Lemon bars are one of those desserts that everyone seems to love, and now you can make them completely gluten free without losing any of the amazing taste.
These bars have everything you want in a good lemon dessert – a crispy bottom crust and a smooth, creamy lemon topping that’s both sweet and tangy.
The almond flour crust actually tastes better than regular flour crusts because it adds a subtle nutty flavor that complements the lemon perfectly.
If you’ve been looking for a gluten free dessert that doesn’t taste like it’s missing something, this is it. The texture is exactly what you expect from lemon bars – the crust is firm enough to hold the filling but tender enough to cut easily.
The lemon filling sets up beautifully and has that classic bright yellow color that makes these bars look as good as they taste. Fresh lemon juice and zest give you that real citrus flavor that artificial lemon just can’t match.
The recipe makes enough bars to share, which is good because you’ll want to share them.
They keep well for several days if you store them properly, so you can make them ahead of time for parties or just to have a sweet treat ready when you want one.
What Makes This Recipe Special
Quick and Easy: The actual hands on time for this recipe is only about 15 minutes. You mix the crust ingredients, press them into the pan, mix the filling, and pour it on top.
The rest is just baking and cooling time where you don’t have to do anything. This makes it perfect for busy days when you want homemade dessert but don’t have hours to spend in the kitchen.
Perfect Texture Every Time: The combination of almond flour crust and creamy lemon filling creates the ideal texture contrast that makes lemon bars so addictive.
The crust bakes up firm and slightly crispy, providing a stable base that won’t fall apart when you cut the bars. The filling sets to the perfect consistency – not too thick and not too runny.
Impressive Presentation: These bars look bakery quality when you cut them into neat squares, making them perfect for entertaining or bringing to potluck dinners.
Ingredients
For The Crust
- 2 1/4 Cups Almond Flour – I recommend this one (amazon)
- 1/4 cup Butter – melted
- 1/3 Sugar / Keto Granular Sweetener
- 1 Egg
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
For The Filling
- 6 Large Eggs
- 1/4 cup Butter – melted
- 1/2 cup Lemon Juice
- Zest – 1 Lemon
- 1/2 cup Powdered Sugar / Powdered Sweetener (I recommend this one – amazon)
- 2 tablespoons Coconut Flour
How To Make
Follow these simple steps:
Step 1
Preheat your the oven to 350°F and line a baking pan (I used an 8×8 one) with parchment paper.
Step 2
Make the filling – Add the lemon juice, lemon zest, melted butter, and sweetener to a large bowl. Mix well. Then, whisk in the 6 eggs and coconut flour and set aside.
Step 3
Make the crust – Add the almond flour, powdered sweetener, melted butter, egg, and salt to a large bowl. Whisk and mix well.
Step 4
Press the crust dough into the pan you prepared.
Bake for about 15 minutes until lightly golden brown.
Step 5
Once you take the crust out of the oven, quickly give the filling a quick mix. Then, immediately pour it over the crust – don’t wait for it to cool.
Step 6
Bake for about 20 minutes. Once done, remove from the oven and let it cool for 2 hours. Cut into bars and serve.
Tips
1. Use Fresh Lemon Juice and Zest
Never use bottled lemon juice for this recipe – it just doesn’t taste the same and won’t give you the bright, fresh flavor that makes these bars special.
Fresh lemons have natural oils in the zest that add so much more flavor than just the juice alone. When you’re zesting the lemon, only scrape the yellow part of the peel, not the white part underneath, because the white part is bitter.
Roll the lemons on the counter while pressing down before you cut them – this breaks down the inside and makes them give more juice.
2. Line Your Pan Properly
Use parchment paper to line your baking pan, and make sure it hangs over the edges a little bit.
This creates handles that make it so much easier to lift the whole thing out of the pan when it’s done.
Don’t just grease the pan without parchment because almond flour can stick more than regular flour, and you might have trouble getting the bars out in one piece.
Cut the parchment paper so it fits the bottom with about 2 inches hanging over two opposite sides.
You can lightly grease the pan first to help the parchment stay in place, but the parchment is what really prevents sticking and makes removal easy.
Try These Recipes Too
Try these amazing gluten free recipes too:
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are my bars falling apart when I cut them?
If your bars are crumbly and falling apart, it’s usually because the crust wasn’t pressed down firmly enough before baking. The crust needs to be really compact and solid to hold everything together.
Another reason could be cutting them before they’re completely cooled – the filling needs at least 2 hours to set properly.
Gluten Free Lemon Bars
Ingredients
For The Crust
- 2 1/4 Cups Almond Flour I recommend this one (amazon)
- 1/4 cup Butter – melted
- 1/3 Sugar / Keto Granular Sweetener
- 1 Egg
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
For The Filling
- 6 Large Eggs
- 1/4 cup Butter – melted
- 1/2 cup Lemon Juice
- Zest – 1 Lemon
- 1/2 cup Powdered Sugar / Powdered Sweetener (I recommend this one – amazon)
- 2 tablespoons Coconut Flour
Instructions
- Preheat your the oven to 350°F and line a baking pan (I used an 8×8 one) with parchment paper.
- Make the filling – Add the lemon juice, lemon zest, melted butter, and sweetener to a large bowl. Mix well. Then, whisk in the 6 eggs and coconut flour and set aside.
- Make the crust –Add the almond flour, powdered sweetener, melted butter, egg, and salt to a large bowl. Whisk and mix well.
- Press the crust dough into the pan you prepared. Bake for about 15 minutes until lightly golden brown.
- Once you take the crust out of the oven, quickly give the filling a quick mix. Then, immediately pour it over the crust – don’t wait for it to cool.
- Bake for about 20 minutes. Once done, remove from the oven and let it cool for 2 hours. Cut into bars and serve.
I followed the recipe exactly and they turned out so good! The almond flour crust is genius. Perfect for a summer treat.
I made these lemon bars for my family and everyone loved them. You’d never guess they’re gluten free! Thanks for such a delicious recipe.
These gluten free lemon bars came out perfect! The crust was nice and firm and the lemon layer was tangy and sweet. I’ll definitely be making these again soon.
Tasty bars, but mine turned out a bit softer than I expected. Maybe I need to bake them a little longer. Still, a great gluten-free treat!