Vegan Gluten-Free Lemon Bars

An easy Vegan Gluten-Free Lemon Bars recipe made with an almond flour cookie base and a fresh lemon juice and cashew cream filling. Whip up your filling in the blender!

There’s something to be said for the mood-lifting effects of citrus. Like most everywhere it seems, this winter has been particularly rough. It’s finally March and I’m not so sure spring is really around the corner. 

But until then, these easy lemon bars will do just fine. 

Vegan Gluten-Free Lemon Bars Ingredients

Creating a lemon bar recipe without eggs can seem a little daunting. How do you make a custard-like base without eggs?

Cashews and coconut to the rescue. 

Here’s what you’ll need:

• lemons
• coconut oil
• coconut cream
• raw cashews
• almond flour
• arrowroot starch
• maple syrup
• organic powdered sugar (optional)

These vegan gluten-free lemon bars are a no-part-of-the-lemon-goes-to-waste kind of recipe. Utilizing all the zest and juice from three lemons, the puckery, tart flavor you love is undoubtedly lemon forward. 

How Do You Store Vegan Gluten-Free Lemon Bars?

While these vegan lemon bars lack eggs and dairy, I would still recommend storing them in the refrigerator. Due to coconut oil and coconut cream in the filling, storing them chilled keeps them from softening too much. 

I’d also recommend holding off on the dusting of powdered sugar until right before serving. You’ll find that the powdered sugar eventually dissolves, so the sweet taste is there but the pretty powdered effect is gone. 

So, brighten things up with these dairy-free lemon bars, and I’m sure the sun will be back in no time. 

More Lemon Recipes

Gluten-Free Iced Lemon Pound Cake

Lemony Almond Blueberry Cake

Lemon Butter Cookies

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Vegan Gluten-Free Lemon Bars

An easy gluten-free and egg-free lemon bar recipe made with an almond flour cookie base and a fresh lemon juice and cashew cream filling. Whip up your filling in the blender! 

Course Dessert

Keyword vegan gluten-free lemon bars

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 16 minutes

Total Time 36 minutes

Servings 16

Author Tessa Fisher

Ingredients

Crust

• 1 1/2 cups (174g) almond flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons coconut oil or vegan butter melted and slightly cooled
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup (or honey if not vegan)

Filling

• 1 cup raw cashews
• 1/2 cup lemon juice (about 3 medium lemons)
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup coconut oil melted and slightly cooled
• 1/4 cup coconut cream*
• zest of 3 lemons
• pinch or two of ground turmeric for color
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons arrowroot starch or cornstarch
• organic powdered sugar, for dusting

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease an 8x8 pan and line with parchment paper.

2. Place cashews in a high powered blender and cover with boiling water. Set aside while you prepare the crust or for at least 5 minutes.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together almond flour and salt. Add coconut oil or vegan butter and maple syrup. Stir to combine until dough forms and all dry bits are incorporated. Transfer dough to prepared pan. Press dough into an even layer. Use an extra piece of parchment paper to help smooth it out. 

4. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside. Keep oven on.

5. Drain cashews and place back into blender. Place remaining filling ingredients in blender. Blend until smooth. Pour filling into parbaked crust. Smooth with spatula. Bake for 16-18 minutes. The edges should start to turn golden and the middle should be set. 
   

6. Allow to cool on a wire rack. Then, chill vegan gluten-free lemon bars in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours or overnight. 

7. When ready to serve, remove from pan, dust with powdered sugar, and cut into squares. 

   Store in the refrigerator. 

Recipe Notes

*Use canned coconut cream or the thickened white coconut cream from top of a can of coconut milk. 

Adapted from Minimalist Baker.