Gluten Free Lemon Bars

Lemon Bars stacked on a blue cutting board.

4.67 from 3 votes

Hands down, the best lemon bar recipe! A buttery almond flour crust is topped with a sweet-tart lemon filling. A simple to make recipe that will steal the show!

Prep Time20

Cook Time30

Total Time50

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 259kcal

Author: Michelle Miller

Equipment

9x9 Square Baking Pan
Sharp European Convection Oven

Ingredients

Shortbread Crust

2 cups almond flour blanched
1/4 cup arrowroot powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
6 tablespoons butter melted (salted)
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 egg

Lemon Filling

5 tablespoons butter salted
8 egg yolks
2 whole eggs
3/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup lemon zest

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350º F. Line a 9x9 square baking pan with parchment paper. I lightly oil the pan so the parchment paper sticks to the pan better. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine almond flour, salt, and arrowroot powder. Stir to combine.
In a small bowl, whisk together melted butter, egg, and maple syrup.
Add the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients, and stir to form a dough.
Press the dough into the prepared pan.
Bake the shortbread crust for 22 minutes, until the top is lightly golden brown.
In a double boiler (or use a glass bowl on top of a saucepan), add cold butter in the bowl to melt.
Add the lemon juice, lemon zest, maple syrup, egg yolks, and whole eggs, and whisk while heating the mixture. As the mixture gets warmer, whisk more consistently to keep the eggs smooth while they cook. Continue warming the mixture while whisking until it comes to 160º F, or until the mixture is thickened enough to leave a trail when you run a spoon through it.
For the best texture, be sure to carefully watch the temperature of your egg and lemon mixture. The eggs will start to cook at about 130º F, so you’ll need to whisk more frequently once it reaches that temperature.
The bars will crack if the egg mixture is overcooked. The egg mixture needs to start cooking and thicken on the stovetop, then will finish cooking and solidify when baked for 10-12 minutes.
If you don’t have a thermometer, it’s okay! Cook the lemon curd until the mixture will coat the back of a spoon without sliding off!
Add the lemon mixture onto the crust in an even layer. Add baking pan back into the preheated oven for another 12 minutes.
Allow the gluten free lemon bars to fully cool prior to slicing.
If desired, sprinkle with powdered sugar. I use powdered monk fruit sweetener!

Video

Notes

HOW TO STORE LEFTOVER LEMON BARS

Leftover lemon bars can be refrigerated up to 7 days packed in an airtight container or with the baking pan wrapped tightly in aluminum foil or plastic wrap.

Because of the egg mixture, the bars do need refrigerated and should not be stored at room temperature.

CAN I FREEZE GLUTEN FREE LEMON SQUARES?

This gluten free lemon squares recipe freezes beautifully! Wrap them in plastic and seal in an air tight container, and freeze for up to 3 months (or longer!). When ready to serve, allow them to thaw overnight in the refrigerator.

GLUTEN FREE DAIRY FREE LEMON BARS (AN EASY PALEO LEMON BARS ADAPTATION)

These bars are easily made dairy free by subbing coconut oil or a plant based or vegan butter for the the butter in both the shortbread crust and the lemon curd. The recipe stays the same otherwise!

MAKE GLUTEN FREE LIME BARS

Love the tangy flavor of lime as well? Or have a pile of limes hanging around?

Try making these with lime juice and lime zest in place of the lemon juice. The egg yolks make these bars yellow, so you’ll need to add a natural green dye, like a bit of matcha green tea powder or a natural green food coloring (or just leave them yellow if you don’t care!).

CAN I MAKE THESE WITH MEYER LEMONS?

Meyer lemons are sweeter than regular lemons. They have more of a sweet, mandarin flavor, so this is a great variation for people who want a less tart dessert! Use all meyer lemon juice and zest, or sub out half of the lemon juice for meyer lemon juice in this recipe.

Nutrition