Each bite of these paleo lemon bars delivers the perfect balance of zesty citrus flavor and a delicate, melt-in-your-mouth texture that transports your taste buds to a realm of pure culinary delight. With their guilt-free ingredients and vibrant lemony goodness, these bars are the ultimate treat for those seeking a wholesome yet utterly satisfying dessert.

A lemon bar on a small white plate in front of the pan.

You are in for a special treat today. I am giving you all the yummy lemon flavor without all of the bad stuff!! These delicious lemon bars are gluten-free, dairy-free, grain-free, and refined sugar-free. These paleo lemon bars are versatile and suitable for any occasion, from casual gatherings to elegant events, making them a popular treat.

Lemons are one of my favorite fruits to use in desserts. If you love lemon desserts as well, check out my popular Gluten Free Lemon Bundt Cake or my Gluten Free Dairy Free Lemon Donuts recipes.

I have tons of incredible gluten free lemon recipes for you to try! You may also love these Gluten Free Lemon Oat Bars.

Photos of the lemon bars ingredients.

Ingredient Notes:

  • Cassava Flour is a light and fluffy grain-free flour I loved to use in this paleo lemon bars recipe. It holds up well and helps hold the crust together.
  • Almond Flour – I highly suggest using almond flour and not an almond meal. Almond meal is more coarse and will make your lemon bars grainy.
  • Chia Seeds – I include these in the crust for more protein. These are optional and can be omitted.
  • Coconut Sugar – I used a more golden shade of coconut sugar, which is why these bars have a slight golden hue. If you use brown coconut sugar, note your bars will be more brownish-yellow. I would use regular white sugar if the color is important to you and you are okay with sugar.
  • Shredded Coconut- I recommend using unsweetened.
  • Coconut Oil – You can use other types of oil if you prefer, but coconut oil is best because it becomes solid at room temperature.
  • Eggs – Use size large.
  • Lemons – Fresh is best for the juice and zest.

Substitutions:

  • You can swap unsalted butter or margarine for the coconut oil.
  • You can use regular sugar, giving these bars a more vibrant yellow color. (Coconut sugar is brown, so it changes the color of these bars.)
  • You can swap lemons for another type of citrus, like orange or lime.
  • If you are not on a paleo/grain-free diet, swap gluten-free flour blends like Bob’s Red Mill or King Arthur Measure for Measure for the cassava flour.

How to Make These Paleo Lemon Bars:

Preheat the oven to 350º F and ensure the oven rack is in the middle of the oven.

Breaking an egg into the crust ingredients.

Step 1: Add the almond flour, coconut, and coconut sugar to a large mixing bowl. Whisk to blend. Add the melted coconut oil and an egg. Mix well. Let this sit for 5 minutes.

Using a large spoon to press the crust to a pan.

Step 2: Use a good gluten free cooking spray to prepare your baking dish. Pour the crust mixture into an 8×8 baking pan and flatten with a large spoon.

Mixing the lemon topping in a bowl.

Step 3: In a smaller mixing bowl, add the wet ingredients. Whisk to blend them. Pour the wet ingredients together to make the lemon layer.

Optional: If you want to remove the bars easily, you can line the 8×8 pan with parchment paper.

Pouring the lemon mixture over the crust in the pan.

Step 4: Pour the lemon mixture onto the crust and bake.

Step 5: Bake the lemon bars at 350º F for 30 minutes until the lemon mixture has set. Remove them from the oven and allow the bars to cool.

🔑 Sandi says: Once the bars cool to room temperature, I recommend chilling the bars in the refrigerator.

Cutting out a lemon square from the pan.

Allow cooling before cutting them to serve. Garnish with lemon slices.

Recipe FAQ:

How do you cut lemon bars without sticking?

There are two ways to prevent lemon bars from sticking. Use a good gluten-free cooking spray, or line your pan with parchment paper.

Can you freeze lemon bars?

Yes, you can easily freeze these bars. Ensure the bars are chilled from the refrigerator. Place them carefully in a single layer in a freezer-safe zip bag.

Can you make these bars with a shortbread crust?

If you prefer a shortbread crust, use the gluten free shortbread crust recipe from my gluten free cranberry bars post.

