Healthy Lemon Bars (gluten free, dairy free & paleo!)
The best healthy lemon bars that are gluten free, dairy free and paleo! The delicious shortbread crust is made with a mix of almond & coconut flour, and the light lemon filling is made with just 4 simple ingredients. These healthy lemon bars are naturally sweetened for the perfect spring treat!
Ingredients
- For the crust:
- 1/4 cup melted and cooled butter, vegan butter or melted coconut oil
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- 1 1/2 cups packed fine blanched almond flour (do not use almond meal)
- 2 tablespoons coconut flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- For the filling:
- Zest from 1 lemon
- 2/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 2-4 lemons)
- ½ cup pure maple syrup
- 4 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon coconut flour, sifted (or sub tapioca flour or arrowroot starch)
- To garnish:
- Powdered sugar (sifted)
- Lemon zest
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8x8 inch pan with parchment paper. (Do not use a glass pan as it will likely cause the bottom of the crust to burn.)
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First make the crust: whisk together the almond flour, coconut flour and salt. Next stir in the butter, pure maple syrup and almond extract. Mix until a dough forms. Press dough evenly into prepared pan with your hands. Bake for 15 minutes.
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While your crust bakes, you can make the filling: in a medium bowl, whisk together the lemon zest, lemon juice, pure maple syrup, eggs and sifted coconut flour. You want to whisk really well so that no egg white remain visible.
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Once crust is done baking, immediately and slowly pour filling over crust. Do not allow the crust to cool first, this is critical.
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Lower your oven temperature to 325 degrees F, place bars immediately in oven and bake the bars for 20-25 minutes or until filling is set and no longer jiggles. Cool completely on a wire rack then refrigerate for at least 4 hours to firm up bars. Once ready to serve, use a sharp knife to cut into 12 bars. I recommend garnishing them with powdered sugar and a little lemon zest before serving. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Please see the full post for my best tips & tricks to baking beautiful healthy lemon bars.
To store: store these lemon bars in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3-5 days.
To freeze: wrap the bars tightly before putting them in the freezer and simply let them thaw in the fridge before enjoying. They should stay good in the freezer for up to 2 months.