Gluten-Free Sugar-Free Lemon Bars

These Gluten-Free Sugar-Free Lemon Bars are a lighter twist on the classic dessert with bright lemon flavor and flexible sweetener options.

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Since I am a super busy mom like many of you, I don’t have time to do much baking–but I do love to treat my family to healthier versions of baked goods when I can. These Eggnog Cookies, Pumpkin Snickerdoodles, and Vegan Macaroons are some of our favorites.

Lemon Bars are another treat that I loved when I was younger, so I was thrilled to be able to develop a healthier version for us to enjoy.

I pulled this recipe together in the summertime, which isn’t the best time to bake, of course, but two weeks ago, the temperature “dipped” down into the 70’s and so I grabbed the opportunity to do some quick baking. I made my simple Oat Bran Muffins and also tried out a new recipe.

And boy did we get a winner!  Luscious Lemony Goodness!

Gluten-Free Paleo Lemon Bars

The inspiration for these bars is the Lemon Coconut Bars from Amy Green.  I showed the recipe to my son and well, both of us were inspired to give them a whirl!  In fact, he jumped up and down with the sweetest smile on his face, so I just had to bake them.

The only problem was, my oldest has a life-threatening allergy to eggs, so I just had to try making these without eggs.

Well, the egg-free version didn’t look good at all. The filling was really flat and just not the lemon bar experience people expect. The filling pretty much soaked into the crust. It worked for my not very picky allergic to everything son, but I knew then and there that I needed to work on a really good Vegan Lemon Bar recipe in the future.

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Recipe Notes & Tips

• Flour Options: I try not to be a gluten-free flour purist–meaning that I don’t typically spend much time trying to get the “perfect” gluten-free flour blend.  I do, however, like using sweet brown rice since it adds a bit of “hold togetherness”.  Too much buckwheat doesn’t taste great, though, so be careful if you choose to bake with it.
  See my Gluten-Free Baking Tips for more on that. Use organic almond flour for grain free or paleo,  Any nut or seed flour would work.
• Soaking and dehydrate the sunflower seeds first makes them lighter and adds a boost of nutrition.
• Arrowroot Alternatives: Tapioca starch or cornstarch for the arrowroot. Rice flour will work in a pinch. For low-carb, omit completely.
• I grate my lemon zest with this super microplane grater.
• Here’s my Easiest Coconut Milk which is a great homemade option for coconut milk.
• Instead of topping the lemon bars with coconut, you could just dust them with some powdered sweetener. Read here how to Make Your Own Powdered Sweetener / Sugar Substitute.

Sweetener Options

• Here is a great brand of stevia scoops. Read this post on how to use stevia. If you wish, you could sub about 1/4 – 1/2 cup of a different sweetener to taste.
• You can substitute any healthy sweetener for the honey, but if using granulated, add 2 tablespoons water (see How to Substitute Sweeteners).
• Here’s how to make Homemade Liquid Stevia. You can also use about 1/4 cup of another healthy sweetener of choice and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract instead of vanilla liquid stevia.

Special Diet Options

• Keto/Low-carb: Use almond flour (reduce the fat in the crust by 1/2). Use a low carb sweetener like xylitol works well for low carb, organic erythritol does as well.
• AIP: Use organic tiger nut flour instead of typical gluten-free flour and the seeds as well. I haven’t tried this but I think it would work out fine with a little tweaking. Use AIP sweeteners like honey, coconut sugar, or maple syrup.
• Grain-free/Paleo: Use almond flour as instructed above.
• Egg Alternatives: Use Powdered Egg Replacer for an egg free, or use a gelatin egg for an egg-free version that is low carb. If you use a gelatin egg, you might end up needing to blend the filling in a high-powered blender to get it to be pourable.

Other Healthier Desserts

Here are some other healthified desserts you might enjoy!

• Almond Joy Bars – Seriously delicious and a breeze to make!
• Almond Butter Cups – like Reese’s but healthier!

Gluten-Free Sugar-Free Lemon Bars

These Gluten-free Lemon Bars are a lighter version of the popular dessert. They’re lower carb with an egg-free option so you can indulge without the guilt!

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes minutes

Servings: 36

Calories: 94kcal

Ingredients

Crust:

• 1 1/2 cups gluten-free flour (see Recipe Notes for flour alternatives)
• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon gelatin (agar can be used for vegan)
• 9 1/2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 4 scoops pure stevia extract (see Recipe Notes for alternatives)

Filling:

• 4 eggs (or egg substitute–see Recipe Notes)
• 1/2 cup honey (use see Recipe Notes for alternatives)
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla liquid stevia
• 1 tablespoon arrowroot powder (see Recipe Notes for alternatives)
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 cup coconut milk (or other dairy-free substitute. Regular milk can also be used)
• 1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut (or more as desired–optional)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9 x 13 inch baking pan (I use coconut oil to do this.) You can also use 2 8×8's with not much difference in the end result.
• Place the flour, sunflower seeds, and gelatin in the bowl of a food processor and process until the seeds are finely chopped.
• Add the coconut oil and sweetener and pulse until the mixture is crumbly meal, similar to a pie crust. Be careful not to over-process.
• Press the mixture into the prepared baking pan(s).
• Bake for 8 – 10 minutes, until crust is lightly browned.
• While the crust is baking, start preparing the filling.
• Put the eggs (or egg substitute) in the food processor and pulse until the yolks are broken. Add sweeteners, arrowroot (or cornstarch) lemon zest and juice, and milk. Pulse several times until combined.
• When the crust is finished, pour the lemon mixture over the crust (no need to wait for it to cool).
• Sprinkle shredded coconut or sweetener evenly over the top of the bars.
• Bake 15–20 minutes, until the filling is set. Cool completely. Cut and serve. Store in the refrigerator.

Notes

• Flour Options: You can experiment with any gluten-free flours that you like, but a blend will work best. I like using whole grains. I like including some sweet brown rice in my blends and avoid buckwheat for treats like this due to its heavier taste. Any nut or seed flour should work.
• Soaking and drying the sunflower seeds is recommended for a lighter crust.
• Arrowroot Alternatives: You can substitute tapioca starch or cornstarch for the arrowroot. Rice flour will work in a pinch. For low-carb, omit.
• This Easiest Coconut Milk is a great homemade option.
• Topping Options: A powdered sweetener, or arrowroot, or even desiccated coconut all are great options.

Nutrition

Calories: 94kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 8mg | Potassium: 35mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 28IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 9mg | Iron: 1mg | Net Carbs: 8g

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It may vary depending on ingredient brands, substitutions, and preparation methods. Optional ingredients are not included. Net carbs are typically calculated by subtracting fiber and sugar alcohols (such as erythritol) from total carbohydrates. This information should not be relied upon for medical or nutritional purposes.

I’d love to hear what you think about these bars once you try them!