If you love limes, these super-duper gluten free lime bars are going to be your new favorite cookie bar. They are tangy, yet sweet. Perfect for the whole family!
Just one bite of these creamy lime bars and you will be hooked. These are by far one of my kids' favorite desserts! If you love citrus in your desserts, check out these amazing Gluten Free Lemon Dessert recipes too!
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I am feeling a little guilty making sweet treats this week. Mr. Fearless Dining is out of town and I have nobody to share these with...except the kids :-). He really hates missing out on dessert so I will have to hide a few so he can try them when he gets back in town.
We have a giant lemon tree in our backyard. Because of this over producing a tree, it is rare that I have limes on hand. I mean, why buy limes when I have dozens of lemons ready to pick almost year-round? Give this easy Paleo Lemon Bars recipe a try if you have lemons on-hand!
You can also try these gluten free lemon cupcakes with lime juice for another fun lime recipe!
Recipe step by step directions:
The crust is so simple to make. Add the dry ingredients and then add melted butter.
Spread it flat in the pan. Here I used a 7x7 pan. I would probably recommend an 8x8 pan so the crust isn't so thick.
Add the lime and other ingredients and then pour over the crust. Top with lime zest.
Baking
Bake at 350º F for 30 minutes until the top is firm. Remove from the oven and allow to cool then put into the refrigerator for one hour. I like to let the bars get to room temperature first so the bars don't "split" when cooled too quickly.
Can you use lemons?
Although I used limes in this cookie bar recipe, you can also use lemons to make gluten free lemon bars. (And if you need lemons, you know where you can get a big bag of them for free :-)).
Can you use bottled lime juice in this recipe?
If you don't have fresh limes on-hand, you can use bottled lime juice.
Can you make this recipe dairy-free?
This recipe is easy to make dairy-free! Here are the items you need to substitute:
- Coconut condensed milk for the regular condensed milk.
- Vegan butter or coconut oil instead of regular butter.
How do I know when it is done?
If you bake the lime bars for 30 minutes, they should be baked. The toothpick test doesn't work as well on this recipe because the lime mixture doesn't get firm the same way a cake does.
Here are more delicious citrus recipes to try: these Paleo No-Bake Key Lime Pies and this easy Gluten Free Orange Almond Flour Cake recipe.
Tools Needed:
- Baking pan, this is the perfect size to make these bars.
- Almond flour, this is the key to making the crust amazing.
📖 Recipe
Gluten Free Lime Bars
Ingredients
For Crust:
- 1 ¼ cup almond flour
- ¼ cup Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten Free Flour Blend (*Note, my flour blend has xanthan gum included. If yours doesn't, add 1 teaspoon.)
- 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted
For Lime Batter:
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon lime peel
- ⅓ cup lime juice
- 3 large eggs or 4 small
- ¼ cup condensed milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- In a bowl, add dry ingredients for the crust and mix.
- Add melted butter and mix well.
- Press crust into an 8x8 pan.
- In a medium bowl, add batter ingredients and whisk to blend.
- Pour on top of the crust and bake for 20-25 minutes until done in the middle.
- * Optional: Garnish with more lime peel and powdered sugar
Notes
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
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.
If you love the recipes you find on my blog, I would love for you to sign up for my newsletter (and get my free gluten free lemon dessert e-cookbook!)
(*Note, this recipe was updated from an older Feb 2016 post.)
And, if you have an overactive lemon tree like me, here are two more recipes to try:
Lysa Holmstrom
These are delicious! Have you tried making this without almond flour, just GF flour?
Sandi Gaertner
I am so glad you enjoyed them Lysa! I haven't tried it, but what you are describing sounds similar to my gluten free lemon tart recipe: https://www.fearlessdining.com/easy-gluten-free-lemon-tart/
Erica
Any recommendations for omitting coconut? My husband is allergic.
Sandi Gaertner
Hi Erica, use the shortbread crust from my cranberry bars recipe. https://www.fearlessdining.com/easy-gluten-free-cranberry-shortbread-bars/
Camilla
What the size of the sitck of butter please? In Australia it comes as 250g bar. Is that the right size?
Sandi Gaertner
Hi Camilla, 1 stick equals 1/2 cup of butter.
Kristen
My attempt was a disaster-it basically bubbled up and over the top of the dish and created alot of smoke and yuck. Any clue why?
Sandi Gaertner
Hi Kristen, I haven't heard of this happening, so let's break it down. What gluten free flour blend did you use, did you substitute any ingredients, and what size pan did you use? What position was the rack in the oven? I typically try to bake with the rack in the middle of the oven.