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    Home » Brownies and Bars » Vegan Lemon Bars

    Vegan Lemon Bars

    Published: Aug 13, 2019 Updated: Jun 28, 2021 by Alison Andrews This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Vegan Lemon Bars

    These vegan lemon bars are the best ever. Tangy, sweet and lemony with a shortbread crust and a filling that tastes like lemon meringue pie!

    Vegan lemon bars in a stack.

    I love lemon flavors when it comes to dessert. The tart flavors really offset the sweetness in a wonderful way. 

    These lemon bars are my new favorite thing. And I know that I say a lot of things are my new favorite thing, but.. you guys, these are just so good.

    They taste just like lemon meringue pies! Minus the meringue of course. But the flavor is just wonderful. 

    And if you’re like me and love the combination of tart lemon flavor with sweet dessert then you’ll also love our vegan lemon cake and our vegan lemon pie. Not to mention our vegan lemon cookies, lemon cupcakes and our vegan lemon pound cake.

    Vegan lemon bars in an uneven stack.

    How to make Vegan Lemon Bars

    You will find full instructions and measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. This is a summary of the process to go along with the process photos.

    • You start off by making the shortbread crust. The recipe is based on our recipe for vegan shortbread cookies and it’s totally divine. 
    • Add all purpose flour, sugar and salt to a mixing bowl and then add in some vegan butter.

    TIP: Vegan butter is basically dairy free margarine. If you don’t have a vegan made brand like Earth Balance (USA) or Nuttelex (Australia) then do a search of the margarines you do have available and see if you can find one that is dairy-free. You can also make your own homemade vegan butter (our recipe has a coconut oil base) that works great in baking! 

    • Then comes the messy (but fun) part. Get in there with your hands and break up the butter with the flour until it’s crumbly, then start to form it into a big ball of dough. 
    • Spray a 9×13 dish with non-stick spray and line it with parchment paper so that there is overhang on either side (you’ll use this to lift the lemon bars out easily later). 
    • Place the dough into the prepared dish and use your hands to smooth it down evenly across the bottom of the dish. It takes a little patience to get it smoothed out all the way to the sides and into the corners but it’ll get there.
    • Place into the oven and bake for 20 minutes at 350°F (180°C) until the edges are lightly browned. 
    Step by step process photo collage of making the shortbread crust for lemon bars.

    Make the Lemon Filling

    • When your shortbread crust is ready, get started on your lemon filling. 
    • Simply add some freshly squeezed lemon juice, sugar, lemon extract, salt, coconut cream, cornstarch and turmeric to a saucepan and whisk as it heats until it’s nice and smooth and well combined. Then switch to a wooden spoon and keep stirring.
    • It will suddenly start to thicken dramatically, then you know it’s done. 
    • Pour the lemon filling out over the top of the shortbread crust and smooth down. 

    TOP TIPS: If you can’t find lemon extract, you can omit it, but the lemon flavor will be more subtle. Turmeric is just for color, you don’t taste it in the final result. You can also omit this if you prefer. As you can see, mine is so yellow it’s practically fluorescent.

    Step by step process photo collage of making vegan lemon bars.
    • Return it to the oven to bake for another 15 minutes at 350°F. The lemon filling will come out looking like the first photo in the collage below. 
    • Leave it to cool on a wire cooling rack on the countertop for an hour or so, and then place the whole dish into the fridge to chill completely. 
    • You need it to be completely chilled before you slice it into squares. So it will need to be in the fridge for at least 2 hours, but if you can leave it overnight, then that will be most ideal. 
    • When chilled, remove it from the fridge and lift the dessert out of the dish using the parchment paper overhang. Place onto a wooden board and cut into 24 squares. 
    • Then sprinkle some powdered sugar over the top and you have lemon bars that are ready to serve! 
    Step by step process photo collage of making vegan lemon bars.

    Recipe Q&A

    Can I make them in advance?

    Yes, in fact it’s perfect if you do. They get to the perfect consistency if they have a chance to chill overnight in the fridge, so this is the perfect dessert to make the night before. 

    How long do they keep in the fridge?

    They keep perfectly in the fridge in a covered container for around a week. 

    Can I freeze them?

    Yes they freeze very well. Place the squares into a freezer safe container and freeze. When you’re ready for them, just place them into the fridge to thaw and serve straight from the fridge. 

    Can you make them gluten-free?

    It’s likely possible to make these gluten-free if you use a gluten-free all purpose flour blend to replace the regular flour. I have not tested this so far, but I think it would work. 

    Vegan lemon bars cut into squares on a wooden board.
    Vegan lemon bars topped with powdered sugar on a wooden board.

    More Delicious Vegan Bars (and Slices)

    1. Vegan Rice Krispie Treats
    2. Vegan Peanut Butter Bars
    3. Vegan Blondies
    4. Vegan Twix
    5. Vegan Snickers
    6. Vegan Millionaire Shortbread
    Vegan lemon bars in a stack of three.

    Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a comment and rating below!

    Vegan lemon bars in a stack of three.

    Vegan Lemon Bars

    These vegan lemon bars are the best ever. Tangy, sweet and lemony with a shortbread crust and a filling that tastes like lemon meringue pie!
    4.95 from 19 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Baking, Dessert
    Cuisine: Vegan
    Diet: Vegan
    Prep Time: 30 minutes
    Cook Time: 35 minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
    Servings: 24
    Calories: 231kcal
    Author: Alison Andrews

    Ingredients

    For the Shortbread Crust:

    • 2 cups All Purpose Flour (250g)
    • ½ cup White Granulated Sugar (100g)
    • ½ tsp Salt
    • 1 cup Vegan Butter (225g)

    For the Lemon Filling:

    • 1 cup Lemon Juice (240ml) Freshly Squeezed, about 4 Large Lemons
    • 2 cups White Granulated Sugar (400g)
    • 1 tsp Lemon Extract
    • ¼ tsp Salt
    • 14 ounces Canned Coconut Cream (400ml, 1 can) Unsweetened
    • ½ cup Cornstarch (64g)
    • ⅛ tsp Turmeric

    For Decorating:

    • Powdered Sugar
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and prepare a 9×13 baking dish by spraying it with non stick spray and lining it with parchment paper so that there is a parchment paper overhang on each side. Set aside.
    • Add the all purpose flour, white sugar and salt for your shortbread crust to a mixing bowl and mix together.
    • Then add in the vegan butter.
    • Use your hands to break up the butter with the flour until it reaches a crumbly texture, then gradually start to form it into a big ball of dough. 
    • Place the dough into the prepared dish and use your hands to smooth it down across the bottom of the dish into a smooth even layer. 
    • Place into the oven and bake for 20 minutes until the edges are lightly browned. When it’s done, remove from the oven, leaving the oven on, and let it sit on the countertop while you prepare the lemon filling. 
    • Add the freshly squeezed lemon juice, sugar, lemon extract, salt, coconut cream, cornstarch and turmeric to a saucepan and whisk as it heats until the ingredients are well combined. Then switch to a wooden spoon and keep stirring. It will suddenly start to thicken dramatically and then you’ll know it’s done.
    • Pour the lemon filling out over the top of the shortbread crust and smooth down. 
    • Return it to the oven to bake for another 15 minutes at 350°F. 
    • Remove from the oven and place the dish onto a a wire cooling rack on the countertop for about an hour to cool down before placing the whole dish into the fridge to chill completely. 
    • Let it chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours until completely chilled before slicing into squares. It’s even more ideal if you can leave it overnight to really firm up before slicing.
    • When chilled, remove it from the fridge and lift the dessert out of the dish using the parchment paper overhang. Place onto a wooden board and cut into 24 squares. 
    • Then sprinkle some powdered sugar over the top and you’re ready to serve!

    Notes

    1. Weigh your flour for the most accurate results. If you’re using only a cup measure then make sure you use the spoon and level method for the best accuracy.
    2. Coconut cream can be replaced with canned, full fat, unsweetened coconut milk. 
    3. Turmeric is just for color and can be omitted if you prefer.
    4. Prep time does not include time spent chilling in the fridge.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1Square | Calories: 231kcal | Carbohydrates: 32.3g | Protein: 1.3g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 4.9g | Sodium: 148mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 21.3g
    DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? Rate it & leave your feedback in the comments section below, or tag @lovingitvegan on Instagram and hashtag #lovingitvegan
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    About the Author

    Hi I'm Alison Andrews, I'm the voice and cook behind Loving It Vegan. I love making delicious vegan food and creating vegan versions of all your old favorites, so that you’ll never feel like you’re missing out. Find out more about me here.

    Loving It Vegan is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. This site may contain some of these links to Amazon.com. If you make a purchase through one of those links, Loving It Vegan will receive a small commission from the purchase at no additional cost to you.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Shannon says

      May 14, 2022 at 1:07 am

      Can you substitute something else for the coconut cream or milk? I have a coconut sensitivity, but I’d love to make these. Thanks!

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        May 16, 2022 at 11:05 am

        Hi Shannon, I haven’t tested these with a different milk but I think it should work to use a different (creamy) non-dairy milk option. It’s the cornstarch that thickens it, so my guess is that a different plant milk should still work out.

        Reply
    2. Mo says

      April 29, 2022 at 4:15 am

      Another winner recipe. Thank you! Made them gluten free and they are delicious. Apart from gf flour I followed recipe exactly. Think next time I may throw in some lemon zest as well as I see so many others have done this with success. Did you not do that due to it causing a grainy texture in lemon curd? Or is it hardly noticeable? Just wondering what you think…? Thanks again!5 stars

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        April 29, 2022 at 9:59 am

        Hi Mo, I’m sure lemon zest would work great too, but the lemon flavor is also really strong without it. So glad you enjoyed the recipe!

