Almond Flour Lemon Bars with a buttery shortbread crust and creamy vibrant lemon filling. These gluten-free lemon bars are easy to prepare and makes the absolute best Spring and Summer dessert!
Lemon fanatics, deliciousness incoming!
These easy to prepare Almond Flour Lemon Bars are rich and buttery with the most tangy lemon flavor! The almond flour shortbread crust really sets these gluten free lemon bars apart, as it truly has the best texture! Richer, nuttier, and chewier than regular all purpose flour.
Made with only a handful of simple ingredients, this simple recipe is the perfect go-to lemon dessert. The way I see it, they are a great option for sharing at summer gatherings or special occasions, and for everyday enjoyment alike!
Almond flour, eggs, butter, sugar, and fresh lemons are all we need! Let’s chat about the ingredients in detail, as each one serves an important purpose.
Lemon Bar Ingredients:
Almond Flour Crust Ingredients:
Almond Flour: The base of the crust is made with finely-ground almond flour, which is naturally grain-free and gluten-free. I like using almond flour because it contains fiber, a little protein, and healthy fats – I’m all about adding nutrition to everything!
Butter: Responsible for that sultry creamy flavor, unsalted butter helps bind the dry ingredients together.
Granulated Sugar: Pick your favorite granulated sweetener! Regular cane sugar, maple sugar, and sugar-free sweetener are all great options. Coconut sugar works too, but it causes the bars to have a brown hue.
Sea Salt: A pinch of sea salt enhances flavors! Don’t skip it.
For the Lemon Filling:
Fresh Lemons: Crucial to the success of this amazing dessert recipe. We need fresh lemons for both lemon zest and fresh lemon juice. The zest is what brings the most amount of lemon flavor, so don’t skip fresh lemons for bottled juice.
Eggs: You’ll notice there are quite a few eggs in this recipe! They are here for the lemon curd filling. The combination of lemon juice, eggs, and sugar are what make that silky smooth creamy custard lemon filling.
Granulated Sweetener: Use the same sweetener you use for the crust. I use white sugar or maple sugar.
Almond Flour: It may seem strange to add almond flour to the filling, but trust me – it works.
Recipe Customizations:
- For a dairy-free version, swap the melted butter for melted coconut oil.
- I don’t recommend swapping out the almond flour for any other flour, especially coconut flour.
- Prefer using pure maple syrup over refined sugar? I get it. I haven’t tested the recipe yet using pure maple syrup, but please do let me know if you do.
- Meyer lemons work too, but I find regular lemons have heartier zest. For this reason, I recommend regular lemons for the best flavor.
How to Make Lemon Bars:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a 9” x 9” baking dish with parchment paper.
Mix the crust ingredients together in a large mixing bowl until a thick dough forms. Feel free to use a hand mixer if you’d like.
Transfer the dough to the parchment-lined pan. Use your hands or the back of a spoon to press the dough into an even layer.
Poke dough several times with a fork. This allows the crust to bake evenly. Bake crust on the center rack of the preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown.
Make the lemon bar filling while the crust is baking. Whisk together the eggs, lemon juice and lemon zest in a mixing bowl until well combined.
Stir in the granulated sugar and the almond flour until combined.
Pour the creamy lemon filling mixture over the pre-baked crust. Bake lemon bars for 15-18 minutes, or until the filling has set up but is still soft.
Allow the bars to cool completely on the countertop. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours, until completely chilled.
Pull up on the parchment paper and transfer the lemon bars to a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to slice into lemon squares, and enjoy!
Store lemon bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Freeze in a large zip lock bag or freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
The best part is sweet treats like this taste even better the next day! For this reason, feel free to prepare the recipe in advance.
Nothing to it but to do it!
If you’re a lemon fanatic, you’ll get an absolute kick out of these luscious bars! The buttery crust paired with the creamy lemon custard filling is mouth-watering delicious!
My favorite part is that the bars aren’t overly sweet the way classic lemon bars are. I also think the lemon filling has superior texture, but these are just my own personal opinions.
If you love baking grain-free treats like these healthy lemon bars, also try out these gems!
More Grain-Free Dessert Recipes:
- Almond Flour Strawberry Crumb Bars
- Single-Serve Blueberry Crumble
- The Best Giant Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Almond Flour Lemon Pound Cake
- Keto Cowboy Cookies
Enjoy these luscious little dewdrops of joy!
Almond Flour Lemon Bars Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 2 ½ cups finely ground almond flour
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter melted*
- 3 Tbsp granulated sugar **
- ¼ tsp sea salt
For The Lemon FIlling:
- 5 large eggs
- 1 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp lemon zest 2-3 lemons, zested
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup almond flour
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a 9” x 9” baking pan with parchment paper.
- Mix the crust ingredients together in a large mixing bowl until a thick dough forms.
- Transfer the dough to the parchment-lined pan. Use your hands to press the dough into an even layer. Poke dough several times with a fork. This allows the crust to bake evenly. Bake the crust on the center rack of the preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden-brown.
- Make the lemon bar filling while the crust is baking. Whisk together the eggs, lemon juice and lemon zest in a mixing bowl until well combined.
- Stir in the granulated sugar and the almond flour until combined.
- Pour the lemon filling mixture over the pre-baked crust. Bake lemon bars for 15-18 minutes, or until the filling has set up but is still soft.
- Allow the bars to cool completely on the countertop. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours, until completely chilled. Pull up on the parchment paper and transfer the lemon bars to a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to slice into bars, and enjoy!
This recipe sounds amazing, but I have rellies who are less keen on tangy/tart lemon flavour. So can I try substituting orange?
Hi Linda! I haven’t tested the recipe myself using orange zest and orange juice, but I’m betting it will turn out great! Sounds delicious, actually! Let me know if you try it 🙂