Paleo Lemon Bars (gluten-free, dairy-free)

These Paleo Lemon Bars are the perfect Paleo lemon dessert!

A simple almond flour crust is topped with a sweet, tangy and creamy lemon layer.

You only need 6 ingredients for this easy, healthy treat.

And it’s gluten-free, dairy-free and refined sugar-free.

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Why this recipe works

Lemon bars have been a crowd-pleasing dessert since at least the 1960s.

The idea is simple: a shortbread crust is baked, then topped with a lemon curd and baked again to set the curd.

Easy peasy.

The only problem is the traditional version calls for flour, sugar and butter, ingredients not used for gluten-free, dairy-free or Paleo diets.

So I set out to make a version that conforms to those diets while tasting as good as the classic version.

This recipe uses almond flour for the shortbread crust, and to really make sure these lemon squares have as much flavor as possible, I mix lemon zest right into the crust mixture.

Instead of butter and sugar, the almond flour is mixed with coconut oil and honey, which helps create a tender, slightly sweet crust.

For the curd, eggs and lemon juice are mixed with honey and arrowroot flour/starch, which is similar to cornstarch and helps the lemon layer set like a curd.

The lemon juice and honey create the perfect balance of tangy and sweet!

And just like how traditional lemon bars are often dusted with powdered sugar, I show you a simple trick to get the same look without having to use powdered sugar.

And that, my friends, is how you make gluten-free, dairy-free lemon bars that are also Paleo friendly.

And there’s a special, colorful variation below!

 

What you need:

For the crust:

• 3 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1 1/4 cups superfine blanched almond flour (not almond meal)
• the zest of one lemon
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/4 cup honey
• avocado oil spray or coconut oil spray

For the lemon layer:

• 4 large eggs, room temperature (very important that they’re room temperature!)
• 2/3 cup lemon juice (from about 4 large lemons, use 1 of them for the zest in the crust)
• 1/2 cup honey
• 2 teaspoons arrowroot flour/starch

For the optional “powdered sugar” topping:

• 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

 

Equipment:

• an 8×8″ baking dish
• 2 medium mixing bowls
• a large mixing bowl
• measuring spoons
• measuring cups
• a measuring glass
• a fine-mesh sieve
• a cutting board
• a knife
• a whisk
• a spatula (the kind for stirring, not flipping)
• a microplane grater or zester, for zesting the lemon
• a cooling rack
• plastic wrap

Step-by-step instructions

Heat the oven to 350° F.

In a microwave-safe medium mixing bowl, melt the coconut oil by nuking it for about 30 seconds. Give it a good stir if it’s not fully melted. Set aside to let cool.

In another medium mixing bowl, whisk the almond flour (sifting it with a fine-mesh sieve first if it’s clumpy, then cleaning and drying the sieve), lemon zest and salt.

Using the same whisk without having to clean it, whisk the honey into the cooled coconut oil and then stir this mixture into the almond flour mixture until totally blended (you should see no more dry almond flour).

Grease an 8×8″ baking dish with avocado or coconut oil spray, then add the shortbread mixture to the pan.

Spread it out with your hands into an even layer. I like to the press down the crust with the bottom of a measuring cup or glass. This helps make sure the crust is an even layer of thickness.

Bake for 15 minutes, until the crust looks dry and is golden brown around the edges.

While the crust is baking, make the curd: in a large mixing bowl, use a clean whisk to whisk the room temperature eggs.

Add the lemon juice, honey and arrowroot and whisk thoroughly until completely blended.

Once the crust is done, take it out of the oven. Hold a fine-mesh sieve over the crust and pour the lemon mixture through the sieve onto the hot crust (the sieve helps catch any bits of egg).

Place the dish back in the oven for 15 minutes.

Once the 15 minutes are done, turn off the oven but do not remove the dish. Barely crack open the oven door and stick a wooden spoon in the crack to keep the door just barely open. Let the dish sit in the oven like that for 20 minutes.

This will allow the heat to escape slowly, which will help prevent cracks in the lemon layer (it’s fine if cracks do form; also, if you’re using the “powdered sugar,” it will help cover them up).

Remove the dish from the oven and let cool completely on a cooling rack.

Cover the dish with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge until the lemon layer is set, at least 4 hours.

Once they’re ready, you can enjoy them plain or dust them with the Paleo “powdered sugar.”

To make the powdered sugar, add the unsweetened shredded coconut to a blender and blend until finely ground. This might take 1-2 minutes but don’t let it go too long or you’ll end up with coconut butter.

Add the ground coconut to a fine mesh sieve and dust over the chilled lemon bars, then slice and serve.

Stir around 1/2 teaspoon arrowroot into any unused “powdered sugar” and store in the fridge (the arrowroot will help prevent clumps). Use the expiration date on the bag of unsweetened shredded coconut as your guide for how long the powdered sugar will last in the fridge.

 

Bonus version!

You can also make these Paleo lemon bars even more flavorful and colorful by dusting them with different ingredients.

Add about 1/2 cup of freeze dried fruit such as strawberries, raspberries or cherries (must be freeze-dried, not regular dried fruit!) into a sandwich bag but don’t seal it. Use a rolling pin or the bottom of a skillet to crush the fruit into a powder.

Add some of the crushed fruit to a fine-mesh sieve and tap it over the lemon bars.

To get the design like you see in the photo below. place a strip of parchment paper over half of each bar and dust the powdered fruit over the other half.

For a green version, dust the bars with matcha tea.

FAQ

Can I make substitutions?

I haven’t tried any substitutions for Paleo lemon bars, but the only variations I would try are:

• you could use lime juice instead of lemon juice
• you could use tapioca flour/starch instead of arrowroot
• you can use pure maple syrup in the crust instead of honey; you could use maple syrup in the lemon layer, too, but it will add a distinct flavor that you may or may not want (it won’t add that distinctive flavor to the crust)

 

Can I make these Paleo lemon bars ahead of time?

Yep! They can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.

 

Can I freeze these Paleo lemon bars!

Yep! Wrap each bar individually in plastic wrap, then place in an airtight freezer-safe container/baggie and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.

 

Are these also gluten-free, dairy-free lemon bars?

Yep! They contain no flour or butter (or any other ingredients with gluten or dairy), so these are totally gluten-free and dairy-free.

 

Are these also grain-free lemon bars?

Yep! By using almond flour for the crust instead of flour or typical gluten-free flours, this recipe contains no grains of any kind.

 

You might also like:

1. Paleo Key Lime Pie (gluten-free, dairy-free)
2. Paleo Honey Lemon Curd (gluten-free, dairy-free)
3. Paleo Crumb Bars – any flavor! (gluten-free, dairy-free)
4. No-Bake Raspberry Cheesecake Bites (Paleo, gluten-free, dairy-free)
5. Strawberry Shortcake (Paleo, gluten-free, dairy-free)

 

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