Lemon Coconut Squares are the recipe that Lucia makes every spring and every warm-weather gathering when she wants to create the most completely extraordinary and the most genuinely refreshing individual no-bake dessert bar that delivers the most vibrant and the most properly tart fresh lemon character alongside the most naturally sweet and the most beautifully chewy individual shredded coconut in the most brilliantly simple and the most effortlessly assembled five-ingredient format that requires absolutely no oven, no cooking.
And only 15 minutes of the most joyful preparation followed by the most essential minimum 4-hour refrigerator chill that transforms the most simply combined ingredients into the most beautifully set and the most cleanly sliceable individual lemon coconut square. The most satisfying contrast between the most buttery individual graham cracker crust and the most zesty and the most creamy sweetened condensed milk and lemon juice and shredded coconut filling creates the most completely extraordinary and the most genuinely refreshing individual no-bake bar.
Lemon Coconut Squares are the most easy and deeply extraordinary 15-minute no-bake spring bars made by pressing graham cracker crumbs and butter into pan combining sweetened condensed milk lemon juice lemon zest and shredded coconut spreading over crust and refrigerating minimum 4 hours before cutting into squares. Come follow us on Pinterest where we share beautiful bar recipes and easy no-bake favorites from our kitchen every single week.
Table of Contents
Why You Will Love This Lemon Coconut Squares Recipe
This Lemon Coconut Squares recipe is the most completely extraordinary and the most genuinely effortless individual no-bake dessert bar that requires only five simple ingredients and only 15 minutes of active preparation — making this the most perfectly accessible and the most completely foolproof individual no-bake bar for any skill level, any occasion, and any time constraint where the most impressive individual result is needed from the most minimal individual effort.
The sweetened condensed milk is the single most brilliantly essential ingredient that simultaneously provides the most perfectly sweet and the most creamy individual base, the most essential binding that sets the filling most firmly during refrigeration, and the most beautifully complementary rich sweetness that perfectly balances the most properly tart and the most vibrantly bright individual fresh lemon juice for the most completely extraordinary sweet-and-tart individual no-bake bar flavor. Our Key Lime Pound Cake makes a beautifully equally citrus-bright and equally tangy companion for a complete and wonderful citrus bar and cake collection.
Ingredients Needed for This Lemon Coconut Squares Recipe
For the Graham Cracker Base:
- 2 cups Graham Cracker Crumbs
- ½ cup Unsalted Butter, melted
For the Lemon Coconut Filling:
- 1 can (14 oz) Sweetened Condensed Milk
- ½ cup Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice (approximately 3 to 4 lemons)
- 2 tsp Fresh Lemon Zest
- 2 cups Shredded Sweetened Coconut
How to Make This Lemon Coconut Squares Recipe
Line an 8 by 8-inch or 9 by 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving a generous overhang on all sides for the most effortless individual slab removal.
Combine the graham cracker crumbs and melted butter in a medium bowl until the most evenly combined wet-sand texture. Press most firmly and most compactly into the bottom of the prepared pan using the back of a flat measuring cup for the most compact and the most properly defined individual crust. Refrigerate for 15 minutes while preparing the filling, cara mia.
In a large bowl, stir together the sweetened condensed milk, fresh lemon juice, and fresh lemon zest until the most completely combined. The mixture will thicken slightly as the lemon acid and condensed milk react — this is the most correct and the most beautiful individual result.
Stir in the shredded coconut until the most evenly distributed throughout the most creamy lemon condensed milk base.
Pour and spread the filling most evenly over the chilled graham cracker crust.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours — overnight produces the most completely extraordinary and the most properly firm individual result.
Lift the parchment sling from the pan and place the slab on a cutting board. Cut into individual squares using a large sharp knife wiped clean between cuts.
How to Serve This Lemon Coconut Squares Recipe
Serve cold directly from the refrigerator for the most completely extraordinary and the most properly firm individual lemon coconut square experience. A light dusting of toasted shredded coconut scattered over the cut squares creates the most beautifully finished and the most naturally textured individual garnish.
For the most completely charming and the most beautifully spring-appropriate individual presentation, arrange on a white serving platter with fresh lemon slices and toasted coconut flakes scattered between for the most completely gorgeous spring individual dessert table display. Our Strawberry Lemon Blondies make a beautifully equally citrus-bar and equally spring-vibrant companion for a complete and wonderful spring bar collection.
How to Store This Lemon Coconut Squares Recipe
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 to 7 days. The lemon flavor actually deepens and becomes the most extraordinarily concentrated on day two and day three as the lemon zest oils fully permeate the condensed milk filling. Freeze individually wrapped squares for up to 2 months — thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
Tips to Make This Lemon Coconut Squares Recipe
Use only fresh squeezed lemon juice rather than bottled for the most bright and the most properly zesty individual lemon flavor. Bottled lemon juice lacks the most essential volatile aromatic oils present in fresh-squeezed juice that provide the most vibrantly tart and the most genuinely fresh individual citrus character.
The parchment paper sling is the most essential preparation step for the most effortless and the most cleanly removed individual slab. Cut pieces of parchment to fit the pan with generous overhang on opposite sides, fold the corners neatly, press into the pan, and spray with cooking spray for the most completely effortless individual lift-out removal after chilling.
