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“I made these lemon bars for a large party where everyone else was not vegan and left with an empty plate—people went back for seconds! I’ve made many other vegan lemon bars and your recipe is the perfect blend of sweet and tart.” – Amy

Vegan lemon bars can be tricky to get right, particularly if you prefer to avoid refined sugar like I do. If you add too much lemon juice, you’ll need to balance it with more sweetener, and maple syrup (my sweetener of choice) can start to overpower the flavor if you’re not careful.

That’s why I tested these bars relentlessly a few summers ago, until I found the perfect ratio. They have a creamy, lemon-y topping sitting on a crispy, shortbread crust.

It’s the perfect dessert for a hot summer day, but be sure to serve it chilled so it doesn’t melt!

vegan lemon bars stacked on a white plate.

Vegan Lemon Bar Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need:

  • Cashews. These nuts are popular in vegan cooking for good reason; they have a creamy texture and neutral flavor. Don’t use roasted or salted nuts for the best flavor. (If you don’t have a powerful blender, swap these for half the amount of raw cashew butter.)
  • Lemons. You’ll need the zest and lemon juice for this recipe, so don’t rely on bottled juice from the store. The peel has a significantly more intense lemon flavor, but be careful not to zest the inner white part, which can be bitter.
  • Maple syrup. This is my go-to natural sweetener, which is vegan-friendly. If you prefer to use agave nectar, it should work similarly.
  • Coconut oil. This helps the bars firm up in the fridge, but if you want to avoid any coconut flavor, use refined or expeller-pressed coconut oil, which has zero coconut flavor. Vegan butter would also work here!
  • Almond flour. Blanched almond flour creates a buttery, shortbread-like crust that’s naturally gluten-free. I don’t recommend substituting another flour, because the ratio of ingredients would need to change. (See the FAQ section below for an alternative.)
vegan lemon bar ingredients labeled on a marble surface.

How to Make Vegan Lemon Bars

Step 1:

Preheat the oven to 350ºF and lightly grease an 8-inch square baking dish. Press a piece of parchment paper into the bottom of the pan for easy removal later. 

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the almond flour, coconut oil, maple syrup, and salt. Stir well until the dough sticks together when pressed between your fingers.

Transfer the crust mixture to the prepared pan and press it evenly into the bottom. It won’t feel like there’s enough crust at first, but it should spread out thinly over the entire bottom of the pan. (I tested this recipe with a 1/4 cup more almond flour and felt the crust overpowered the lemon layer in the finished bars.)

almond flour crust baked in square dish.

Step 2:

Bake the almond flour shortbread crust for 15 minutes or until the edges are golden. Let it cool completely while you prepare the vegan lemon curd.

To prepare the filling, add the cashews to a high-speed blender and blend until they are finely ground, about 30 to 60 seconds. Use a spatula to scrape the cashews away from the sides and corners of your blender pitcher. 

vegan lemon filling blended together.

Step 3:

Add the fresh lemon juice, zest, coconut oil, and maple syrup to the blender, then secure the lid and blend again. The filling should be smooth and creamy.

Taste it and make any adjustments you see fit. (Keep in mind the flavor will be slightly milder when chilled.)

Pour the lemon filling over the cooled crust and smooth the top with a spatula. Place the pan on a flat surface in your freezer to freeze until firm, about 4 hours.

vegan lemon filling chilled and sliced into bars.

Step 4:

When the lemon filling feels very firm to the touch in the center of the pan, you can slice the bars into 16 pieces and serve chilled.

Dust them with powdered sugar on top, if you’d like a classic lemon bar look.

lemon bars sliced into squares on parchment paper.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long can lemon bars be stored?

These will keep well in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Serve them directly from the freezer for the firmest texture. They will soften when left at room temperature, so try to serve them chilled immediately.

How else can you thicken them?

A combination of cornstarch and coconut milk could also be used to thicken a lemon bar, but I haven’t tested this alternative yet. Agar powder is another popular thickener used in my Vegan French Silk Pie. You’d have to heat either of these options in a saucepan to thicken or bake the filling in the oven until set. (I’ll report back when I have a cashew-free alternative.)

Can I substitute the almond flour?

Try a half batch of my oat flour pie crust. If you don’t keep oat flour on hand, you can quickly make it by blending rolled oats in a blender. 

vegan lemon bars stacked on a white plate.

Vegan Lemon Bars (Gluten-Free!)

4.91 from 32 votes
While these vegan lemon bars don't look exactly like the classic version, they are loaded with delicious lemon flavor and perfect for those who need to avoid eggs or dairy. 
prep10 mins cook15 mins Chill Time:2 hrs total2 hrs 25 mins
Servings:16

Ingredients
 
 

Almond Flour Crust

Lemon Filling

  • 1 cup whole cashews (not roasted or salted)
  • ½ cup lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest
  • ½ cup maple syrup
  • ¼ cup melted coconut oil (see notes)

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350ºF and lightly grease an 8-inch baking dish. Press a piece of parchment paper into the bottom of the dish for easy removal later.
  • In a mixing bowl, combine the almond flour, coconut oil, maple syrup, and salt. Stir well until the dough sticks together, then transfer it to the prepared baking dish. Press it evenly into the bottom of the pan. It won't be very thick, but it should create a thin layer that covers the bottom of the pan. Bake this at 350ºF for 15 minutes, or until lightly golden brown around the edges. Let it cool completely.
  • To make the filling, add the cashews to a blender and blend briefly. (This way you won't get any big chunks of cashews in your filling.) Add in the lemon juice, zest, maple syrup, and melted coconut oil, and blend again until silky smooth.
  • Pour the filling over the cooled pie crust then smooth the top with a spatula. Set the pan on a flat surface in your freezer to set until firm, about 2 hours, or let it chill overnight.
  • When the filling feels firm to the touch, use a large knife to slice 16 small bars and serve chilled. (Wipe the knife between each slice for a clean look.) These bars will soften if they sit out at room temperature for too long. For a softer filling, you can serve them from the fridge instead. Store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Video

Notes

Nutrition information is for 1 of 16 bars. This is automatically calculated and is just an estimate, not a guarantee.
Coconut Oil Note: If you’re not a fan of coconut flavor, choose a refined or expeller-pressed coconut oil for this recipe. It will add almost zero coconut flavor compared to using virgin or extra-virgin coconut oil.
Update note: This recipe was updated in May 2021 to be bars, rather than just lemon filling in muffin cups. If you miss the original recipe, you can use 1/2 cup cashew butter, 3 tablespoons lemon juice, 2 tablespoons raw honey (not vegan), 3 tablespoons coconut oil, 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract, a pinch of salt, and 2 teaspoons of lemon zest to fill 12 mini muffin liners. Freeze until firm, and garnish with extra lemon zest, if desired.
(Photos updated in April 2024.)

Nutrition

Calories: 164kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 39mg | Potassium: 90mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 1mg
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Vegan lemon bars

More Recipes to Try

If you try these Vegan Lemon Bars, please leave a comment and a star rating below to let me know how you like them.

Megan Gilmore leaning on her white countertop.

Megan Gilmore

Hi, I’m Megan. A former fast food junkie turned best-selling cookbook author. As a Certified Nutritionist Consultant (CNC), I love to make healthier food using simple ingredients. I test these recipes multiple times in my kitchen to make sure they will turn out perfectly for you.

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Comments

  1. These are so good! I had guests visiting and they enjoyed having this lovely treat available from the freezer on a hot days during their stay. This recipe is a keeper!

  2. These are delicious. I took an even easier route for the crust and used Sweet Loren’s sugar cookie dough as the base. The lemon filling was perfectly tart and sweet. Big hit!