Easy, Dairy-Free Lemon Bars
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The recipe for these easy, dairy-free lemon bars uses clever ingredients to create a better-for-you dessert that still delivers the puckery deliciousness of the original, classic treat. {Jump to Recipe}
Lemon bars are one of my go-to desserts. I make them all year long because theyre so easy to put together and they feed a crowd in no time, but I find them especially comforting in winter. Of course, winter is citrus season, and because I live in a very snowy city, I need any and all zesty treats to get me through those long, cold months.
Ive been making lemon bars for years and years, and when I first started making them, I started with some classic recipes created by Ina Garten and Martha Stewart. I loved them, but over the years, Ive become more and more interested in making substitutions that lead to leaner, better-for-you desserts that dont sacrifice taste and result in the exact same satisfaction youd get from an indulgent treat.
Over time, I tweaked my lemon bar recipe, reducing the butter and sugar amounts every time. I finally ended up foregoing butter altogether to create fully dairy-free lemon bars: using a small amount of oil in the crust is enough to hold the mixture together and create the perfectly crunchy, sturdy base to hold the creamy, puckery lemon filling.
Speaking of that deliciously tart lemon filling, Ive also managed to reduce the number of eggs required in the recipe by using a bit of cornstarch to give the filling the right consistency. Although you can vary the ingredients you use (Ive provided options below), using nut oils and adding ground nuts to the crust boosts the nutritional value of this dessert. All these clever tips help make these dairy-free lemon bars better for youIll gladly admit I sometimes (all right, often!) enjoy a bar as a mid-morning snack!
I published a version of these delightful dairy-free lemon bars in my cookbook Simply Citrus, and I felt it was about time I shared it on my site too. This recipe is a formula, really, so you should feel free to make it your own. Switch up the nuts and citrus fruits you use to suit your personal preference: you really cant go wrong.
Helpful Tips for Making Dairy-Free Lemon Bars
- Try going organic: I dont always buy organic citrus fruits, but I find it worth hunting organic lemons down to make lemon bars. Every time you use citrus zest, its better to go organic, because getting rid of the wax and other undesirable products that coat the peel is difficult, no matter how hard you scrub. Plus, organic lemons are more fragrant and slightly less aggressively acidic. Lemon is front and center in this dessert, so theres no escaping subpar lemon flavor.
- Vary your citrus: Dont be afraid to play around with the citrus fruits you use in these bars. Try to make them with flowery sweet Meyer lemons, if you can find them. Or substitute limes or key limes. If you dont like your lemon desserts to be too puckery, dont increase the amount of sugarinstead, try substituting a third of the lemon juice for freshly squeezed orange or mandarin juice.
- Play around with the crust ingredients: My favorite nuts to use in lemon bars are hazelnuts, because their sweet, deeply nutty flavor stands up to the strong taste of lemon while complementing it at the same time. You can also use almonds, walnuts, and pecanstry to match the oil to the nut you use, or simply go for a smooth olive oil or neutral-tasting canola, sunflower, or grapeseed oil. For an exotic twist, substitute shredded unsweetened coconut for the nuts and use coconut oil to bind the ingredients together.
Easy, Dairy-Free Lemon Bars
Prep
Cook
Inactive
Total
Author Marie Asselin, FoodNouveau.com
Yield 12 dairy-free lemon bars
The recipe for these easy, dairy-free lemon bars uses clever ingredients to create a better-for-you dessert that still delivers the puckery deliciousness of the original, classic treat.
Ingredients
For the crust
- 3/4 cup (180 ml) all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup (180 ml) ground hazelnuts, almonds, walnuts, pecans, or shredded unsweetened coconut
- 1/3 cup (80 ml) powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) cornstarch
- 1/4 tsp (1 ml) kosher salt, or fine sea salt
- 1/3 cup (80 ml) nut oil (match the type of nut youre using), or smooth-tasting extra-virgin olive oil, or a neutral-tasting oil such as canola, sunflower, or grapeseed
For the filling
- 3/4 cup (180 ml) granulated sugar
- 3 tbsp (45 ml) cornstarch
- Pinch of kosher salt, or fine sea salt
- 3 eggs
- 2 tsp (10 ml) finely grated lemon zest (about 1 lemon)
- 3/4 cup (180 ml) freshly squeezed, strained lemon juice (about 3 lemons)
For serving
Instructions
For the crust: Preheat the oven to 350F (175C). Lightly spray an 8 x 8 inch (20 x 20 cm) square baking pan with cooking spray (or grease it with butter), then line with parchment paper, letting two sides overhang. (This will make it easier to pull the bars out of the pan later on.)
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, ground nuts, powdered sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Drizzle in the oil, then stir with a fork or your hands until the mixture is fully moistened. Transfer to the prepared pan and firmly press it down to form a crust. Bake for 15 minutes or until light golden brown.
While the crust is baking, make the filling: In a mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Whisk in the eggs, one by one, then whisk in the lemon zest and juice.
When the crust is done, take it out of the oven. Whisk the filling once again just before pouring it over the hot crust. Carefully transfer the pan back into the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes more, or until the edges are lightly browned and the center is still slightly jiggly. (The bars will set fully as they cool.)
Set the pan on a cooling rack and let the dairy-free lemon bars cool completely, at least 1 hour. Run a sharp knife around the edges of the pan, then carefully pull the bars out of the pan using the overhanging parchment paper. Cut into bars.
SERVING: Sprinkle with powdered sugar right before serving. The lemon filling is moist, so it will moisten the sugar and make it disappear within 15 minutes.
STORAGE: These dairy-free lemon bars are best enjoyed the day theyre made. Store leftover lemon bars in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 day. Bring back to room temperature 15 minutes before serving, and dust with more powdered sugar right before serving to revive that iconic look.
NOTES:
- I highly recommend pouring the lemon filling onto the hot crust within a few minutes of it coming out of the oven. Upon cooling, the crust will shrink a little. If you pour the filling over a cool crust, the latter could lift up and float to the top of the filling, creating inverted lemon bars. These are completely edible, but they might not look like you and your guests were expecting.
- Play around with citrus fruits: Make these dairy-free lemon bars with flowery sweet Meyer lemons, if you can find them. Or substitute limes or key limes. If you dont like your lemon desserts to be too puckery, dont increase the amount of sugarinstead, try substituting a third of the lemon juice for freshly squeezed orange or mandarin juice.
Courses Dessert
More Delightfully Puckery Lemon Dessert Recipes
Perfect Lemon Meringue Pie
Passion Fruit and Lemon Drizzle Cake
Lemon-Glazed Madeleines
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Easy, Dairy-Free Lemon Bars was first posted on January 15, 2020 at 2:00 pm.
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