Gluten Free Lemon Bars
These gluten free lemon bars are sweet, tangy and perfect for Spring and Summer. With a gluten free shortbread crust and perfect lemon filling, these bars are bound to impress and so easy to whip up!
I love a gluten free chocolate cake as much as the next person, but this time of year I am team lemon everything.
My lemon poppy seed cake is always a good choice, but lately, these gluten free lemon bars have been my go to. Traditional lemon bars contain gluten both in the shortbread crust and the lemon curd filling but this recipe just uses gluten free flour instead!
They have a buttery shortbread crust and tangy lemon curd filling. Dust them off with powdered sugar for a deliciously sweet and tangy spring or summer dessert. Try my gluten free sugar cookie bars or gluten free lemon blueberry loaf next!
How to make gluten free lemon bars
Add the butter to the microwave and melt for 25 seconds. It won’t be fully melted, but should be mostly melted.
Combine the flour, sugar, butter and salt. Whisk in 2 tablespoons of water and mix until a dough forms. If it seems too crumbly, whisk in the third tablespoon of water. Press into the baking pan until even. Bake for 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, whisk together the flour and sugar for the filling. Whisk in all remaining ingredients until smooth.
When the crust is done, pour in the filling and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the center looks set.
Remove from the oven and let cool at room temperature for about 20 minutes, then let set in the fridge for at least 1-2 hours before slicing. Slice into 16 squares and enjoy! Store leftovers in the fridge. Try my gluten free lemon brownies next!
Key ingredients
SHORTBREAD CRUST. The gluten free shortbread crust is made from a mix of butter, sugar and gluten free all purpose baking flour. A bit of water also helps bring all ingredients together.
EGGS. Lemon curd requires a lot of eggs, so we need four large eggs to make this lemon curd filling. Unfortunately, there is no vegan option here.
FLOUR. Gluten free all purpose flour helps absorb some of the excess moisture and ensure the bars have a set filing. I used Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 but you can use King Arthur too!
SUGAR. White sugar helps sweeten the bars up! I do not recommend any swaps here. You can decrease the sugar to about 1 cup if you want a more tangy flavor.
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LEMON. We will use both fresh lemon juice and lemon zest to create a really delicious flavor. I do not recommend using bottled lemon juice. Fresh is best here!
Why are there air bubbles on top?
You may notice some air bubbles on the top of the bars while they’re baking or when they come out of the oven.
This is totally normal, it’s the air from the eggs rising to the surface. Some batches have it, some don’t. Either way, the lemon bars taste the same and a generous dusting of powdered sugar covers it right up!
Can I make them vegan or dairy free?
VEGAN. These gluten free lemon bars call for four eggs in the filling and unfortunately, there is no good substitute for the eggs here to make these eggless. Instead, I’d recommend these vegan lemon bars.
DAIRY FREE. You can easily make these gluten free lemon bars dairy free as well! Just use a dairy free butter in the shortbread crust since that is the only dairy the recipe calls for. For the best flavor, I don’t recommend coconut oil. Butter really creates a nice richness, even dairy free!
How to store and freeze
Once prepared, these gluten free lemon bars will keep in the fridge for up to 7 days. I do not recommend storing them at room temperature, they really need to be kept in the fridge to ensure the lemon curd stays fresh!
You can also freeze these bars! Just let them cool, slice into squares and freeze in a container for up to 2 months. Let them defrost at room temperature for about 20-30 minutes before serving.
More lemony recipes you’ll love!
- Gluten Free Lemon Blueberry Muffins
- Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies
- Lemon Chicken Pasta
- Lemon Cake
- Gluten Free Lemon Drizzle Cake
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Gluten Free Lemon Bars
by: claire cary
Ingredients
Crust
- ½ cup white sugar
- ½ cup butter
- 1 ½ cups gluten free all purpose baking flour
- 2-3 tablespoons water
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Filling
- 1 ¼ cups white sugar
- 5 tablespoons gluten free all purpose baking flour
- 4 large eggs
- ½ cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon zest
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Line an 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper.
- Add the butter to the microwave and melt for 25 seconds. It won’t be fully melted, but should be mostly melted.
- Combine the flour, sugar, butter and salt. Whisk in 2 tablespoons of water and mix until a dough forms.
- If it seems too crumbly, whisk in the third tablespoon of water.
- Press into the baking pan until even.
- Bake for 25 minutes.
- Meanwhile, whisk together the flour and sugar for the filling.
- Whisk in all remaining ingredients until smooth.
- When the crust is done, pour in the filling and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the center looks set.
- Remove from the oven and let cool at room temperature for about 20 minutes, then let set in the fridge for at least 1-2 hours before slicing.
- Slice into 16 squares and enjoy! Store leftovers in the fridge.
Notes
Comments
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Thank you for always having foolproof recipes! My boss sent me home with 5 lemons that I needed to get rid of, so instead of water I used extra lemon juice in the shortbread as well. Delicious and gorgeous.
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Love it! Thanks, Iris!
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Easy to make (dairy and gluten free) and was a hit with my dinner guests. I would have preferred a slightly thinner crust. Nice and tangy!
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You can make in a 9×9 for a thinner crust!
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Do you recommend using a gf AP flour with or without xantham gum in it?
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With!
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I used the bob’s red mill with no xanthan gum and it came out great. Dough was crumbly of course but I pressed it into the pan and no trouble.
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