Helpful Notes for This Lemon Coconut Squares Recipe
For the most beautifully toasted coconut topping, spread one-quarter cup of additional shredded coconut on a baking sheet and toast in a 350°F oven for 3 to 5 minutes until the most beautifully golden, watching the most carefully as coconut burns quickly. Scatter over the cut individual squares for the most gorgeous and the most naturally nutty garnish.
This recipe scales most effortlessly for larger gatherings — simply double all ingredients and press into a 9 by 13-inch pan for the most conveniently doubled individual batch.
Variation of This Lemon Coconut Squares Recipe
Maria made a version using lime juice and lime zest in place of lemon for the most completely extraordinary and the most properly tropical individual key lime coconut square. Teresa tried adding a half cup of white chocolate chips melted and drizzled over the completely set and cut individual squares for the most completely extraordinary and the most deeply sweet white chocolate lemon coconut individual bar.
For an orange coconut version, substitute fresh orange juice and orange zest in the same quantities for the most completely extraordinary and the most warmly fragrant individual orange coconut square. Our Key Lime Pound Cake makes a beautifully equally citrus-tart and equally refreshing companion for a complete and wonderful citrus dessert collection.
FAQs About This Lemon Coconut Squares Recipe
Why does the condensed milk thicken when mixed with lemon juice?
The most fresh lemon juice is strongly acidic, and when it contacts the most alkaline proteins in the sweetened condensed milk, a gentle acid-base reaction occurs that causes the mixture to thicken slightly — similar to the most chemical reaction in key lime pie. This most natural thickening through acid-dairy reaction is the most essential structural mechanism that allows the no-bake individual filling to set firmly during refrigeration without any gelatin or cooking required.
Can I use unsweetened coconut instead of sweetened?
Yes. Unsweetened shredded coconut produces a most less sweet and the most more naturally coconut-forward individual bar that many bakers prefer for the most properly balanced flavor. Increase the sweetened condensed milk by two tablespoons to compensate for the most reduced individual sweetness from unsweetened coconut.
How do I get clean individual cuts?
The three most effective techniques for the most cleanly cut individual lemon coconut squares are chilling the most completely for the full minimum 4 hours before cutting, using a large sharp knife rather than a serrated blade, and wiping the blade most completely clean between every single individual cut. A knife dipped briefly in warm water and wiped dry immediately before each cut also produces the most beautifully defined individual square edges.
Conclusion
These Lemon Coconut Squares are the most completely extraordinary and the most genuinely refreshing no-bake spring individual bar that makes every gathering and every warm-weather occasion feel genuinely and completely special through the most vibrant fresh lemon juice and zest and the most sweetly chewy shredded coconut and the most buttery graham cracker base in every single beautifully chilled and completely irresistible lemon coconut square.
We hope they bring the same deeply joyful no-bake lemon coconut spring brightness and the same completely delighted gathering to your kitchen that they have always brought to ours. Make them, share them, and come back to tell us all about it. With all our love, Maria, Lucia, and Teresa.
Print
Lemon Coconut Squares The Most Easy No-Bake Zesty Condensed Milk Lemon Shredded Coconut Graham Cracker Individual Bar You Will Make
- Total Time: 4 hours 15 minutes including chilling
- Yield: 16 squares 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
The most extraordinary no-bake Lemon Coconut Squares made by lining 8×8 or 9×9 pan with parchment sling combining 2 cups graham cracker crumbs and 1/2 cup melted butter pressing firmly into pan refrigerating 15 minutes stirring 1 can 14 oz sweetened condensed milk with 1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice and 2 tsp fresh lemon zest until combined and slightly thickened stirring in 2 cups shredded sweetened coconut until evenly distributed pouring and spreading evenly over chilled crust covering with plastic and refrigerating minimum 4 hours or overnight lifting parchment sling from pan placing on cutting board cutting into individual squares with sharp knife wiped clean between cuts. Serve cold dusted with toasted coconut. A completely perfect 5-ingredient no-bake lemon coconut square recipe.
Ingredients
2 cups Graham Cracker Crumbs
1/2 cup Unsalted Butter melted
1 can 14 oz Sweetened Condensed Milk
1/2 cup Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice approximately 3 to 4 lemons
2 tsp Fresh Lemon Zest
2 cups Shredded Sweetened Coconut
Instructions
1. Line 8×8 or 9×9 pan with parchment sling with overhang. Spray with cooking spray.
2. Combine graham cracker crumbs and melted butter. Press firmly into pan. Refrigerate 15 minutes.
3. Stir condensed milk, fresh lemon juice, and lemon zest until combined and slightly thickened.
4. Stir in shredded coconut until evenly distributed.
5. Pour and spread evenly over chilled crust.
6. Cover with plastic. Refrigerate minimum 4 hours or overnight.
7. Lift parchment sling from pan. Place on cutting board.
8. Cut into squares with sharp knife wiped clean between cuts. Serve cold.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Dessert, Bars, No-Bake, Spring
- Method: No Bake
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 square
- Calories: 220
- Sugar: 22g
- Sodium: 115mg
- Fat: 10g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 31g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 15mg
Keywords: lemon coconut squares, easy no-bake lemon coconut squares recipe condensed milk fresh lemon shredded coconut, best zesty no-bake lemon coconut bar graham cracker, 5-ingredient no-bake lemon coconut square
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