Lemon Squares Recipe | A Low-Calorie Dessert

Name: Lemon Squares Recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 40 min
Yield: 20
Ingredients: 4 tbsp light or reduced fat butter (room temperature); 2 tbsp unsweetened applesauce; 1/4 cup powdered sugar; 1 cup all-purpose flour; 2 tbsp cornstarch; 1 tbsp lemon zest; 3 extra large eggs; 1 cup superfine or caster sugar; 1/3 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice (from 2-3 lemons); 2 tbsp all-purpose flour; powdered sugar (to dust the top (optional))

Beeta Hashempour

May 29, 2018

lemon squares with lemon slices on top — Shutterstock.com

While lemons are traditionally a winter fruit, something about lemon desserts makes them the quintessential summer treat. These lemon squares look and taste vibrant, and remind us of the summer sunshine we all love so much.

Generally, lemon squares tend to be an indulgent treat made with a buttery crust and lemon custard filling. They’re delicious, but not so friendly to the waistline. When we find ourselves craving some lemon squares, we turn to this skinny version.

This lightened up lemon squares recipe includes baking hacks like using reduced fat butter and applesauce to make the lemon squares more diet-friendly. These low-calorie lemon squares only have 101 calories per square, whereas typical lemon squares can have anywhere from 140 calories to 240 calories, depending on how they’re made.

The best part about this summer dessert is that it’s incredibly easy to make. Even if you’ve never made pastry dough before, you’ll find the recipe very easy to follow and foolproof.

Summary

Cook time: 40 minutes

Prep time: 15 minutes

Idle time: 3 hours

Level

Servings:

Unit:

Ingredients

For the crust
4 tbsp light or reduced fat butter room temperature
2 tbsp unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp lemon zest
For the filling
3 extra large eggs
1 cup superfine or caster sugar
1/3 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice from 2-3 lemons
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
powdered sugar to dust the top (optional)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F and line an 8"x8" square baking dish with a sheet of parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, combine the crust ingredients together using your hands or a fork. Mix until you get a sandy mixture.
Pat the crust down into your prepared baking dish to create one even layer. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden and firm.
Meanwhile, create the filling by whisking all the filling ingredients together. When the crust is done baking, give the filling a quick whisk, then pour the filling into the pan over the crust.
Bake for another 20 to 25 minutes, or until the filling is set. Allow the lemon squares to cool for an hour before refrigerating for 2 hours. Before slicing and serving, feel free to dust the squares with powdered sugar.