Paleo Lemon Bars Recipe {Clean Eating, Gluten-Free} - My Natural Family (2024)

Rebecca Baron 19 Comments

Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

These Paleo lemon bars are so good! They have just the right amount of lemon filling and crust and are my all-time favorite dessert! They have a small amount of honey and that is the only sweetener. This is a great sugar alternative for when you have a craving for something sweet but want to still eat healthily.

The best part is no one will ever be able to tell that these delicious bars have no refined sugar in them because they still have a yummy sweetness to them. These lemon bars have a nutty, shortbread-like crust that is not crumbly at all! The topping is a creamy, super-tangy lemon curd that has a little bit of coconut milk added to it to make it extra luscious.

I spent a lot of time developing a recipe that has a thick lemon filling that doesn't absorb into the crust and a crust that actually holds together and doesn't crumble all over the place. My favorite part of lemon bars is the filling and I wanted to make sure there was plenty of that. I especially don't like it when it absorbs too much into the crust. I hope you too love this recipe as much as I do.

Paleo Lemon Bars Recipe {Clean Eating, Gluten-Free} - My Natural Family (1)

My 4-year-old daughter is a bit of a sugar fanatic (it's a problem) and she was obsessed with these bars when I first made them! She begged me for them constantly - though she didn't realize that there is only about ½ tablespoon of honey in each bar. I felt pretty good about giving her these bars as a much healthier alternative to regular lemon bars that are full of sugar.

I actually made these for Thanksgiving dessert last year. Usually, I just don't eat dessert at Thanksgiving, but sometimes I just feel left out and get tired of everyone asking me what dessert I want. So I made these because lemon bars are my absolute favorite dessert of all time.

I love how they are tangy. I won't lie and say my dad even tried these, but I enjoyed them and ate them for several days after, even after they got soggy in the fridge. The flavor was still there. Now I'm planning to make them for a family BBQ we have coming up.

I would love to know what occasion you make these bars for and who you could get to eat them. Please comment below.

Paleo Lemon Bars Recipe {Clean Eating, Gluten-Free} - My Natural Family (2)

Print

Recipe

Paleo Lemon Bars Recipe {Clean Eating, Gluten-Free} - My Natural Family (3)

Paleo Lemon Bars Recipe

★★★★★5 from 2 reviews

  • Author: Rebecca Baron
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 50 minutes
  • Yield: 16 Small Bars 1x
  • Category: Dessert
  • Cuisine: Paleo
Print Recipe

Save Recipe

Description

These lemon bars have a nutty, shortbread-like crust that is not crumbly at all! The topping is a creamy, super tangy lemon curd that has a little bit of coconut milk * added to it to make it extra luscious. My 4 year old is a bit of a sugar fanatic(it's a problem) and he was obsessed with these bars! He begged me for them constantly though he didn't realize that there is only about ½ tablespoon of honey in each bar. I felt pretty good about giving him these bars as a much healthier alternative. My husband and I could not get enough of these, either.

Ingredients

Scale

FOR THE CRUST:

FOR THE TOPPING:

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9x9" baking pan with parchment paper so that the paper goes all the way up the sides of the pan.
  2. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together the almond flour, tapioca starch, and salt. Add the honey and cubes of butter and process until smooth dough forms.
  3. Press the dough evenly into a 9x9" baking pan lined with parchment paper.
  4. Bake the crust for 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or just until it starts to turn golden brown on top.
  5. While the crust is baking, make the filling. In a large saucepan, whisk together the eggs, honey, lemon juice, and salt until very smooth. Place the pan on medium/high heat and add in the butter cubes. Whisk constantly until the butter melts and the mixture comes to a boil.
  6. As soon as the mixture boils, remove it from the heat. Whisk in the coconut milk and pour the filling on top of the par-baked crust. Return it to the oven and bake for another 10 minutes, or until the filling is glossy and set.
  7. Let cool completely. Refrigerate for a few hours and slice into bars with a hot knife. Keep bars refrigerated in an airtight container.

Keywords: Nutty, Tangy, Creamy, Healthy

You may also like...

  • Paleo Desserts Index
  • Soft-Batch Chocolate Chip Cassava Flour Cookies Recipe
  • Paleo Strawberry Nice Cream Recipe with Rhubarb Swirl
  • Flourless Paleo Almond Butter Cookies Recipe

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Joy

    One of my favorite recipes!!! You have not made real lemon bars until you have made them with lemon curd, and the fact that their paleo makes it even better. I make these all the time and that are one of the most forgiving recipes, especially considering paleo isn’t always this forgiving. I’ve made a ton of mistakes on these and they always turn out amazing.

    Reply

    • Rebecca Baron

      That's such a complement, thank you!

      Reply

  2. Cheryl

    How are these paleo with all that butter?

    Reply

    • Rebecca

      I personally feel that butter is Paleo, so I include it in my recipes. If you don't want to use it, you are welcome to sub in your favorite Paleo fat, such as coconut butter or ghee. However, it won't taste quite the same.

      Reply

  3. Cathy Nelson

    Hi, In the recipe for Lemon Bars, the ingredients list Tapioca Flour, but the directions say Tapioca starch. Are they one in the same? Also, what is the difference in coconut milk in the carton and in the can? Thank you. I'm looking forward to trying them.

