If you love limes, these super-duper gluten free lime bars are going to be your new favorite cookie bar. They are tangy and sweet and have the perfect crust to give these bars a delicious sweet-tart flavor. Perfect for the whole family!
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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.
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!
Why I love these gluten free lime bars:
- They are a great excuse to use limes in a dessert!
- The blend of sour lime and sweet flavors tastes so good together.
- Not only are these gluten free lime bars delicious, but they are so easy to make!
- You can freeze these bars easily to have them when needed!
You can also try these gluten free lemon cupcakes with lime juice for another fun lime recipe!
Allergen Information:
These homemade lime cookie bars are gluten-free, soy-free, and oat-free. See the Substitutions section below for both dairy-free and nut-free options!
Flour Blends Tested:
- King Arthur Measure for MeasureโThis blend works really well in my recipes. I don’t have to let the flour blend rest in the batter.
- Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 BlendโThis blend also works well, but this flour blend does benefit from resting the batter for 15 minutes before baking. The rest allows the rice flour in this blend to soften, so you don’t have gritty baked goods.
Ingredient Notes:
For the full list of ingredients and amounts, please go to the recipe card below.
- Gluten Free Flour Blend – I tested this recipe with the gluten free flour blends listed above. Other blends should work, but make sure they have a binder like xanthan or guar gum.
- Almond Flour – I used almond flour to add protein to this recipe. See the Substitutions section below to see how to make this recipe nut-free.
- Shredded Coconut – Use unsweetened coconut.
- Baking Powder – I recommend aluminum-free.
- Eggs – Size large.
- Butter – Use unsalted butter. See the substitutions section for dairy-free instructions.
- Condensed Milk – Use coconut condensed milk if you are dairy-free.
You may also love these Gluten Free Lemon Oat Bars.
Substitutions:
- If you can not eat coconut or nuts, use the crust recipe from these Gluten Free Cranberry Bars. This easy gluten-free crust recipe will make these gluten free lime bars nut-free and/or coconut-free.
- To make this recipe dairy-free, use plant-based butter and coconut condensed milk.
- If you can’t find limes in your local grocery store, it is okay to use lemons. One of my readers used oranges in this recipe to make orange bars!
Tips For Success
1. Make these bars in an 8×8 pan or a tart pan if you want to get fancy!
2. Use fresh regular or key limes. Bottled lime juice will work in a pinch, but fresh lime juice yields better flavor.
3. Use a good gluten free baking spray so these bars don’t stick to the pan.
Step-By-Step Photos and Directions:
Step 1: Add the gluten free flour, almond flour, shredded coconut, and brown sugar to a large
Step 2: Pour the crust mixture into a greased 8×8 baking pan. Spread the mixture all around the bottom, and use your hand to press it flat in the pan. Come up a little along the sides with the crust.
Step 3: In a medium-sized
Step 4: Pour the lime mixture over the crust.
Step 5: Bake the bars at 350ยบ F for 30 minutes until the top is firm. Remove from the oven and allow the bars to cool on a cooling rack for 30 minutes.
Step 6: Loosely cover the pan with plastic wrap. Put into the refrigerator for one hour to chill.
๐ Sandi says: I like to let the bars get to room temperature first so the bars don’t “split” when cooled too quickly.
How to store and freeze these bars:
Store these bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They will keep fresh for up to 4 days.
You can also freeze them in a zipper bag. To do this, you will want to flash-freeze the bars before putting them into the bag. Lay the bars out on a baking sheet and freeze the bars for 1 1/2 hours. This will slightly freeze them so that they don’t stick together.
Frequently Asked Questions:
If you bake the lime bars for 30 minutes, they should be baked. The toothpick test doesn’t work well on this recipe because the lime mixture doesn’t get firm the way a cake does.
The crust is made from flour, almond flour, and shredded coconut. It is almost like a shortbread crust.
I highly recommend storing these lime bars in the refrigerator. They are moist and can spoil quickly if left out.
These Paleo No-Bake Key Lime Pies are also tasty!
More Gluten Free Cookie Bars:
- Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookie Bars – These moist bars contain peanut butter and M&Ms.
- Gluten Free Pumpkin Pie Bars – These may be the perfect fall treat.
- Gluten Free Strawberry Cream Cheese Bars – If you love fresh strawberries, these are really good!
- Gluten Free Magic Bars – These magic bars contain chocolate, coconut, nuts, and sweet flavors.
Love This Recipe?
If you made and enjoyed this recipe, I would be incredibly grateful if you could leave a comment below. Please include which flour blend you used. This will help others know this recipe is delicious. Thank you!
Easy Gluten Free Lime Bars
Ingredients
For Crust:
- 1 ยผ cup almond flour
- ยผ 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
- ยฝ teaspoon baking powder aluminu,-free
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- ยฝ cup unsalted butter melted
For Lime Batter:
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon lime zest
- โ cup lime juice
- 3 large eggs or 4 small
- ยผ cup condensed milk see note
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Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a bowl, add dry ingredients for the crust and mix.
- Add melted butter and mix well into a soft dough.
- Press crust into a greased 8×8 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. The actual baking time may vary depending on the size of your baking pan.
- Remove the bars from the oven and place on a cooling rack for 30 minutes. When they have cooled, place plastic wrap over the bars and refrigerate them for 1-2 hours to chill.
- * Optional: Garnish with more lime peel and powdered sugar
Notes
- You can make this recipe dairy-free by using vegan butter or coconut oil instead of butter and coconut condensed milk.
- You can substitute lemon if you do not have limes. Fresh juice is better than bottled.
- Use almond flour and not almond meal.
- To make these nut-free and/or coconut-free, use the crust recipe from my Gluten Free Cranberry Bars recipe.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the refrigerator.
- Freeze by flash-freezing the bars, then placing them into a freezer bag.
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.
Note this recipe was updated with more recipe details from an older Feb 2016 post.
These are delicious! Have you tried making this without almond flour, just GF flour?
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/
Any recommendations for omitting coconut? My husband is allergic.
Hi Erica, use the shortbread crust from my cranberry bars recipe. https://www.fearlessdining.com/easy-gluten-free-cranberry-shortbread-bars/
What the size of the sitck of butter please? In Australia it comes as 250g bar. Is that the right size?
Hi Camilla, 1 stick equals 1/2 cup of butter.
113 g
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?
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.
I lined a 9 by 9 inch square metal pan with foil, since my 8 by 8 inch glass pan is not perfectly flat on the bottom. Used plenty of PAM. Also, did not have unsweetened coconut, so I used shredded Baker’s brand sweetened and dropped out 1 tablespoon of the brown sugar from the crust. Added 1 T. of gluten free flour to the lime batter for a bit more body in the filling. Very good recipe with a macaron type bottom crust. Cut after chilling for best presentation.
Wow Carolyn, I love what you did with this. I am so glad you enjoyed it. Have a great holiday!