Healthy Lemon Bars
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These healthy lemon bars have an almond flour shortbread crust and a creamy, perfectly tart lemon filling. They’re gluten-free, dairy-free, naturally sweetened and made with only 6 simple ingredients.
If you’re a fan of lemon desserts you’re in for a real treat with these healthy lemon bars! They combine an almond flour shortbread crust with a creamy, tart filling that is chef’s kiss.
Classic lemon bars are usually made with butter, white flour and white sugar (and lots of it!), but to make these lemon bars healthier I used almond flour, maple syrup and no oil or butter. The shortbread crust is made with just 2 simple ingredients (almond flour and maple syrup) and then you only need 4 more ingredients to make the filling. How easy is that?!
Table of Contents
“Had to try these out ASAP! Such a delicious and easy recipe and taste just as good, if not better, than any other lemon bars I’ve had. Good luck not eating all of them at once!”
Why I Love These Lemon Bars
- Bright lemon flavor: This one actually tastes like lemon. Fresh juice and zest give it that bold, tangy bite that makes lemon bars so good.
- So simple to make: No complicated steps here. Mix, press, whisk, pour and bake. That’s it.
- Texture is spot on: Soft, tender crust with a creamy filling that sets up perfectly once chilled.
- Made with better-for-you ingredients: No butter or refined sugar, but you still get that classic lemon bar experience.
Ingredients Needed
- eggs – the eggs help to bind the filling and create a creamy, custard-like texture.
- maple syrup – both the crust and filling are naturally sweetened with pure maple syrup.
- lemon – the star of the show here! We’re using both fresh lemon juice and lemon zest in the filling.
- almond flour – we’re using almond flour to make the shortbread crust and to help provide structure for the filling. I used Bob’s Red Mill super fine almond flour, which is blanched almond flour meaning the skin has been removed from the nut prior to grinding into a powder. I don’t recommend swapping the almond flour for a different type of flour.
Find the full ingredient list with measurements in the recipe card below.
How to Make Healthy Lemon Bars
Step 1: Preheat oven, line a baking dish with parchment paper, then mix almond flour and maple syrup in a bowl until a dough forms.
Step 2: Press the mixture firmly into the pan and bake until lightly golden.
Step 3: While the crust bakes, whisk together all filling ingredients until smooth, then pour the mixture over the warm crust once it comes out of the oven.
Step 4: Return to the oven and bake until the filling is set, then cool completely at room temperature before chilling in the fridge until fully set. Slice and serve.
Tips for the Best Lemon Bars
- Press the crust firmly and evenly: Use your hands or the bottom of a glass to really pack the crust down. If it’s loose or uneven, it won’t hold together well once the filling is added.
- Pour the filling onto a warm crust: Don’t let the crust cool too long. Adding the filling while it’s still warm helps everything bind together better and prevents separation between layers.
- Watch the center closely when baking: The edges should be set and lightly golden, while the center should have just a slight jiggle. If the whole pan is firm, it’s likely overbaked and can turn rubbery instead of creamy.
How to Store
In the fridge: Before storing these lemon bars, make sure they’ve cooled completely. You can store them in an airtight sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
In the freezer: If you freeze these bars I recommend storing them with parchment paper in between the bars so they don’t stick together. Store in a freezer-safe container for up to 1 month. Before serving, let them thaw in the refrigerator.
Frequently Asked Questions
Unfortunately not. This recipe was specifically created to be made with almond flour and using another flour won’t yield the same results. I did test these bars with oat flour and they didn’t turn out. The crust was super dry and crumbly, which makes sense because the almond flour has more fat so works better for this simple shortbread crust.
Sometimes you might notice some white air bubbles on the top of your lemon bars. That’s totally normal and is caused by the air from the eggs rising to the surface while baking. These bubbles shouldn’t affect the taste of the bars and the dusting of confectioners’ sugar will cover those bubbles right up!
The crust is going to be soft because of the almond flour, but it shouldn’t be soggy. If your crust mixture is wet before baking it might need to be mixed together a little more. If it’s soggy after baking it probably needs a little more time baking in the oven.
More Lemon Recipes to Try
If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below.
Almond Flour Lemon Bars
Ingredients
Crust:
- 2 cups almond flour
- ½ cup maple syrup
Filling:
- 4 large eggs
- ½ cup maple syrup
- ⅔ cup lemon juice
- ¼ cup almond flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- Pinch of fine sea salt
- Zest from 1 lemon
Garnish:
- Powdered sugar, sifted, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line an 8×8 baking dish with parchment paper or spray with cooking spray.
- Make crust by combining almond flour and maple syrup in a medium bowl.2 cups almond flour, ½ cup maple syrup
- Press dough firmly into prepared baking dish. Place crust in oven and bake for about 20 minutes, until lightly golden.
- While crust is baking, whisk filling ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.4 large eggs, ½ cup maple syrup, ⅔ cup lemon juice, ¼ cup almond flour, ½ teaspoon baking powder, Pinch of fine sea salt, Zest from 1 lemon
- Once crust is done baking, remove from oven and slowly pour filling onto crust.
- Return baking dish to oven to cook for 20-25 minutes, until filling looks set and is no longer jiggly in the middle.
- Remove from oven and let cool completely at room temperature. Then let cool in fridge until bars set up, about 4 hours over overnight.
- Sift powdered sugar onto bars if using, cut and serve.Powdered sugar
Video
Notes
- Storage: Store bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. For longer storage, freeze with parchment paper between layers in a freezer-safe container for up to 1 month. Thaw in the fridge before serving. Bars should be fully cooled before storing so the filling sets properly and the tops stay smooth.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like This Recipe? Rate & Comment Below!
These turned out pretty good! The flavor is very tart, so if you want something more sweet, best to add less lemon juice or omit the zest.
The crust portion was a little too wet and I think could do with less syrup- maybe 1/3 cup instead. This would definitely help with its firmness.
Ended up using stevia instead of syrup for the lemon base which worked nicely and set well.
Overall good, more healthy alternative to classic lemon bars.
Thanks for giving this recipe a try and for sharing your notes! I appreciate it!
Turned out amazing! Was looking for a healthier version and came across your recipe!! Just added shredded coconut to filling batter and even ate 2 pieces while still warm!! Make it!! Thank u
Yay! So glad you found and loved this version, Maya! Love the idea of adding shredded coconut—sounds delicious. Thanks so much for making the recipe and coming back to leave a review. I really appreciate it!
These looked so promising and the best part is they’re healthy too! But after following the recipe exactly, my bars were very hard to eat- the crust crumbled and the filling was grainy. I know they are healthy and the taste has to be sacrificed a little but they tasted nothing like regular lemon bars to me. This was my first recipe of yours but after reading some other reviews there is still a lot of love for the rest of your creations!
Hi Victoria! I am so sorry to hear this recipe didn’t turn out for you. I am going to re-test this recipe to see what adjustments we can make so this doesn’t keep happening. I appreciate you sharing your feedback!