A very Australian no bake lemon slice recipe. The coconut cookie base is made with oats and condensed milk. It's then slathered with tangy lemon frosting. These delicious bars make the perfect afternoon treat.
I love the ease of a no bake slice. Simply combine all the ingredients, press it into a tin, and then frost. The beauty of lemon slice (lemon bars) is that the tang of the lemon cuts through the dense rich base.
No bake slices are never going to be as light as their baked cousins. But that's okay as we adore them all the same.
The combination of cookies, oats, coconut, butter, and condensed milk make this base dense, delicious, and chewy. It's then given a generous slathering of tangy lemon frosting. If you are after a self indulgent lemon treat, this is the slice for you.
Along with my easy milo slice, coconut slice, and vanilla crunch slice, It's perfect for work morning teas or when you need to take a plate.
Sara xxx
Lemon Slice Base Ingredients
- Coconut: Use unsweetened desiccated (macaroon) coconut.
- Lemon: You use more zest than juice in the base, excess lemon juice can be frozen in an ice cube tray for later use.
- Rolled Oats/Quick Oats: Don't use instant oats for this recipe.
- Coconut Biscuits/Cookies: I use New Zealand Krispie biscuits for this recipe, but your favourite coconut cookie will do. Make sure that it is a crisper style cookie and not a butter or shortbread style cookie.
- Digestive Biscuits/Cookies: Use wheat digestive biscuits for this recipe, Graham Crackers make a nice substitution if you can't get your hands on wheat digestives.
- Condensed Milk: Use sweetened condensed milk.
- Butter: You can get away with using salted or unsalted butter in this recipe. Use what you have. Don't use margarine.
Lemon Frosting Ingredients
- Icing Sugar: Use icing sugar (confectioners' sugar) or icing sugar mixture. Make sure to sift it well.
- Lemon: Like the lemon slice base you will use more zest than juice, freeze leftover juice for later use.
- Butter: Use either salted or unsalted, don't use margarine as the final frosting won't have the right consistency.
Recipe Instructions
Scroll to the bottom of the page for a printable version of this recipe.
Break up biscuits/cookies into a food processor.
Process until you reach a crumb consistency.
Alternatively, place biscuits/cookies in a ziplock bag and crush to a crumb using a rolling pin.
Add oats, coconut, condensed milk, melted butter, lemon zest, and juice to the food processor.
Process ingredients until well combined.
If not using a food processor add ingredients including crushed biscuits to a large bowl and mix until well combined.
Place base ingredients in a line slice tin.
Using hands or the bottom of a sturdy glass press mixture firmly into the tin.
Make sure it is pressed down evenly and into the corners of the tin.
To make the lemon frosting place all ingredients in a large bowl.
Make sure to sift the icing sugar to prevent lumps.
Use a whisky to combine all the frosting ingredients.
Add a couple of teaspoons of just boiled water at the end. Whisk through thoroughly to form a thick smooth frosting.
Pour lemon frosting over the top of the lemon slice base.
Smooth out evenly with a spatula. Place in the fridge to set.
Once set remove slice from the tray and cut into squares or bars.
Printable Recipe
No Bake Lemon Slice
Ingredients
Lemon Slice Base
- 250 grams (8.80 oz) coconut biscuits
- 250 grams (8.80 oz) wheat digestive biscuits
- 95 grams (1 cup / 3.4 oz) rolled oats
- 80 grams (1 cup / 2.9 oz) deasiccated coconut
- 395 grams (13.90 oz) sweetened condensed milk
- 125 grams (4.40 oz) salted butter | melted
- zest of 4 lemons
- 1 tablespoon (4 teaspoons) lemon juice
Lemon Slice Frosting
- 270 grams (1 ¾ cups / 9.60 oz) icing sugar/confectioner's sugar
- 75 grams (2.65 oz) salted butter | melted
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- zest of 1 lemon
- 2 teaspoons just boiled water
Instructions
- Line the bottoms and the sides of a 23cm x 23cm (9" x 9") cake tin with baking paper.
- Break up the coconut and digestive biscuits and place in a food processor. Process until you reach a crumb consistency.
- Add oats, coconut, condensed milk, melted butter, lemon zest, and juice to the food processor.
- Process ingredients until well combined.
- Place base ingredients in a line slice tin.
- Using hands or the bottom of a sturdy glass press mixture firmly into the tin.
- Make sure it is pressed down evenly and into the corners of the tin.
- Pour lemon frosting over the top of the lemon slice base. Smooth out evenly with a spatula. Place in the fridge to set.Once set remove slice from the tray and cut into squares or bars.
Instructions NOT using a food processor
- Place biscuits/cookies in a ziplock bag and crush to a crumb using a rolling pin. Then place crushed mixture into a large bowl.
- Add oats, coconut, condensed milk, melted butter, lemon zest, and juice to the bowl. Mix with a spoon until well combined.
- Place base ingredients in a line slice tin. Using hands or the bottom of a sturdy glass press mixture firmly into the tin. Make sure it is pressed down evenly and into the corners of the tin.
- Pour lemon frosting over the top of the lemon slice base. Smooth out evenly with a spatula. Place in the fridge to set.Once set remove slice from the tray and cut into squares or bars.
- This slice will keep in the fridge in an air tight container for a couple of weeks.
Lemon Frosting
- Place all ingredients for the lemon frosting in a large bowl. Make sure to sift the icing sugar to prevent lumps.
- Use a whisky to combine all the frosting ingredients.
- Add a couple of teaspoons of just boiled water at the end. Whisk through thoroughly to form a thick smooth frosting.
Measurement Notes
All measurements are Australian metric standard. All measures are level, and cups are lightly packed unless specified. 1 teaspoon = 5ml / 1 tablespoon = 20mls / 1 cup = 250ml /4 teaspoons = 1 tablespoon.
Recipe Notes
- 1 teaspoon equals 5ml
- 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml (Nth America, NZ & UK use 15ml tablespoons)
- 1 cup equals 250ml (Nth America use 237ml)
- 4 teaspoons equal 1 tablespoon
- I use the below unless specified in my recipes;
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION
The recipe's nutritional information is an approximation based on an online calculator. It is meant solely for reference purposes. If you're looking for precise details, be sure to double-check with your own research.
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