        Reply
    3. Tia says

      March 30, 2022 at 7:03 pm

      This is my go to lemon bar recipe even when I don’t need them to be vegan! More punchy and tart than regular lemon curd! I always add lemon zest to these cuz it would be a waste not to and it does a much better job than lemon extract of giving that true lemon flavor!

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        March 31, 2022 at 10:10 am

        So glad you enjoy them Tia! Thanks for posting!

        Reply
    4. Mary says

      March 09, 2022 at 9:20 pm

      I have two questions about the filling: If I’m using one 14 ounce can of coconut cream does it need to be refrigerated overnight before opening it? Also can you just mix the filling ingredients then pour into the crust and bake (skipping the step where it cooks on the stovetop)? Thank you.

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        March 10, 2022 at 10:37 am

        Hi Mary, it doesn’t need to be refrigerated first, and no you can’t skip the stovetop step, it won’t work if you skip it.

        Reply
    5. Bente says

      November 03, 2021 at 7:05 pm

      I have made these several times and they’re a big success each time! I use only 1 cup of sugar for the curd because I like it very sour, and I add a bit more sugar to the dough. This way it has a nice contrast in sweet and sour 🙂

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        November 04, 2021 at 10:23 am

        Sounds awesome! Thanks for sharing Bente!

        Reply
      • L Norton says

        November 13, 2021 at 2:21 pm

        I should have read the comments first. I was hesitant about adding 2 cups of sugar, but I usually like to follow the recipe the first time. I am waiting for them to cool, but I am sure they will still be delicious. Like you, I would prefer them more lemony. I did use coconut milk instead of cream and that hasn’t hurt the consistency of the lemon filing.

        Reply
    6. Alexandra Lennox says

      August 25, 2021 at 3:59 pm

      These lemon bars are insane! They have a beautiful smooth, creamy consistency and the lemony flavour is perfectly balanced. One of my favourite recipes ever! I give them to everyone. They have no idea that they are vegan and they don’t care!5 stars

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        August 26, 2021 at 10:13 am

        Fantastic! So pleased to hear that Alexandra, thanks a million!

        Reply
    7. Dianna says

      May 17, 2021 at 3:00 am

      I recently made these for a family picnic and everyone was so surprised that they were vegan! My only modification was to add about 2 teaspoons of lemon zest instead of lemon extract and they came out perfectly lemony. Even the non-vegans were obsessed! Thank you for the great recipe!

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        May 17, 2021 at 11:57 am

        Wonderful! Thanks for sharing Dianna!

        Reply
    8. Anika V. says

      April 05, 2021 at 11:36 pm

      Does the butter need to be softened?

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        April 06, 2021 at 10:44 am

        If it’s very hard then you can let it soften first, but I don’t usually find it necessary.

        Reply
    9. Valerie says

      March 31, 2021 at 6:58 pm

      I am so excited to make these for Easter! Thank you for the recipe!
      My sister is allergic to corn though – do you think I can substitute arrowroot starch, tapioca or potato starch instead?

      Thank you!

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        April 01, 2021 at 11:15 am

        Hi Valerie, Haley commented that she used arrowroot and recommends using double the amount of cornstarch for them to set with arrowroot. I haven’t tested this recipe myself with any other options other than cornstarch.

        Reply
    10. Caroline says

      February 15, 2021 at 4:30 pm

      Can these be frozen atall 🙂5 stars

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        February 16, 2021 at 9:48 am

        Yes they freeze very well! 🙂

        Reply
    11. Najiyyah says

      January 18, 2021 at 12:56 am

      I LOVE lemon bars and as a transitioning vegan, finding replacement recipes for my sweet cravings is important for me. I did not use salt or lemon extract but my lemon bars still came out sweet & tart the way I like them. I will definitely be making these again.

      Reply
      • Najiyyah says

        January 18, 2021 at 12:57 am

        forgot to add that I also substituted the coconut cream for the thick white part of canned coconut milk

        Reply
    12. Melissa says

      January 09, 2021 at 8:46 pm

      I absolutely loved these lemon bars! I had a craving for lemon and decided to try out this recipe!
      I ended up using a 5 oz can of coconut cream and the white part off the top of a can of whole fat coconut milk. I also added some lemon zest into them. Mine were a great consistency and cut well even after only 2 hours in the fridge. When they were on the stove they were more of a golden color, but after cooling overnight they turned the electric yellow pictured here. Great recipe- highly recommend!5 stars

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        January 11, 2021 at 11:43 am

        So glad you enjoyed the recipe Melissa! 🙂

        Reply
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    Hi I’m Alison Andrews! I love making delicious vegan food and creating delicious vegan versions of all your old favorite dishes, so you can have your vegan cake and eat it too!

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