Gluten-Free Lemon Bars | Simply Quinoa

What You’ll Need

There are two components to these gluten-free lemon bars: the crust and the filling. The full ingredient list with measurements is in the recipe card below.

Crust:

• Oats – Use rolled oats for this recipe. And make sure they’re certified gluten-free if necessary.
• Almond flour – You can find this at many well-stocked grocery stores. I like Bob’s Red Mill brand.
• Arrowroot starch – This is a gluten-free thickener that’s also available at most grocery stores.
• Coconut sugar – Feel free to use organic cane sugar if you prefer.
• Coconut oil – To help hold the crust together and give it tenderness.
• Egg – This also binds the crust ingredients well.

Lemon bar Filling:

• Lemon juice or zest – To give your bars the boldest, brightest citrus flavor.
• Eggs – For that creamy custard-like texture.
• Honey – Or maple syrup or agave if you prefer.
• Arrowroot powder – Again, this helps thicken things up to the perfect sliceable texture.

How to Make Gluten-Free Lemon Bars

These lemon bars come together in a few simple steps.

• Prepare the pan. Preheat your oven to 350ºF. Line an 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.
• Make the crust. Add the oats, almond flour, arrowroot starch, and coconut sugar to a food processor. Blend until the oats are broken down into a crumbly texture. Add the coconut oil and egg, then pulse until a sticky dough forms.
• Press and bake. Transfer the dough to your prepared pan and press it evenly into the bottom. Use a fork to poke a few holes in the crust. Bake for 8–10 minutes.
• Make the filling. While the crust bakes, add all the filling ingredients to a blender. Blend on high until smooth.
• Add the filling. Once the crust is done, pour the lemon filling over the top. Carefully return the pan to the oven.
• Bake again. Bake for another 16–18 minutes, until the filling is set.
• Cool completely. Let the bars cool at room temperature for at least 30 minutes, then transfer them to the fridge to chill completely.
• Slice and serve. Cut into squares and sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.

Tips for Success

Here are a few additional tips for perfect gluten-free lemon bars.

• Line your pan well. This makes removing the bars much easier so you can slice them cleanly.
• Don’t skip the blind baking. Blind baking is the term for baking a crust before it’s filled. You do this to make sure the crust bakes all the way through. It also helps firm up the crust and brown it a bit so it stays crisp and doesn’t turn soggy when you add the lemon bar filling.
• Chill before serving. The filling really needs that time in the fridge to set! Otherwise, the filling will just kind of ooze all over when you try to slice the bars.

Storage

You can store the fully cooled gluten-free lemon bars in the fridge for up to five days. For longer storage, pop them into the freezer for up to three months. You can defrost them on the counter for a few hours or overnight in the fridge.

I like to serve the lemon bars at room temperature, but you can also serve them chilled.