    Reply

    • Rebecca

      Tapioca flour and starch are the same thing. I'm not sure about coconut milk in a carton, because they don't have that at any stores I shop in. I would cause that the stuff in the can has a lot more fat, because it's really thick and has a high fat content.

      • Cathy Nelson

        Thank you!

        Reply

  4. Melissa

    Hello, can this recipe be doubled to fit in to an 9x13 pan maybe? if not i only own an 8x8 pan so will that work???
    Thanks so much, cant wait to try many of your recipes....

    Reply

    • Rebecca

      I believe other commenters have said it works fine in an 8x8 pan.

      Reply

  5. Jessica Vance

    Just made these for my boyfriend Who now has to medically be gluten free. He absolutely loves lemon bars, and he was asking me for the recipe by the end of the night. They were SO good. And I'm not a fruit dessert gal- everything came out perfectly. I had it set overnight and it was fine. I topped with a little powdered sugar (gluten free) for looks. Also I only had an 8x8 glassware, and it was the perfect size in my opinion. 9x9 might be spreading it too thin.

    Also I used a hand mixer instead of a food processor and it still came out very well

    Reply

    • Rebecca

      So good to hear! Lemon bars are totally my weakness and I'm sure the other readers will appreciate your comment with your suggestions.

      Reply

  6. Shana

    I can't have coconut milk. What would make a good substitute? Would almond milk work?

    Reply

    • Rebecca

      That is a good substitute question, if you give it a try let me know. I have never tried it myself.

      Reply

  7. Joyce Parkes

    Hiya

    I've never heard of tapioca starch here in the UK and wonder if you can advise on a substitute please.. Also any idea of the nutritional values please?

    Reply

      • Joyce

        Rebecca.
        Thank you so much for the reply. First time I have managed to get onto your site for ages.. don't know what my problem is... I found the nutritional values and will be making these for my extended family this weekend by which time I will have tracked down the arrowroot.
        I just love your site!
        Joyce x

        Reply

  8. Anne-Laure

    how can this be labelled Dairy Free with butter in both the crust and the topping?
    Is there anything we can use to replace the butter?

    Reply

    • Rebecca

      Thanks for pointing that out. It was a mistake. I fixed it. 🙂

      Reply

    • Syble

      Coconut oil works extremely well in place of butter. I made this recipe over the weekend. It is fabulous!!!!

      Reply

Leave a Reply

Paleo Lemon Bars Recipe {Clean Eating, Gluten-Free} - My Natural Family (2024)

FAQs

Do you refrigerate lemon bars? ›

Do lemon bars need to be refrigerated? Yes, it's best to store lemon bars in the refrigerator. To store them, simply cover them with plastic wrap and pop them in the fridge. Stored this way, your lemon bars should keep for about 1 week.

How long can lemon bars sit out at room temperature? ›

Serving: Lemon bars are fine to keep out at room temperature for up to 6 hours or so. Storing: Store cooked lemon bars or leftovers in the refrigerator. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and store for up to 2 days. Make-Ahead: You can make lemon bars up to two days in advance.

Can I leave lemon bars out overnight? ›

Baked goods like lemon bars are acidic enough and contain enough fat and sugar,which exclude water from bacterial use, that there is no problem keeping them at room temperature for up to 24 hours; well wrapped.

Do lemons cleanse the air? ›

Keeping few sliced lemons near your bed not only freshens the air with its sweet citrus smell; but also absorbs the harmful bacteria present in the air, rendering fresh and clean air.

Can I freeze whole lemons? ›

Freezing lemons means you'll always have fresh lemon on hand to add zip to dishes and tang to drinks. You can freeze lemon wedges or slices, lemon zest, lemon juice, or whole lemons. Always wash fruit with soap and water or a fruit and vegetable wash before starting the prep work for freezing.

Should you remove all lemons from tree? ›

Lemons, like other citrus, should be picked off of the tree before the next regular blooming cycle - if you want a fresh crop of fruit.

Do Krusteaz lemon bars need to be refrigerated? ›

Refrigerate and cut into squares. Best served chilled.

Is it better to refrigerate lemons or leave them out? ›

Lemons are best kept in the fridge. Stashed in the fridge in the crisper drawer or on a shelf, fresh lemons will keep for two weeks or more. If you really want your lemons to last, keep them in a sealed container (there are even specialty produce keepers for this purpose) or a resealable plastic bag.

Do lemons go bad if not refrigerated? ›

In fact, lemons will last up to four to six weeks in the fridge. You can safely store lemons at room temperature, but like any fruit, they will start to go bad quicker. On average, you have about a week to use lemons stored at room temperature before they start to dry out, go soft, or worse, begin to mold.

Why are my lemon bars gooey? ›

To avoid them being too gooey make sure you allow them to set completely when you take them out of the oven. You know when lemon bars are done when you move the pan a bit and they don't jiggle. You should cut the lemon bars when they are completely cool.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: The Hon. Margery Christiansen

Last Updated:

Views: 6161

Rating: 5 / 5 (50 voted)

Reviews: 81% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: The Hon. Margery Christiansen

Birthday: 2000-07-07

Address: 5050 Breitenberg Knoll, New Robert, MI 45409

Phone: +2556892639372

Job: Investor Mining Engineer

Hobby: Sketching, Cosplaying, Glassblowing, Genealogy, Crocheting, Archery, Skateboarding

Introduction: My name is The Hon. Margery Christiansen, I am a bright, adorable, precious, inexpensive, gorgeous, comfortable, happy person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.