at a get-together the next day and they were a huge hit again! They were really easy and the lemon flavor was insane! Thank you!
Wow that is so amazing! I am so glad you all loved these Melisa! Thank you for trying them! xTieghan
These are amazing! Have to admit that I’ve never done the browned butter raspberry part (am sure is delicious). I cater luncheons on our family flower farm and this has been my go to dessert. They are so lemony! I serve with mint sprig and whatever fruit is on our bushes (fresh blueberries right now). Thanks for the great recipe!
That is so amazing! I am so glad everyone has been enjoying these and they are perfect for your luncheons! Thank you Camille! xTieghan
I would never have thought to toss the raspberries in browned butter – I have only ever used it in savory dishes. A whole new path to think down… Thank you!
I am so glad I could inspire you! That is amazing! Thank you Bec! xTieghan
I had a ton of Meyer lemons my parents brought off of their tree so I made these for a big group this week. I doubled the recipe and used a 9×13 pan. Because I used a glass pan and also a 9×13 is slightly smaller cubic space than two 8x8s (and therefore the filling is a tiny bit thicker in the pan) it required extra baking time but turned out perfect. They were a big hit. Love that it’s not skimpy on lemony tartness. And the Ritz make a great crust.
Oh wow! That sounds so amazing! Thank you for trying this recipe Sarah! xTieghan
I made these and they were delicious! So fresh with the lemons and such a wonderful springtime sweet <3 My younger siblings, however, weren't big fans of them, saying how they were too "adult" for their taste. My parents loved them though, so I'll definitely make them again. I was wondering, is it possible to use this recipe but switch out the lemons with, say, blueberries? Would that work? Or could you melt some chocolate and make chocolate bars? I'm just thinking of different variations on these lemon bars, there are so many flavours that I'd love to try out! Thank you for sharing this lovely recipe!
Hi Lacey,
I haven’t tried this with other flavors, but I would think blueberries would be great to use! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I was skeptical about the Ritz crackers but it was delicious. The Ritz crust and the creamy Meyer filling complimented each other perfectly. Made these bars last week and brought them to work. They were gone fast! Glad I saved a few and left them at home for myself. Yum. Definitely have plans to make them again soon. I cut mine smaller so more people can have some. Next time I will make two batches. They’re that yummy.
Love that! I am really glad these turned out so well for you, Rachel!! xTieghan
Do you have any gluten free suggestions for the crust instead of the ritz crackers?
Hi Krista,
You could use a gf pretzel for the crust. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan,
I tried to make them and they tasted fantastic, what a brilliant recipe! However, I live in south africa so used Tuc biscuits as a replacement for the crackers, the salty taste was fantatic but my biscuit base breaks apart which means I am unable to get the “bar” feel I want. It could be the replacement biscuits and in that case how could I get them not to break?
Look forward to hearing back.
Mia
Hi Mia,
Thanks so much for trying the recipe, I am so sorry you had issues with the crust. Unfortunately I am not familiar with a Tuckering biscuit and therefore it is difficult for me to say how to fix this issue. So sorry about this! Please let me know if I can help in any other way! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan,
I have a whole box of Lotus Biscoff cookies and am wondering if they would be a good substitute for the Ritz cracker crust. Since the cookies are already sweet, would you recommend cutting down on the butter/brown sugar, or keep the same measurements?
Excited to make these 🙂
Thanks!
Hey Sophia,
I haven’t tried this recipe with Biscoff cookies but I am sure they would work well. I would keep everything the same. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Can these bars be frozen?
Hey Kathy,
Yes, you can freeze these bars. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Any suggestions to make the crust gluten free? Thank you 🙂
Hey Beth,
I would recommend using an equal amount of GF flour. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy New Year! xTieghan
I don’t know why I never post comments because I’m obsessed with you and your recipes but I just made this with seasonal Meyer lemons and wasn’t convinced I could execute properly especially with such a simple crust and it’s taking all of my willpower to not eat the whole pan at once; so good!! I feel like mine wasn’t as tall as I thought it’d be but nonetheless AMAZING! Thank you for such delicious and easy recipes!
Hey Kim,
Thank you so much for trying the recipe, I am so glad it worked out for you! Happy New Year! xTieghan
Hi tiegan!
I was wondering, have you made these into individual servings? Like mini cheesecake type size? Wondering if that’s possible and how to adjust baking? I thought these would look adorable as mini desserts! Thanks!
Maria
Hey Maria,
I would just follow the recipe as is and then cut them into the mini size bites that you are looking for. I hope you love there recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Hallo, my name is Bettina. I am German and I live in Italy. Thank you for all the very, very good food inspirations, I like it so much.
Thanks so much Bettina! xTieghan
Any tips for when these won’t set? I’ve doubled the baking time but they’re still completely liquid.
Hey Jes,
So sorry you are having issues with the recipe. It’s hard to say without knowing more info. Was there anything you may have adjusted in the recipe? Let me know how I can help! xTieghan
Hi,
Can the Ritz Cracker be replaced using graham cracker crumbs? If so, how much to use in lieu of 1 sleeve of ritz crackers?
Thanks,
K
Hey Keith,
Sure, that would work just fine. You should have 2 cups of crumbs. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan