When life gets a little busy and you need a fast, easy pick-me-up to accompany a morning or afternoon cuppa, this Lemon and Coconut Slice is the perfect solution! It’s zingy, light and just that little bit moreish. What can be more simple than a no-bake slice? Let’s leave the Tim Tams on the shelf this weekend and make a little home-made zesty goodness instead.
Variations of this recipe can be found on numerous Australian and New Zealand websites (and perhaps even further afield). Slices containing condensed milk and crushed biscuits have been very popular in this part of the world over the years and thankfully they still taste as wonderful as they used to!
Once again I’m linking up this week with my friend Angie at The Novice Gardener for Fiesta Friday. Last weekend the party went off… the food was mouth-watering, the company was electric and for the first time in my life I was labelled as ‘rowdy and raucous’ (along with another gorgeous Australian girl, from the blog Saucy Gander)! Woohoo, it must have been a good party! Or perhaps I just indulged in one too many cocktails? I do remember the very stylish Johnny showing up in his magenta onesie… or is that the alcohol talking too? 😉
I’m hoping Angie will let me back in again this week… I promise to be on my best behaviour!
Lemon and Coconut No-Bake Slice | Gather and Graze
Ingredients
- 250g Packet of Marie Biscuits (or Plain Sweet Biscuits)
- 85g (1 Cup) Desiccated Coconut
- Zest of 1 Lemon
- 395g Can of Condensed Milk
- 80g (1/3 Cup) Unsalted Butter (diced)
For the Icing:
- 240g (2 Cups) Pure Icing (Powdered) Sugar
- 2-3 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
- 15g (1 Tablespoon) Unsalted Butter (softened)
- Shredded Coconut (for sprinkling over the top)
Instructions
Crush the biscuits using a food processor (or alternatively place them in a ziploc bag and bash them with a rolling pin) until you have a reasonably fine crumb. Transfer the crushed biscuits to a large bowl and mix together with the desiccated coconut and lemon zest.
Into a small saucepan, place the condensed milk and butter. Stir over gentle heat until the butter has melted and the mixture is well combined.
Add the butter/condensed milk mixture to the dry ingredients and stir to combine with a wooden spoon.
Press the mixture nice and evenly into a slice tin (I like to line the tin first with cling wrap, for easy removal).
For the lemon icing, sift the icing sugar into a mixing bowl, along with 2-3 tablespoons of lemon juice (check for consistency) and the softened butter and beat well with a wooden spoon until smooth. Spread the icing over the top of the base and sprinkle with some shredded coconut. Refrigerate for approximately an hour until the icing has set.
Remove from the tin and slice into squares.
* Store the Lemon and Coconut Slice refrigerated in an airtight container for 4-5 days (if it lasts that long!)
Gather & Graze 
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These look perfect! I love the photography!
Hi Kloe, welcome to Gather and Graze! Thanks so much for your lovely comment. Cheers, Margot
Good to hear you are the life of the party 🙂 These look great Margot – can’t wait to try them.
Really not sure how I ever got that reputation Karen, but will enjoy it while it lasts! 😉
Hope you give the slice a go… the icing is rather zingy with 2 Tbspns of lemon juice, but I really like the hit of tart citrus.
Hope you have a wonderful weekend! 🙂
These are incredible! I cannot think of anything else I would rather have for dessert than a lemon and coconut combination. Fabulous! Your blog looks amazing! 🙂
Thanks Seana for your very kind words! The slice goes incredibly well with a cup of tea or coffee, though I’ll admit to sneaking pieces at all times of the day and night! 😉
ahh so good. So good indeed. My nana used to make a similar slice. I’m not sure I would be able to stop myself at just the one of these little squares of deliciousness.
Totally agree Brydie, my will-power gets thrown out the window when these sorts of treats are hanging about (albeit rather briefly) in the kitchen! LOVE that this is a Nana Slice! 🙂
So pretty! Lemon and coconut sound like a great combination!
Thanks Mary! They do work beautifully together and the lemon cuts through the sweetness just perfectly. 🙂
Wow Margot, these looks so beautiful. Love your photography and the ingredients sound divine. How awesome that is a no-bake dessert to top it off. I want lots of slices. NOW! I really do. Pouting since I have none.
Such a sweet comment Azita… thank you! Impossible to stop at just 1 piece of this slice – it’s a dangerous treat to have sitting around over the weekend… it certainly didn’t sit for very long at all! This morning I picked up about 20 passionfruit (on sale!), so I’m contemplating making this recipe again, but substituting passionfruit for lemon. Fingers crossed it’s equally as delicious! 🙂
oooh, that sounds amazing to make it with passionfruit. It’ll be so colorful and pretty and still … a dangerous treat 😉 Can’t wait to see the post!
This is another great creation by pairing up two beautiful ingredients Margot. And I love the use of condensed milk in this recipe. I can imagine the flavors complimenting each other….and this is not the alcohol talking 🙂
warming, danny
Always brightens my day to read your comments Danny! These flavours do work so well together… I’m tempted to make another batch of this today! Have a great week!
Cheers, Margot
What a great recipe, with delicate flavors of lemon and coconut.. Awesome!
Thanks! I hope you give it a try sometime… 🙂
Sure and probably in one of the parties or ladies bunco night :).
Fabulous! 🙂
Yum. Yum. Yum. Condensed milk, coconut, lemon – what a deadly combination! Beautiful plate presentation as well 🙂
Thanks so very much! Lovely to hear from you Gab. 🙂
Wow, I’ve never heard of these. Love the idea of the condensed milk, which might surprise you. One of the desserts the Matriarch used to make during summer – when there was nothing else, was melted jelly whisked with evaporated milk. Just like a moouse would be. Really light and fluffy. I used to love the stuff.
Hmm, wondering if I could play with my digestive base for these. I’ll have to figure which tree nut could sub for the wholemeal flour and will go with desiccated coconut.
As for the Dame Edna frocks – and I’m sure you especially suit them! – are we trying to upstage someone at Angie’s Friday Fiesta?!
I certainly am a little surprised… condensed milk! – who would have thought!? Oh, and no need for wholemeal (or any other) flour, as there’s none to to be found in this particular recipe, though for the biscuits, apparently ‘Rich Tea’ Biscuits in the UK are the closest to our Marie biscuits. Digestives would probably work well too, though may give a slightly different texture.
Saucy and I wouldn’t dream of attempting to upstage you Johnny! The mere fact that you are the owner (real or imaginary…) of a magenta onesie puts you way out of MY league! 😉 I’ll just sit back and marvel! Have a great weekend.
I’m always on the lookout for coconut dessert recipes! Thanks so much for sharing! Your bars look scrumptious.
Thank you Patty, so kind of you! Coconut is a favourite of mine too!
I love lemon. I love coconut. This looks like a winner. I need to try it.
Great to hear from you Jim! Hope you give it a go. Cheers, Margot
Oh my, this so has my name all over it! I am bookmarking your recipe and making it for my next party!! Thanks for making me drool!
Thanks Julianna, let me know how it goes… so pleased that you like it! 🙂
Mmmmmmmm they look amazing! xx
Cheers! Lovely to hear from you.
No probs love your blog the pictures are AMAZING! Do you use an amazing camera?
Thanks… I use an entry level Nikon DSLR, though have recently bought a new 50mm fixed lens for it, which makes a lot of difference.
Ah that’s interesting I have a DSLR but don’t use it for everything as sometimes use my phones for convenience thanks again for your fab blog! I will have to post when I make one of the recipes!
These look so beautiful and delicate!
Thanks so much Alex… much appreciated! 🙂
I LOVE ice box cakes. This is wonderful and lemon is one of my favorite things. Easy is very very good!! I will have to look up what Marie biscuits are I think I have an idea. This is wonderful.
Hi Suzanne, I mentioned below to Angie that in the USA I used to use Goya Maria cookies as a great substitute when making these kinds of slices. The finished products falls somewhere in the middle of a cookie and cake… though really not like anything else at all! I really hope you try it! A sweet little piece of the Antipodes on a plate! 🙂
This takes me back to primary school cake stalls! Just the best! 😀
They’re rather nostalgic these types of slices, aren’t they!? My favourite stall at the school fete is the cake stall, closely followed by the 2nd hand book stall.
I haven’t checked yet to see if you’ve joined the Fiesta this week, but hope to see you there! I couldn’t find my Dame Edna glasses or frock, but will try harder for next time! 🙂
Haha, I have joined the fiesta, but also couldn’t find Dame Edna glasses. But next week is the Mardi Gras parade in Sydney, so might be the perfect excuse to break them out! 😀
haven’t had this slice in years but boy is it yum 🙂
Me either Hungry Mum, but both of my boys loved it, so it will be made a lot more often from now on. With no nuts/peanuts it can also be popped in their lunch boxes as a little treat too!
I’m letting you back only if you promise to misbehave and bring that Aussie obnoxiousness with you! 🙂 Just kidding, you’re expected to be a regular, my dear! These lemon coconut slices, by the way, look delectable. What a clever combo! Would have never thought of pairing lemon and coconut, but sound like a winner to me. Will have to give this a try! XOXO
Haha, thanks Angie… great to be back at the Fiesta this week! Give the slice a try if you get the chance – when we lived in the USA, I used to buy Goya Maria cookies (which are very similar to the Marie biscuits here in Australia) to make this and other similar sorts of slices. Happy Fiesta Friday and have a great weekend! 🙂
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I’m listing after your slices after seeing your pic. Lemon is my favourite ingredient in cakes and what better pairing than coconut? Lovely x
That’s wonderful to hear Deena! We have a couple of potted Meyer lemon trees that are about to start ripening soon… I can’t wait to start baking and cooking with them – such a beautiful ingredient!