Dairy-Free Lemon Bars: a true taste of sunshine! These no-butter lemon bars are buttery, lemony, bright, and sweet. Serve them at baby or wedding showers, spring picnics, potlucks, or hand them out as housewarming gifts. Gluten-free adaptations are included below!
Why You'll Love Dairy-Free Lemon Bars
- Traditional Flavor. Just because these lemon bars are made without butter, doesn't mean they taste any differently than the lemon bars you know and love! They are sweet, tangy, citrusy, and have a rich and tender shortbread crust.
- Allergy-Friendly. This dairy-free bar recipe is made without any butter, milk, or other dairy-based ingredients. A win for anyone who can't handle lactose or dairy!
- Perfect for Parties. Though there isn't really ever a bad time for lemon bars, they make a great addition to almost any party, potluck, picnic, or birthday party.
- A Great Way to Use Up Fresh Lemons. If you have extra lemons you are looking to use up, this dairy-free lemon dessert is a great way to do so! You will need the juice from approximately 4-5 large lemons.
Ingredients
All you need are a handful of easy-to-find ingredients to make this dairy-free lemon dessert:
- Lemon Juice: Fresh juice will provide the best flavor, though bottled also works.
- Lemon Zest: Or the zest from about 2 large lemons.
- All-Purpose Flour: Forms the base of the shortbread crust.
- Granulated Sugar: Sweetens both the crust and the filling.
- Vegan Butter: Provides a rich and buttery flavor without any dairy.
- Cornstarch: Helps to thicken the dairy-free lemon filling, making it smooth and luscious.
- Large Eggs: You will need a total of 6 large eggs, three of which we will be using just the yolks.
- Salt: Enhances the sweetness in this lemon dessert, accentuating the citrus flavors.
- Powdered Sugar (Optional): For dusting the tops of the non-dairy lemon bars before serving.
How to Make Dairy-Free Lemon Bars
Though these lemon bars take a few steps to make, the steps are simple and the results are more than worth it!
Make the Dairy-Free Short Crust
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line an 8x8-inch square pan with parchment paper.
Step 2: In a bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt. Whisk to combine.
Step 3: Add the vegan butter and work it into the flour mixture using a fork, pastry cutter, or your fingers. You can also do this step in the food processor.
Step 4: Push the dough into the prepared pan, creating a flat layer. Freeze the pan for 5 minutes to chill the dough.
Step 5: Bake the crust for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown around the edges.
Step 6: Take the crust out of the oven and let it cool.
Make the Dairy-Free Lemon Curd Filling
Step 1: While the crust is cooling, preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C).
Step 2: Add the sugar and lemon zest to a bowl, and use your fingers to pinch the lemon zest with the sugar.
Step 3: Add the lemon sugar and cornstarch into a saucepan and whisk until combined.
Step 4: Add the lemon juice and salt to the saucepan and heat it over medium heat while whisking occasionally for 2-3 minutes, or until the mixture thickens slightly. Take the pan off the heat.
Step 5: In a large bowl, add the eggs and yolks and whisk until smooth.
Step 6: While whisking constantly, slowly drizzle in the hot lemon juice mixture ¼ cup at a time.
Step 7: Once all of the lemon juice has been added to the eggs, pour the mixture into the saucepan and heat it over medium-low heat and cook while whisking constantly.
Step 8: When the mixture reaches 175°F (79°C) or is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, for about 5-7 minutes, take the saucepan off the heat.
Step 9: Place a sieve over a bowl and pass the hot lemon curd through the fine mesh sieve to catch the lemon zest and any hardened bits of egg.
Step 10: Add the vegan butter 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing after each addition until the lemon curd is smooth and silky.
Step 11: Pour the lemon curd over the crust and smooth the surface using an offset spatula.
Step 12: Bake the lemon bars for 20-25 minutes, or until the mixture has a slight jiggle when you gently shake the pan.
Step 13: Let the bars cool completely in the pan before chilling in the fridge for 1-2 hours.
Step 14: Lift the bars out of the pan using the parchment paper and use a sharp knife to cut the lemon bars into squares. Wipe the knife clean after each cut. Dust with powdered sugar if desired and enjoy!
Recipe Success Tips
- Use Cold Vegan Butter. The crust will be the most tender and buttery if you use cold butter to make the crust. Use butter that is fresh out of the refrigerator; don't let it sit out on the counter before making the recipe.
- How to Work the Butter Into the Flour. You want to work the butter into the flour mixture until the butter is finely crumbled and a large mass of dough starts to form. You can do this with a pastry cutter, fork, or even in a food processor.
- Freeze the Dough If It Is Too Soft. Working with a cold dough will help the texture of the crust. If it is too soft as you press the dough into the baking pan, cool it in the freezer for a few minutes before continuing.
- What To Do If The Lemon Bars Sweat. It is not uncommon for beads of water to develop on the surface of the lemon bars if the pan is covered while they chill in the refrigerator. If the bars sweat, just blot the top of them with a paper towel before sprinkling them with powdered sugar.