How do you store these bars?

Store these bars in an airtight container in your refrigerator. These lemon bars need to be refrigerated because moist gluten free baked goods tend to spoil quickly.

A close up picture of the lemon bar on a plate.

More Delicious Paleo Recipes to Try:

Love This Recipe?

If you made and enjoyed this recipe, I would be incredibly grateful if you could leave a comment below. Include which flour blend you used. This helps others know this recipe is delicious. Thank you!

A lemon bar on a small white plate in front of the pan.

Paleo Lemon Bars

Sandi Gaertner
Easy paleo lemon bars recipe.
5 from 20 votes
dairy free allergen icon
gluten free allergy icon
soy free allergy icon
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Course Gluten Free Cookies and Bar Recipes, Gluten Free Dessert Recipes
Cuisine American
Servings 9 bars
Calories 304 kcal

*As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.

Ingredients
  

For the Crust:

Lemon Filling:

  • ½ cup lemon juice
  • 4 eggs
  • ¾ cups coconut sugar
  • ½ cup cassava flour * See notes

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350º F.
  • In a bowl, add the almond flour, ¼ cup coconut sugar, shredded coconut, coconut oil, chia seeds, and egg. Mix well.
  • Pour crust ingredients into a greased 8×8 baking pan. You can also line the pan with parchment paper if you prefer.
  • Flatten the crust out so it covers the whole pan. Press it down with a large spoon.
  • In another bowl, add wet ingredients for the lemon mixture. Whisk to blend.
  • Pour the lemon mixture over the crust. Bake for 30 minutes or until done.
  • Remove from the oven and allow the bars to cool to room temperature. Refrigerate the bars for 2 hours to chill before slicing.

Video

Notes

  1. You can make this recipe nut-free by substituting crushed gluten free graham crackers for the almond flour. This will make the dish gluten free.
  2. Feel free to swap the cassava flour for any gluten free flour blend.
  3. I used a more golden shade of coconut sugar, which is why these bars have a slight golden hue. If you use brown coconut sugar, note your bars will be more brownish-yellow. If the color is important to you and you are okay with sugar, I would use white regular sugar.
  4. I highly suggest using almond flour and not almond meal. Almond meal is more coarse and will make your lemon bars grainy.
  5. These bars will keep up to 4 days in an airtight container, or up to 4 months in the freezer.

SPECIAL NOTE

Please know that every gluten free flour blend has a different starch to grain ratio. If you use a blend I didn’t test, you may need to adjust your moisture levels in your baked goods.

Nutrition

Serving: 1barCalories: 304kcalCarbohydrates: 27gProtein: 7gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 11gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 91mgSodium: 72mgPotassium: 88mgFiber: 3gSugar: 13gVitamin A: 134IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 69mgIron: 2mg
Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @FearlessDining or tag #FearlessDining!

Nutrition Disclaimer

Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.

This post was updated from an old April 2018 post with a lot more recipe details.

 

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Recipe Rating




22 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I love this recipe! It’s gluten free, it’s refined sugar free, it’s easy to make, and best of all it is delicious. Thank you, Sandi, best lemon bar ever award goes to you!!

  2. Hello, I believe this is a typo that could be quite dangerous if fed to a person with celiac disease! “ You can make this recipe nut-free by substituting crushed graham crackers for the almond flour. This will make the dish gluten free.” Regular Graham crackers are loaded with gluten!

  3. We don’t have casava flour in Australia, what could I use in place of it? I really want to try this recipe as it sound yummy!

  4. I’m having trouble with kidney stones and need to eat a low oxalate diet (including no nuts). Could I substitute the almond flour for gluten free, rather than adding it to the mixture?

  5. 5 stars
    I’ve been craving all things lemon lately and I was thrilled to see this healthier version of one of my favorite desserts. It’s a wonderful recipe – so delicious with all the flavors I love from the “not so healthy” version. Thank you for a wonderful recipe!

  6. 5 stars
    Wow, that *is* a giant lemon! The better to make these lemon bars with! Lemon bars are always a favorite with me. These look wonderful!

  7. 5 stars
    These are so yummy! The coconut is a delicious surprise, I didn’t know that coconut and lemon go so well together.