Health Products

The Best Vegan Lemon Bars

July 8, 2022

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Made with a crunchy maple almond crust and a easy, tangy lemon curd filling, these Simple Lemon Bars are a vegan and gluten-free twist on the traditional deal with. Even for those who don’t have a dietary restriction, this recipe will win over your coronary heart as quickly as you style your first sq..

Do you like a superb lemon dessert? Then this Creamy Lemon Tart is a should and my Lemon Blueberry Oatmeal Bars are an in depth second.

A batch of vegan lemon bars piled onto a plate with a raised rim

Soften-in-Your-Mouth Vegan Lemon Squares

Every time I am going to my metaphorical blissful place, there’s a platter stuffed with lemon bars ready for me. Particularly, these ones! Simply daydreaming about them places my thoughts relaxed whereas my mouth waters in anticipation. Fortunately, I could make that blissful place a actuality with simply 10 minutes of sunshine prep work.

The intense and zesty lemon taste of the tender, gooey filling can have you relishing every chew. The cinnamon-spiced almond crust provides such a satisfying distinction of taste and texture. I wish to mud my squares with a bit powdered sugar to make them look as luxurious as they style!

A close-up shot of a lemon square with a bite taken out of it

Why This Recipe Works

Eggs play an vital position in conventional lemon bars, so making a vegan model was sort of a problem. However as soon as I found out the correct quantity of cornstarch to make use of, every little thing else fell into place. The cornstarch thickens the curd filling and thus eliminates the necessity for eggs.

A bunch of homemade lemon squares on a piece of parchment paper on top of a marble countertop

What You’ll Want

Making flawless vegan and gluten-free lemon bars includes a bit extra than simply cornstarch – right here’s an entire record of all of the components you’ll want. The quantities could be discovered within the printable recipe card towards the tip of this submit.

For the Maple Almond Crust

Unblanched Almond Flour: “Unblanched” means the flour makes use of almonds that haven’t been peeled or skinned.
Coconut Oil: Soften this down and permit it to chill barely.
Maple Syrup: Attain for pure maple syrup for the very best (and healthiest!) outcomes.
Floor Cinnamon: This provides a contact of heat to enhance the tartness of the filling.

For the Lemon Curd Filling

Sugar
Contemporary Lemon Juice: You’ll must squeeze 5-6 lemons to get the correct quantity of juice.
Full-Fats Coconut Milk: From a can.
Cornstarch: This naturally gluten-free thickener is typically processed in services that deal with items like wheat and barley. If wanted, be certain your cornstarch is assured to be gluten-free by selecting a product with that certification image on the packaging.
Contemporary Lemon Zest: It’s finest to assemble all of the zest you want for these vegan lemon bars earlier than you juice any lemons.
Turmeric: The flavour of the turmeric gained’t be detectable within the filling – it’s solely there to brighten the yellow coloration.

A batch of homemade lemon squares lined up on a sheet of parchment paper

Learn how to Make Lemon Bars With out Eggs

Earlier than the lemon curd filling is poured over the almond crust and baked, the crust has to pre-bake by itself. This ensures that it cooks correctly and comes out completely crispy.

Put together the Crust

Warmth Oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Grease & Line Pan: Spray the perimeters of an 8×8-inch pan with cooking spray and line the underside with parchment paper.

Mix Elements: Add the almond flour, coconut oil, maple syrup and floor cinnamon to a small bowl. Combine till the entire components are mixed and the combination is considerably sticky.

All of the almond crust ingredients inside of a clear mixing bowl on a countertop

The combined crust mixture in a glass mixing bowl sitting on a marble surface

Unfold Into Pan: Add the almond crust combination to the ready pan, spreading it out evenly alongside the underside and urgent it into the pan as you go.

Rating: Use the prongs of a fork to poke little holes all through the assembled crust combination. This can forestall the crust from effervescent up whereas it bakes.

Par-Bake & Let Cool: Place the pan into the oven and bake the crust for 15-17 minutes, or till it’s evenly browned. Take away it from the oven and let it cool.

A maple almond crust in an 8x8-inch baking dish with small holes poked throughout it

Add the Filling & Bake

Mix Elements: Add the lemon juice, sugar, coconut milk, cornstarch, lemon zest and turmeric to a small saucepan. Whisk every little thing collectively till the cornstarch is dissolved.

Cook dinner: Activate the range and warmth the combination over medium-high warmth, whisking incessantly, till the sugar is dissolved and the combination thickens. This could take round 7-10 minutes.

Pour Over Crust: As soon as the lemon filling is thick, pour the combination over the ready crust and gently easy it out with a spatula till the filling is evenly unfold throughout the pan.

The lemon curd filling being whisked in a metal saucepan on top of a striped dish towel

Lemon curd filling being poured over a maple almond crust in a glass baking dish

Bake: Bake the bars at 350°F for quarter-hour.

Let Cool & Refrigerate: Take away your vegan lemon bars from the oven and allow them to relaxation at room temperature for half-hour, or till they’re settled. Place them into the fridge for 1-2 hours (or in a single day).

Slice & Serve: Lower out the squares, mud them with powdered sugar if desired, then serve them instantly or return them to the fridge. Double-check that the powdered sugar is licensed gluten-free if obligatory.

Vegan and gluten-free lemon bars piled onto a plate on top of a kitchen counter

Ideas for Success

Make your vegan lemon bars as tempting as doable by being attentive to these useful suggestions.

Don’t Zest the Pith: Be sure you’re solely grating the yellow pores and skin off of your lemons and never the white substance beneath it. Often known as the pith, this bitter substance will detract from the fruitier tang of the lemon zest.
Microwave the Lemons: Belief me on this one – pop your lemons into the microwave for 20-30 seconds earlier than you squeeze them. The warmth will break the juice capsules within the fruit, serving to you get extra bang in your buck.
Crust Combination Sticking? Should you discover that the crust combination is sticking to your fingers as you attempt to work with it, add a bit little bit of oil to your palms to cease this from occurring. You can additionally placed on food-safe gloves if most well-liked.
A Little Turmeric Goes a Lengthy Manner: Be happy so as to add as much as 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric to your filling. This can give the bars a vivid yellow coloration, which turns into much more vibrant as soon as they’re baked. In order for you them to look a bit much less intense, stick to nearer to 1/8 teaspoon of turmeric.

Sixteen vegan lemon bars on a sheet of parchment paper with a little powdered sugar sprinkled over them

Storage Directions

These lemon squares ought to be stored in an hermetic container within the fridge always. They’ll keep contemporary this fashion for a complete week! As they sit, the powdered sugar will dissolve into the filling, so it’s possible you’ll wish to add a contemporary dusting earlier than you dig into these extras.

Can I Freeze These?

As soon as your vegan lemon bars are totally set, they are often frozen for as much as 1 month. Wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and freeze them in an hermetic container or storage bag. Thaw them out within the fridge earlier than you get pleasure from them.

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