May
21
Healthy lemon bars that are gluten free, dairy free and paleo! The crust is made with a mix of almond flour and coconut flour and the light lemon filling is made with just 4 simple ingredients: fresh lemon juice, honey, eggs and coconut flour. You’re going to LOVE these easy to make bars — they’re great for parties!
When we first moved into our condo here in Chicago, the previous owner left a janky metal patio table and chairs for us. We enjoyed it for a good year and then realized that the table was started to rust and look a little obscene. Finally a few weeks ago, I made it my mission to recreate our patio.
First on my list was making sure that it was cozy, which meant a sectional was of the utmost importance. Secondly, we needed a place to enjoy our dinners, so we opted for a cute bar bistro patio set. Lastly, PLANTS! We’ve really been enjoying planting flowers and palms; nothing crazy though, as we want to make sure they actually survive.
MY LATEST VIDEOSI’ll do a before and after of everything soon and once everything is completely I cannot wait to host a patio dinner party ASAP!
Guess what I’ll be making for dessert? These lovely healthy lemon bars. Uhhh huhh honey.
Does anyone else think of lemon bars as a must make dessert for Memorial Day weekend? Maybe it’s just me, but growing up we always enjoyed strawberry shortcake and lemon bars for dessert. Most of the desserts I had growing up were out of the box, unless it was Dad’s cake or Grandma’s homemade lemon pie, but I must say that there’s a special feeling that comes with baking something yourself. Perhaps it’s a sense of pride and accomplishment. Whatever the case, desserts almost always tastes better when it’s homemade.
So, what do you say? Are you putting these lemon bars on your weekend baking list or what? I SAY YASSSSS.
These healthy lemon bars are made with super simple ingredients and are naturally sweetened with both honey and coconut sugar (but don’t worry, you’ve got options!).
The ‘shortbread’ crust is made with almond and coconut flour. I tested them a few ways, but felt that it was best to use a mix of both flours for a crust that didn’t get soggy.
The filling is made with just 4 ingredients. Just whisk together lemon zest, fresh lemon juice (yes, it must be fresh!), eggs, egg yolk, honey and coconut flour in a bowl until smooth.
Then bake away! A few hours after the bars chill, you’ll have magic on your hands. They’re perfectly sweet and made for all you lemon lovers.
SEE HOW TO MAKE THE LEMON BARS:
If you make this recipe, be sure to tag #ambitiouskitchen on Instagram, and leave a comment + rate the recipe below. It helps Ambitious Kitchen readers! Thank you. xo.
Healthy Lemon Bars (gluten free, dairy free & paleo!)
Author: Monique of AmbitiousKitchen.com
Nutrition Information
- Serving size: 1 bar (based on 12)
- Calories: 189
- Fat: 11.5g
- Saturated fat: 4.9g
- Carbohydrates: 18.9g
- Sugar: 15.2g
- Fiber: 1.5g
- Protein: 4.9g
Recipe type: Bars, Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Paleo
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
- For the crust:
- 1/4 cup melted and cooled coconut oil
- ¼ cup coconut sugar (or sub 2-3 tablespoons honey or maple syrup)
- 1 egg, at room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- 1 cup packed fine almond flour (do not use almond meal)
- 3 tablespoons coconut flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- For the filling:
- Zest from 1 lemon
- ½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 2-4 lemons)
- ½ cup honey
- 4 large eggs
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon coconut flour, sifted (or sub tapioca flour or arrowroot flour)
- To garnish:
- Powdered sugar (sifted)
- Lemon zest
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line an 8×8 inch pan with parchment paper. (Do not use a glass pan as it will likely cause the bottom of the crust to burn.)
- First make the crust: In a medium bowl, add in the coconut oil, coconut sugar, egg and almond extract. Mix together until smooth. Add in almond flour, coconut flour and salt. Mix again until a dough forms. Press dough evenly into prepared pan with your hands. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove from oven and allow to cool for two minutes before adding your filling.
- While your crust bakes, you can make the filling: In a medium bowl, whisk together the lemon zest, lemon juice, honey, eggs, egg yolk and coconut flour. Pour over crust. Bake for 18-25 minutes or until filling is set and no longer jiggles. Cool completely on a wire rack then refrigerate for at least 4 hours to firm up bars. Once ready to serve, use a sharp knife to cut into 12 bars. I recommend garnishing them with powdered sugar and a little lemon zest before serving. Enjoy!
3.5.3240
If you like these healthy lemon bars, you also might like:
Coconut & Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Bars
){kind=link}