Teatime with Lemons and Bees + Easy Recipe for Freezer Lemon Dessert Bars

Cool off with a refreshing, no-bake summer dessert, Lemon Freezer Bars! Quick and easy to make to pull out of the freezer when you you’re craving a creamy, lemony treat! You’ll also find additional summer tea party inspiration from my Tea on Tuesday friends.

Happy Tuesday!

Welcome to July’s edition of Tea on Tuesdays,

a celebration of tea on the third Tuesday of every month.

Pam and I are excited to welcome our special guest

Bonnie at Living with Thanksgiving, today.

We’re glad you’re here, pour yourself a cuppa or glass of iced tea and join us!

Join me for tea with the bees today!

This post contains affiliate links. For more information see my disclosure policy.

I was all abuzz when I spied this Grace Teaware Lemon Bee Teapot . . .

With embossed bees and lemon design details.

 🐝  🍋  🐝  🍋  🐝

A table runner with bees and a honeycomb design

provides a foundation for our table and tea on the porch.

We’re enjoying our tea with lemon and honey today,

and sweetening our tea

in honor of the bees with lemon honey sticks.

Served in new Ball Honeybee Keepsake Mason Jars. .  .

Regular readers know my love of bees so I was excited to find these new jars a couple of months ago!

🐝 🐝 🐝

These collector’s edition canning jars highlight the vital importance of pollinators,

embossed with a bee and honeycomb design.

Help yourself to a Lemon Freezer Bar,

an easy and refreshing sweet treat

for summer and teatime!

If you’re a fan of lemon desserts, I think you’ll really love

these creamy, no-bake bars that come together quickly!

Keep them in your freezer to pull out when

you need an afternoon pick-me-up.

🍋 🍋 🍋

Here are the ingredients you’ll need:

For the crust:

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 sleeve of graham crackers (9 sheets)

For the filling:

14 oz. can *sweetened condensed milk

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (about 3 lemons, or good quality lemon juice such as Nelli & Joe’s Famous Key West Lemon Juice)

Zest of 1 lemon

8 oz. package of cream cheese, softened (use full fat for best texture)

*Note: I’ve made these bars several times, they’re that good! Sweetened condensed milk varies by brand. I’ve noticed my grocery store brand of sweetened condensed milk has a thicker consistency which I prefer for this recipe.

The crust comes together quickly with a food processor.

Pulse your graham crackers until you have crumbs; add sugar and pulse to combine.

Pour in melted butter and pulse until butter is incorporated.

Alternatively, crush graham crackers in a ziptop bag with a rolling pin; mix crumbs with sugar and melted butter.

For easy removal of bars, line an 8 inch square pan.

 with parchment paper, with the edges hanging over the pan.

 Press the crust mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan,

using bottom of measuring cup to make an even layer.

Place pan with crust in freezer for 30 minutes and prepare filling.

For the filling, add softened cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk to a bowl,

beat until combined with mixer. Add lemon juice, zest; mix until thoroughly incorporated.

Note: For less clean up, use your food processor to mix filling.

Wipe out processor bowl with paper towel after mixing your graham cracker crust.

Add sweetened condensed milk and softened cream cheese to bowl of food processor; pulse until combined.

Add lemon juice and zest, process until mixed.

Pour the filling into the prepared crust and freeze for about 4 hours or overnight.

Note: If you’ve ever made no-churn ice cream, you know that sweetened condensed

milk doesn’t freeze solid due to its sugar content.

The bars will be firm enough to cut after 4 hours in the freezer, but a ‘soft-firm’ texture.

 Remove pan from freezer, allow to warm up for 5 minutes and lift edges of paper to remove bars from pan.

Cut into 16 bars. Garnish with additional lemon zest.

These bars will soften quickly so return bars to freezer until ready to serve.

Store leftovers in a sealed container in the freezer up to 3 months.

These bars are good with either hot tea or iced tea to stay cool and beat!

Print Recipe

Lemon Freezer Bars

Cool off with this refreshing and easy, no-bake lemon dessert for summer.

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time4 hours hrs

Total Time4 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cream cheese, easy, freezer dessert, graham cracker crust, lemon bars, lemon zest, no bake, summer, sweetened condensed milk

Servings: 16 bars

Equipment

• food processor
• 8 x 8 pan
• parchment paper

Ingredients

For the crust:

• 1/2 cup 1 stick unsalted butter, melted
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 sleeve of graham crackers (9 sheets)

For the filling:

• 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (about 3 lemons, or good quality lemon juice such as Nelli & Joe’s Famous Key West Lemon Juice)
• 8 oz, package of cream cheese, softened (use full fat for best texture)
• zest of 1 lemon

Instructions

• Spray an 8-inch square pan with nonstick spray and line with parchment paper that overhangs the edges; set aside.
• In a food processor add graham crackers; pulse until you have fine crumbs. Add sugar; pulse to combine. Pour in melted butter and pulse until butter is incorporated.
• Press the crust mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan, using bottom of measuring cup to make an even layer. Place crust in freezer for 30 minutes to firm.
• For the filling, add softened cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk to a bowl, beat until combined with mixer. Add lemon juice, zest; mix until thoroughly incorporated.
• Pour the filling into the prepared crust and freeze for about 4 hours or overnight.
• Remove from freezer, allow to warm up for 5 minutes and lift edges of paper to remove bars from pan. Cut into 16 bars while frozen. Garnish with additional lemon zest. Return to freezer until ready to serve. Store leftovers in a sealed container in the freezer up to 3 months.

Notes

• If you don't have a food processor, crush graham crackers in a bag with a rolling pin; mix crumbs with sugar and melted butter by hand and press into pan. One sleeve of crackers (9 sheets) will make about 1 1/2 cups of crumbs.
• For less clean up, use your food processor to mix filling instead of a mixer. Wipe out processor bowl with paper towel after mixing graham cracker crust. Add sweetened condensed milk and softened cream cheese; pulse until combined. Add lemon juice and zest, process until mixed.
• For best texture, use full fat cream cheese.
• I’ve made these bars several times. Sweetened condensed milk varies by brand. I’ve noticed my grocery store brand has a thicker consistency which I prefer, over Eagle Brand.
• Sweetened condensed milk doesn’t freeze solid due to its sugar content. The bars will be firm after 4 hours in the freezer, but a 'soft-firm' texture. They'll soften quickly at room temperature, so serve and enjoy soon after cutting. To prepare ahead, cut bars and garnish, return to freezer until ready to serve.

Details:

Wallace Bee Napoleon Flatware

Bee Table Runner

Grace Teaware Lemon Bee Tea Set

Lemon Bee Plates / Grace Teaware, HomeGoods

Lemon bowls / Maxcera, HomeGoods

Ball Honeybee Keepsake Jars / Target

Bee Pillow Cover

DIY Bee Napkin Rings

*Buzz* over to visit Pam and Bonnie for tea:

Pam at Everyday Living

Bonnie at Living with Thanksgiving

Pam and I are sharing our love of tea with a special giveaway post

in celebration of our one year anniversary

of Tea on Tuesdays on next Tuesday, July 25th.

We hope you stop back by and join us for a giveaway!

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Thank you for your visit, sharing at:

 Between Naps on the Porch