These Paleo and Gluten Free Lemon Bars are the perfect way to welcome summer. They are a light and healthy sweet treat that everyone will love. Made with layers of gluten-free crust and a sweet and tart lemon curd filling.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
When life hands you lemons, make lemon bars. Isn’t that how the saying goes? Or something like that? Well, life certainly handed me lemons this week and I turned those lemons into these delicious paleo and Gluten-Free Lemon Bars.
I love lemon-flavored desserts, especially during the festive and fun Spring and Summer months. The vibrant flavor and bright color instantly lift your spirits and taste amazing without leaving you feeling heavy. Traditional lemon bars typically include a buttery shortbread crust and a sugar-filled lemon curd. Using simple ingredients, I adapted the lemon bars we know and love into a healthier, paleo version using only natural ingredients!
These lemon bars are wonderfully light and lemony, just as they should be. They also contain healthy fats and provide a good dose of vitamin C from the fresh lemons zest and juice. This treat is perfect for brightening up a tough day with a little sunshine in the form of baked goods!
For summer holidays like the 4th of July and Memorial Day, you can top these paleo lemon bars with festive berries for an extra special touch. The tart lemon flavor with the sweet berries is a perfect combo! I hope these delicious treats bring you as much happiness as they did for me!
For all you lemon lovers out there, try these lemon desserts too: Lemon Drizzle Cake, Chewy Lemon Crinkle Cookies, No Bake Lemon Cheesecake Bars, and these Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins.
Ingredient Notes
These delicious bars are made without any butter or regular all-purpose flour (they’re dairy-free and gluten-free!). To make our crust Paleo we are using a gluten-free flour blend of almond flour and flaxseed meal, coconut oil (butter), baking soda, and maple syrup (granulated sugar) to form a quick and easy dough.
The creamy lemon filling is a simple mix of fresh lemon juice and lemon zest, eggs, coconut flour, maple syrup, sea salt, and cinnamon to top! Now, let’s get baking!
Crust
- almond flour
- flaxseed meal
- coconut oil, melted
- water
- maple syrup
- baking soda
Filling
- fresh lemon juice and zest: You can also use Meyer lemons if you can find them!
- eggs
- coconut flour
- maple syrup
- sea salt
- cinnamon
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Line an 8×8 square baking dish with parchment paper.
- Combine all the dry ingredients for the crust in a mixing bowl and mix until the mixture is crumbly and sticky.
- Press the mixture into the bottom of the parchment-lined pan in an even layer
- Whisk together all the ingredients for the filling, except the cinnamon, in a large bowl.
- Pour over the pressed crust.
- Bake for 40 minutes. The crust should be golden brown and the filling set with a little jiggle.
- The bars will firm up as they cool. Sprinkle with cinnamon.
- Once cooled, cut into individual squares. Cover the baking pan and store in the fridge.
Expert Tips
- I dust my gluten free lemon bars with cinnamon. If desired, you can dust them with the traditional powdered sugar, but keep in mind that this is not paleo.
Storage Tips
To store leftovers, first let them cool completely. Then, place them in an airtight container or cover them tightly with plastic wrap. Store the containers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
For longer storage, freeze the bars by pre-freezing them on a baking sheet until solid, then wrap each bar individually in plastic wrap or aluminum foil, and place them in a resealable freezer bag. Freeze for up to 2-3 months.
When ready to enjoy, thaw the bars in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature for a few hours.
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Easy Gluten Free Lemon Bars Recipe (Paleo)
Ingredients
For the crust
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1 cup flaxseed meal
- 2 tbsp coconut oil, melted
- 1 tbsp water
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
For the filling
- Juice and zest from 2 lemons
- 4 eggs
- 1/4 cup coconut flour
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/8 tsp sea salt
- Cinnamon to garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Line an 8×8 square baking pan with parchment paper.
- Combine all the ingredients for the crust in a bowl and mix until the mixture is crumbly and sticky.
- Press the mixture into the bottom of the lined pan in an even layer
- Whisk together all the ingredients for the filling, except cinnamon, in a large bowl.
- Pour over the pressed crust.
- Bake for 40 minutes.
- The bars will firm up as they cool. Sprinkle with cinnamon.
- Once cooled, cut into individual squares. Refrigerate to store.
Notes
Expert Tips
I dust my lemon bars with cinnamon. If desired, you can dust them with the traditional powdered sugar, but keep in mind that this is not paleo.Storage Tips
To store leftovers, first let them cool completely. Then, place them in an airtight container or cover them tightly with plastic wrap. Store the containers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. For longer storage, freeze the bars by pre-freezing them on a baking sheet until solid, then wrap each bar individually in plastic wrap or aluminum foil, and place them in a resealable freezer bag. Freeze for up to 2-3 months. When ready to enjoy, thaw the bars in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature for a few hours.Regarding other affiliate links and affiliate relationships: In order for me to support my blogging activities, I may receive monetary compensation or other types of remuneration for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial and/or link to any products or services from this blog. Thank you for your support and understanding.
So nice to meet you Jean through our Paleo-Primal FB group. These lemon bars look simply amazing! Can’t wait to try them! Will be sharing it via social media this week for sure! xoxo, Kelly
Thanks so much, Kelly! So glad to meet you as well. Hope you like the recipe! 🙂
I love lemon bars! I think I have everything to give these a try, too… Can’t wait!
What a beautiful recipe! I love the refreshing taste of lemon, and this crust is a winner!
These looks amazing Gene. I am a huge fan of lemon!
Delicious!