Lemon bars are one of those must-have treats during the warmer months of the year. They’re so delicious and always a hit.
One of the best things about lemon bars, if you ask me, is that they’re a dessert-snack. You know what I mean?
Say you’re having a cookout. You could leave a plate of them out for guests to nibble on through the whole event. Or you could wait until after dinner and bust a plate of them out for dessert, perhaps accompanied by some vegan vanilla ice cream. This wonderful truth basically applies to bars across the board, whether you’re talking about vegan brownies, vegan rice Krispie treats, or vegan peanut butter bars. Bars rule!
Being delicious and versatile as they are, I decided to come up with a recipe for vegan lemon bars. I used a simple press and bake shortbread crust, and adapted my vegan lemon curd recipe for the filling. They were just as scrumptious as the lemon bars I enjoyed while growing up!
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Ingredients You’ll Need
- Vegan butter. You should be able to find this near the regular butter at the grocery store. I used Earth Balance brand.
- Flour. We’re using all-purpose wheat flour, also known as white flour. Other flours may work, but I haven’t tested the recipe with any of them, so I can’t say for sure.
- Sugar. Be sure to use organic sugar. Conventional sugar is often processed using animal bone char, so it may not be vegan.
- Vanilla extract.
- Salt.
- Lemon juice. This is the star flavor of our recipe, so only freshly squeezed lemon juice will do. Bottled just can’t compare in terms of flavor.
- Cornstarch.
- Coconut cream. This is usually sold in cans at the grocery store, right near the coconut milk.
- Lemon zest.
- Lemon extract.
- Turmeric. We’re just using this for yellow color, so skip it if you don’t care about that. You could alternatively use a few drops of yellow food coloring.
- Powdered sugar. This is also optional, but a sprinkle of powdered sugar makes a beautiful topping for vegan lemon bars. As with the granulated sugar, this needs to be organic.
How They’re Made
The following is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you’d like to skip right to the recipe!
To make the crust, first stir melted vegan butter, flour, sugar, vanilla extract, and salt together in a large mixing bowl. Mix the ingredients just until combined and avoid overworking the dough.
Now press the dough into the bottom of a parchment paper-lined baking pan. Get it nice and level, then pop the whole thing into the oven. Bake the crust until it’s golden brown.
Tip: To get your crust nice and flat, place a sheet of parchment paper over it, then gently press on it with a book or similar flat object.
Make the filling while the bars bake. Begin by stirring the lemon juice and cornstarch together in a small container.
Now begin heating the coconut cream and sugar in a small saucepan. Whisk the mixture the entire time.
Add the lemon juice mixture to the pot as soon as the coconut cream mixture comes to a simmer. Make sure to get all of the cornstarch in there, as this is your thickener.
Continue whisking the mixture as you bring it back up to a simmer. It should start to thicken up very quickly. You can take it off of heat as soon as it does.
Now whisk in the lemon zest, lemon extract, salt, and turmeric or yellow coloring, if you’re using it. The mixture should be thick and glossy.
Pour the filling over your crust, getting it nice and smooth. You can use a spatula or gently wiggle the pan to even it out. Pop the pan back in to the oven.
Troubleshooting: Bars not setting up fully? This is either due to not using enough cornstarch (measure carefully!), or not fully cooking the filling on the stove top. It should get about as thick as pudding. Refer to the last two photos above for a visual idea of what it should look like when it’s finished cooking.
Let the bars cool completely before you slice and serve them. The filling will still be pretty wobbly when you take it out of the oven, but it will set by the time your bars cool.
Optionally, you can top them with a sprinkle of powdered sugar.
Tip: Powdered sugar sinks into these bars over time, so I like to sprinkle them right before serving.
Leftovers & Storage
Vegan lemon bars will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for two or three days, or in the fridge for about a week.
More Vegan Lemon Desserts
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Vegan Lemon bars
These vegan lemon bars are easy to make from simple ingredients! Bursting with zippy flavor, perfect for snacking or a light dessert, and a must-have at spring and summer gatherings.
Ingredients
For the Crust
-
1
cup
vegan butter,
melted -
2 ½
cups
all-purpose flour -
½
cup
organic granulated sugar -
1
teaspoon
vanilla extract -
½
teaspoon
salt
For the Filling
-
1
cup
lemon juice,
chilled (about 8 to 10 lemons worth) -
⅔
cup
cornstarch -
1
(13.5 ounce/400 gram) can
coconut cream -
1 ¾
cups
organic granulated sugar -
1
tablespoon
lemon zest -
1
teaspoon
lemon extract -
¼
teaspoon
salt -
Pinch
turmeric,
or a few drops of yellow food coloring, optional, for color -
Organic powdered sugar,
for serving
Instructions
-
Preheat the oven to 350°.
-
Line the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving a bit of overhang along the long sides of the pan. You’ll use this later to lift the bars from the pan.
-
Stir the crust ingredients together in a large mixing bowl, just until combined.
-
Press the mixture evenly into the bottom of your prepared baking pan (Note 1).
-
Place the pan into the oven and bake the crust for about 20 minutes, until golden brown. Transfer the pan to a cooling rack when it’s done. Leave the oven on.
-
While the crust bakes, make the filling. Stir the lemon juice and cornstarch together in a small bowl or large liquid measuring cup. Make sure to fully dissolve the cornstarch.
-
Place the coconut cream and sugar into a small saucepan and set it over medium heat. Heat the mixture while whisking. After a few minutes the coconut cream will liquefy and the sugar will dissolve.
-
Once the coconut cream mixture comes to a simmer, whisk in the lemon juice mixture, then bring everything just back up to a simmer. It should begin to thicken up very quickly.
-
Remove the pot from heat as soon as the mixture begins to simmer and reaches the consistency of pudding.
-
Whisk in the lemon zest, lemon extract, salt, and turmeric or food coloring, if using.
-
Pour the filling over the crust when it comes out of the oven, spreading it out evenly.
-
Return the pan to the oven and bake the bars for 15 minutes more, until the filling becomes bubbly around the edges.
-
Remove the pan from the oven and transfer it to a cooling rack. Allow the bars to cool completely. The filling will continue to thicken up as it cools.
-
Remove the bars from the pan by carefully lifting the edges of the parchment paper. If you find the bars are sticking to the exposed sides of the pan, run a knife along these edges to loosen them.
-
Slice and optionally sprinkle the bars with powdered sugar (Note 2). Serve or store at room temperature in a sealed container for 2-3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week (Note 3).
Recipe Notes
- To get your crust nice and even, you can cover the top surface with a sheet of parchment paper, then place a cookbook on top and gently press the dough flat.
- The powdered sugar tends to sink into the bars over time, so I recommend sprinkling them right before serving.
- I prefer the texture and appearance of the bars when they’re stored in the fridge. The filling becomes more opaque and firm when chilled.
Nutrition Facts
Vegan Lemon bars
Amount Per Serving (1 bar (1/24th of recipe_)
Calories 249
Calories from Fat 108
% Daily Value*
Fat 12g18%
Saturated Fat 7g35%
Trans Fat 0.04g
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g
Monounsaturated Fat 3g
Sodium 135mg6%
Potassium 85mg2%
Carbohydrates 34g11%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 19g21%
Protein 2g4%
Vitamin A 360IU7%
Vitamin C 5mg6%
Calcium 5mg1%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.