Lemon Bars

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Candy, tart, and buttery lemon bars are a basic summertime deal with! This model is vegan, which implies everybody can get pleasure from them.

Top-down view of stacked lemon bars with lemon wedge on top

Don’t get me mistaken, I at all times love a chocolate dessert (hey, chocolate delight!). However one thing about summer season makes me crave fruity treats much more. Give me lemon bars all day, daily and I’m a cheerful camper! The buttery shortbread crust and creamy filling make them really feel decadent, however that tart, brilliant lemon flavour retains them tasting gentle, refreshing, and downright summery.

Why You’ll Love This Lemon Bar Recipe

Fully plant-based. Conventional lemon bars have eggs and butter within the crust and filling, making them off-limits for these of us following a vegan eating regimen. This recipe is totally plant-based and it doesn’t even name for store-bought vegan eggs, which might be exhausting to seek out!

Good summer season dessert. The intense lemon flavour is ideal for heat climate picnics and outside gatherings. Plus, lemon bars might be handheld, so that you don’t even want forks and plates to serve them!

Candy-tart flavour. I really like the steadiness of sweetness and tartness on this recipe. It’s absolute perfection! (Should you love sweet-tart lemony desserts, do that basic home made lemonade recipe too.)

Overhead view of ingredients for lemon bars with labels

Notes on Components

Scroll right down to the recipe card to seek out the ingredient portions and recipe directions.

For the Crust:

All objective flour – Though I’ve not personally tried it, I imagine a measure-for-measure gluten-free flour would additionally work effectively on this recipe.

Sugar

Vegan butter – I like to make use of my home made vegan butter.

Kosher salt

For the Filling:

Uncooked cashews – These mix up {smooth} and creamy.

Sugar

Unsweetened full-fat coconut milk – It’s necessary to make use of full-fat for max richness and one of the best texture.

Lemons – You’ll want juice and zest.

Cornstarch

Turmeric – Conventional lemon bars get their golden color not from lemon, however from egg yolks. Turmeric helps replicate that.

Salt

Powdered sugar – Non-compulsory, for garnish.

Make Lemon Bars

Overhead view of raw cashews in bowl of water

Soak the cashews. Place the cashews in a bowl with boiling water. Let sit for not less than one hour.

Put together. Preheat your oven to 350ºF and line a sq. pan with parchment paper.

Make the crust. Combine the crust substances, then press them into the pan. Bake for 16 minutes.

Make the lemon filling. Mix the cashews with the sugar, coconut milk, lemon juice, cornstarch, lemon zest, turmeric and salt till {smooth}.

Overhead view of vegan lemon bar filling being poured through strainer

Cook dinner. Pour the filling via a sieve right into a saucepan. Set the pan over medium warmth. Whisk till the combination simmers and thickens.

Bake. Unfold the lemon filling onto the crust. Bake for quarter-hour.

Cool and serve. Take away from the oven and funky for 1 to 2 hours. Refrigerate in a single day. Mud with powdered sugar if desired and minimize into bars.

Overhead view of cut lemon bars with powdered sugar

Ideas and Variations

Soften the cashews correctly. Make sure the cashews are absolutely softened by soaking them in boiling water for not less than an hour. This makes the filling ultra-smooth and creamy.

Use recent lemon juice. Bottled lemon juice simply doesn’t have the identical flavour as freshly squeezed!

Cool fully. Enable the bars to chill to room temperature earlier than refrigerating. Cooling slowly at room temperature helps the filling set.

Strive making lime bars. Swap the lemon juice and zest for lime to create a refreshing lime model of those bars. For an actual deal with, use Key lime juice!

Overhead view of vegan lemon bars on parchment-lined board

Retailer

As soon as these vegan lemon bars have fully cooled and set within the fridge in a single day, you’ll be able to retailer them within the fridge for as much as per week. Preserve them coated within the baking dish or switch them to an hermetic container.

Can I Freeze This Recipe?

Sure, these lemon bars might be frozen. After chilling and reducing the bars, place them in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze till stable. As soon as frozen, switch the bars to a freezer-safe container or a zip-top bag, putting parchment paper between the layers. They are often saved within the freezer for as much as 3 months. When able to get pleasure from, thaw the lemon bars within the fridge in a single day earlier than serving. (They can be eaten frozen!)

Bitten lemon bar on plate with stack of lemon bars on board in background

Extra Vegan Dessert Recipes

Candy, tart, and buttery lemon bars are a basic summertime deal with! This straightforward recipe is vegan, which implies everybody can get pleasure from them.

Cook dinner Time 31

Chilling Time 8

Complete Time 9 31

For the crust:

1 ¼ cup all objective flour 156 g ¼ cup sugar 50 g ½ cup vegan butter melted 56 g ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

For the filling:

½ cup uncooked cashews 65 g 1 ¼ cup sugar 250 g 1 cup unsweetened full fats coconut milk 240 g ½ cup lemon juice about 3 lemons 115 g 6 tablespoons cornstarch 48 g 1 tablespoon lemon zest about 1 lemon 7 g¼ teaspoon turmeric for colorationPinch saltPowdered sugar for garnish non-obligatory

Place the cashews in a warmth proof bowl and canopy with boiling water. Let sit for not less than one hour to melt the nuts.

Preheat the oven to 350ºF / 175ºC levels. Line an 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper.

Mix the crust substances in a mixing bowl. Combine effectively till it’s crumbly. Switch it to the baking pan and press it into a good layer within the backside of the pan. Bake for 16 minutes.

Whereas the crust is baking, drain the cashews and add them to a excessive velocity blender together with the sugar, coconut milk, lemon juice, cornstarch, lemon zest, turmeric and salt. Mix till {smooth}.

Pour the filling combination via a sieve right into a saucepan. Discard any solids.

Place the saucepan over medium warmth and whisk repeatedly till the combination begins to bubble and turns into thick like pudding.

As quickly because the crust has completed baking, unfold the new filling on high of the crust and return it to the oven for an additional quarter-hour.

Take away from the oven and funky for 1-2 hours at room temperature, then switch to the fridge to relax in a single day.

Mud with powdered sugar instantly earlier than serving.

To retailer: As soon as these vegan lemon bars have fully cooled and set within the fridge in a single day, you’ll be able to retailer them within the fridge for as much as per week. Preserve them coated within the baking dish or switch them to an hermetic container.
To freeze: After chilling and reducing the bars, place them in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze till stable. As soon as frozen, switch the bars to a freezer-safe container or a zip-top bag, putting parchment paper between the layers. They are often saved within the freezer for as much as 3 months. When able to get pleasure from, thaw the lemon bars within the fridge in a single day earlier than serving.