Tips for Making the Lemon Curd Filling
The dairy-free lemon curd filling is ultra smooth and creamy, thanks to a custard base. To keep the eggs smooth and custardy instead of scrambled, you will want to very slowly introduce heat to the egg base. Scrambling happens when the eggs are shocked by too much heat at once. Therefore, slowly drizzle the hot lemon juice mixture into the whisked eggs ¼ cup at a time, continually whisking as you do. Make sure all of the lemon juice mixture is fully incorporated into the eggs before adding more of it.
Storage Directions
- Refrigeration: Leftover lemon bars keep covered in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- Freezing: The bars can also be frozen. Wrap them individually in parchment paper and freeze them in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
- Defrost: Thaw frozen lemon bars at room temperature for 30 minutes - 1 hour or in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours before enjoying.
Dietary Adaptations
This recipe is dairy-free, butter-free, and vegetarian. To make gluten-free and dairy-free lemon bars, substitute 1-to-1 gluten-free flour for all-purpose flour and follow the recipe directions as listed. I used 1¼ cups (185g) of Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour and the bars came out perfect!
FAQs
Lemon bar crust is made with a shortbread base. This base consists of flour, sugar, salt, and cold butter.
Your lemon bars are likely runny because the lemon curd hasn't fully cooked. Either you didn't thicken the custard adequately before pouring it onto the shortbread crust, or it didn't bake long enough in the oven. To prevent runny squares, make sure the curd is thick enough to coat the back of your spoon or has reached a temperature of 175 °F (79°C) before pouring it into the base and remove the bars from the oven only once the filling is firm, yet jiggly.
If your lemon bars haven't set, that usually means that they haven't cooked long enough. Keep them in the oven until the filling is firm but jiggly.
More Dairy-Free Baking Recipes
Thanks so much for stopping by! I hope you loved this Dairy-Free Lemon Bar Recipe as much as I do. For more mouth-watering dairy-free, gluten-free, and/or vegan dessert inspiration, make sure to follow me on Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram. You can also get all of my newest content delivered straight to your inbox by signing up for my email newsletter — I promise not to spam you!
Dairy-Free Lemon Bars
Ingredients
Crust
- 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt
- 10 tablespoons vegan butter
Lemon filling
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1½ tablespoons lemon zest
- ⅔ cup lemon juice
- pinch of salt
- 3 large eggs
- 3 egg yolks
- 4 tablespoons vegan butter
- powdered sugar for dusting optional
Instructions
Crust
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line an 8x8-inch square pan with parchment paper, making sure all sides are covered.
- In a bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt. Whisk to combine. Add the vegan butter and work it into the flour mixture using a fork, pastry cutter, or your fingers. You can also do this step in the food processor.
- Push the dough into the prepared pan, creating a flat layer. If the dough is too soft, stick it in the freezer for a few minutes to make it easier to work with.
- Freeze the pan for 5 minutes to chill the dough, and bake for 30 minutes, until golden brown around the edges. Take the crust out of the oven.
Lemon filling
- While the crust is cooling, preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C).
- Add the sugar and lemon zest to a bowl, and use your fingers to pinch the lemon zest with the sugar. Put the lemon sugar and cornstarch into a saucepan and whisk until combined.
- Add the lemon juice and salt to the pan, and heat it over medium heat while whisking occasionally for 2-3 minutes, or until the mixture thickens slightly. Take the pan off the heat.
- In a large bowl, add the eggs and yolks and whisk until smooth. While whisking constantly, slowly drizzle in the hot lemon juice mixture ¼ cup at a time.
- Once all of the lemon juice has been added to the eggs, pour the mixture back into the saucepan and heat it over medium-low heat and cook while whisking constantly.
- When the mixture reaches 175°F (79°C) or is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 5-7 minutes, take the saucepan off the heat.
- Place a sieve over a bowl and pass the hot lemon curd through the fine mesh sieve to catch the lemon zest and any hardened bits of egg.
- Add the vegan butter 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing after each addition until the lemon curd is smooth and silky.
- Pour the lemon curd over the crust and smooth the surface using an offset spatula. Bake the lemon bars for 20-25 minutes, or until the mixture has a slight jiggle when you gently shake the pan.
- Let the bars cool completely in the pan (about 2 hours at room temperature) before chilling in the fridge for 1 hour. Lift the bars out of the pan using the parchment paper and use a sharp knife to cut the lemon bars into squares. Wipe the knife clean after each cut.
- Optional: dust with powdered sugar before serving.
Notes
- Storage Directions:
- Refrigeration: Leftover lemon bars keep covered in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Covering them will cause the surface to get wet but will not affect the texture or flavor of the lemon bars.
- Freezing: The bars can also be frozen. Wrap them individually in parchment paper and freeze in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
- Defrost: Thaw frozen lemon bars at room temperature for 30 minutes - 1 hour or in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours before enjoying.
- Gluten-Free: To make this recipe gluten-free, substitute 1-to-1 gluten-free flour (185g) for the all-purpose flour and follow the recipe directions as listed.
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