Creamy and zesty Vegan Lemon Bars with a buttery, soft shortbread crust.
These Vegan Lemon Bars are the perfect sweet dessert for this summer – with a creamy zesty lemon filling and buttery shortbread crust.
I set out to challenge myself with making a vegan lemon bar recipe – I think I succeeded.
These Vegan Lemon Bars contain a creamy, bright lemon filling (but with no eggs) and a ultra buttery and soft shortbread that simply melts-in-your-mouth.
These lemon bars contain easy to find ingredients and trust me, the 2 hours of chilling is completely worth it.
How to Make Vegan Lemon Bars:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 8″ square baking dish with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the melted butter, sugar, vanilla extract, and lemon zest. Use a spatula or wooden spoon to fold in the flour and salt until a soft dough forms. Press dough into the baking dish in an even layer.
- Bake for 15-17 minutes until light golden. Immediately after taking out of the oven, pierce several times with a fork. Allow to cool while preparing the filling.
- In a medium saucepan, add the sugar and lemon zest. Use your fingertips to combine the zest into the sugar – this will allow the fragrant oils from the lemon to seep into the sugar. Whisk in the coconut cream, lemon juice, and corn starch until combined. Bring to a low simmer over medium heat. Simmer until thickened. Texture should be thick and slightly translucent, almost “gloopy.” Immediately pour into a fine-mesh strainer placed over a bowl. Use a spatula to strain curd into the bowl to remove any seeds or clumps.
- Pour filling onto the baked crust. Bake for an additional 15 min. until filling has set. Cool to room temperature for 30 min. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before slicing. Dust top with powdered sugar before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Can I make this recipe gluten-free?
I have not tested a gluten-free version of the shortbread crust, but feel free to test it out with a GF 1-1 flour. Let me know how it goes!
What vegan butter do you recommend?
Any vegan butter will work for this recipe. I personally like Country Crock Plant Butter and Earth Balance.
How do I store the lemon bars?
Store in the fridge in an airtight container or tightly wrapped in plastic wrap for up to 1 week.
If you’re looking for more vegan lemon desserts, you’ll also love this Fluffy Vegan Lemon Cake, these Lemon Funfetti Sugar Cookies, and these Lemon Raspberry Cupcakes.
Also, if you make this recipe and decide to share it on Facebook or Instagram don’t forget to tag me @healthienut + #healthienut! I love seeing your mouthwatering recreations
Creamy and zesty Vegan Lemon Bars with a buttery, soft shortbread crust.
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup vegan butter, melted
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- Zest from ½ medium lemon
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 ¼ cup full-fat coconut cream
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup lemon juice (about 5 ½ medium lemons)
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- ¼ cup corn starch
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Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 8" square baking dish with parchment paper.
-
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the melted butter, sugar, vanilla extract, and lemon zest. Use a spatula or wooden spoon to fold in the flour and salt until a soft dough forms. Press dough into the baking dish in an even layer.
-
Bake for 15-17 minutes until light golden. Immediately after taking out of the oven, pierce several times with a fork. Allow to cool while preparing the filling.
-
In a medium saucepan, add the sugar and lemon zest. Use your fingertips to combine the zest into the sugar – this will allow the fragrant oils from the lemon to seep into the sugar. Whisk in the coconut cream, lemon juice, and corn starch until combined. Bring to a low simmer over medium heat. Simmer until thickened. Texture should be thick and slightly translucent, almost "gloopy." Immediately pour into a fine-mesh strainer placed over a bowl. Use a spatula to strain curd into the bowl to remove any seeds or clumps.
-
Pour filling onto the baked crust. Bake for an additional 15 min. until filling has set. Cool to room temperature for 30 min. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before slicing. Dust top with powdered sugar before serving.
