These perfect gluten free lemon bars will knock your socks off! Shortbread crust with tart and somewhat sweet custard will have you wanting another after another.
I've revamped my old lemon bars to make these perfect gluten free lemon bars that are truly the unsung hero of the bar world. My first recipe was one that my mom got from her neighbor and friend, who would make these for neighborhood get togethers. But when I made them, I found that the crust would crumble a little more than I wanted, so I set out to change that. I'm so glad I worked on these because they are incredible!
Ingredients for Perfect Gluten Free Lemon Bars
These perfect gluten free lemon bars use a minimal amount of ingredients, most that you probably have on hand already:
The Shortbread Crust
- Melted butter
- Granulated sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Salt
- Kim's all purpose gluten free flour blend--you could use a store bought blend if you'd prefer, although I have not tested the recipe using any other blend but my own.
In a large bowl, mix together the melted butter, sugar, vanilla, and salt until well combined. Add the flour and stir until a soft dough forms. Press into 9 by 13-inch pan lined with parchment paper (for easy removal). Bake for 23-25 minutes, or until the edges are very lightly browned. Remove from the oven and gently use a fork to poke holes in the top of the crust (don't go all the way through to the bottom). This ensures that the filling will stick to the crust.
The Lemony Filling
- Granulated sugar
- Kim's all purpose gluten free flour blend--you could again use a store bought blend, but this recipe has not been tested with any other blend.
- Eggs
- Freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Powdered sugar--for sprinkling on top
You can use the same bowl you used for the crust to mix together the filling ingredients (less dishes!). Combine the sugar and flour and stir with a whisk until well combined. Add the eggs, followed by the lemon juice, and continue whisking until fully combined. Pour this mixture over the warm shortbread. Bake for another 26-28 minutes, or until the filling is set (when you move the pan, it should no longer jiggle).
Do Lemon Bars Need to be Refrigerated?
If you're serving the lemon bars within a few hours, it's fine to leave them at room temperature. But for longer storage, they need to be refrigerated. I personally like them best cold right from the fridge, but they can be served at room temperature, though they will get a little gooey.
Topping the Lemon Bars
A lemon bar just isn't a lemon bar unless it's topped with a sprinkling of powdered sugar! Take a few spoonfuls of powdered sugar in a small sieve and dust it liberally over the top of the lemon bars. After refrigeration, some of the powdered sugar soaks in and you can always dust them again right before serving, or you can leave them plain, cut them, refrigerate them, and then dust them right before serving.
Pucker up, buttercup! These perfect gluten free lemon bars are a quick and delicious way to get that lemony flavor we associate most with spring 🍋🍋🍋
Perfect Gluten Free Lemon Bars
Ingredients
Crust:
- 1 cup (226 g) butter, melted
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups (280 g) Kim's gluten free flour blend (you can substitute Cup4Cup or any other general GF flour blend with xanthan gum)
Filling:
- 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoon (53 g) gluten free flour blend
- 6 large eggs
- 1 cup (240 ml) fresh lemon juice
- powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
For the Shortbread Crust:
- Preheat the oven to 325° F. Line a 9 by 13-inch baking pan with parchment paper with some overhang so you can easily lift the bars out of the pan.
- In a large bowl, mix together butter, sugar, vanilla, salt, and flour blend. Press into prepared pan and bake for 23-25 minutes, or until set and very lightly browned around the edges. Remove from the oven and carefully prick the shortbread with a fork just on the top (don't let it go through all the way to the bottom). Set aside while you prepare the filling.
For the Filling:
- Combine the sugar and flour in a large bowl and whisk thoroughly. Add the eggs, followed by the lemon juice and continue whisking until completely combined.
- Pour this mixture over the warm crust and bake for another 26-28 minutes, or until set and the filling doesn't jiggle when the pan is lightly shaken.
- Cool completely at room temperature. For neat slices, refrigerate for at least an hour. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and cut into small squares. Store in the refrigerator for up to one week, or bars can be frozen, wrapped individually, for 3-4 months.
Slightly adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction
Erin says
Shortbread was almost salty (I did not over salt) and took away from the lemon - the base needs some tweaking
Genevieve says
Has anyone tried making these vegan? Using coconut oil for the crust and egg replacer for the filling?
Drina Iva Boban says
Got it! Thanks Kim. 🙂
Drina Iva Boban says
Hi Kim, I'm getting ready to unfreeze these for a dinner party. Do you recommend putting them back in the oven or just letting them defrost in fridge and then to room-temp?
Thanks!
Kim says
Just defrost them in the fridge 🙂
Drina Boban says
Thanks Kim! These are THE BEST lemon bars. My husband couldn't stop raving about them (or eating them). I've missed lemon bars so much and had to make these the moment I saw the recipe. They're delicious. A million thanks!
Kim says
Awesome, Drina! So glad you (and your husband) liked them 🙂
Gillie says
The hell with the diet, these must be made! pronto! Thank you for making such delightful recipes!
Kathleen Herman says
Just an FYI, your instructions for making the crust does not include the flour. I can't wait to try this recipe.
Kim says
Thank you, Kathleen! I fixed it 🙂
Ali says
Hey Kim! Looking forward to these! LOVE lemon anything. QUESTION: RECIPE says 4 eggs VIDEO: says 6....??????????
Kim says
I'm so sorry, Ali! I revamped my entire recipe, but forgot to change any of the amounts from my old one! They've all been changed to the correct amounts now.
Thank you so much for alerting me to that 🙂
HTXgf says
We followed this recipe exactly and it turned out insanely delicious. Definitely planning to make it again soon!
Kim says
Awesome!! I'm so glad you liked them! I love them too.
Thanks for the wonderful comment 🙂
LadyJ1225 says
Oh my, you are speaking my language! I am all about anything lemon. My mom used to make the best lemon bars but didn't use a recipe. Now that I am GF I am so glad to have an amazing recipe for lemon bars. And my nephew's favorite flavor is lemon - he has asked for these lemon bars instead of a birthday cake this year = ) These taste so wonderful and the big plus is they are SO EASY to make. Thank you!!!
Kim says
Awe, thank you so much!! I'm so glad you and your nephew like them! Lemon bars are one of those things that are so under appreciated, but they are so darn good it's hard to stop at just one 🙂