The best vegan lemon bars are tangy, sweet and lemony with a buttery shortbread crust and a filling that tastes like lemon meringue pie!
I love lemon flavors when it comes to dessert. The tart flavor of the lemon really offsets the sweetness in the best possible 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 pie. 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, vegan lemon pie and vegan lemon poppy seed cake. Not to mention our vegan lemon cookies, lemon cupcakes and our vegan lemon pound cake.
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.
Shortbread Crust:
- 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.
Top Tip: Vegan butter is basically dairy free margarine. If you don’t have a vegan made brand like Earth Balance or Miyokos (USA) or Flora Plant Butter (UK) 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.
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 (it should look like the photo below).
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.
- Pour the lemon filling out over the top of the shortbread crust and smooth down.
- Bake for 15 minutes at 350°F.
- Leave it to cool on a wire cooling rack on the countertop for an hour, and then place the whole dish into the fridge to chill completely (about 2 hours in the fridge).
- When chilled, remove it from the fridge and lift it out of the dish using the parchment paper overhang.
Top Tip: 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.
- Place onto a wooden board and cut into 24 squares.
- Then sprinkle some powdered sugar over the top.
- Your lemon bars are ready to serve!
Recipe Q&A
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.
They keep perfectly in the fridge in a covered container for around a week.
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.
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.
More Delicious Vegan Bars (and Slices)
- Vegan Rice Krispie Treats
- Vegan Peanut Butter Bars
- Vegan Blondies
- Vegan Twix
- Vegan Snickers
- Vegan Millionaire Shortbread
Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a comment and rating below!
Vegan Lemon Bars
Ingredients
Shortbread Crust:
- 2 cups All Purpose Flour (250g)
- ½ cup White Granulated Sugar (100g)
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 1 cup Vegan Butter (225g)
Lemon Filling:
- 1 cup Lemon Juice (240ml) Freshly Squeezed, about 4 Large Lemons
- 2 cups White Granulated Sugar (400g)
- 1 teaspoon Lemon Extract
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 14 ounces Canned Coconut Cream (400ml, 1 can) Unsweetened
- ½ cup Cornstarch (64g)
- ⅛ teaspoon Turmeric
Decorating:
- Powdered Sugar
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 you'll know it's done.
- Pour the lemon filling out over the top of the shortbread crust and smooth down.
- Bake for 15 minutes at 350°F.
- Remove from the oven and place the dish onto a a wire cooling rack on the countertop for 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
- 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.
- Coconut cream can be replaced with canned, full fat, unsweetened coconut milk.
- Turmeric is just for color and can be omitted if you prefer.
- Gluten free: You can likely 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.
- Make ahead: This is the perfect make ahead dessert because the bars get to the perfect consistency if they have a chance to chill overnight in the fridge, so it’s perfect to make this the day before.
- Storing: They keep perfectly in the fridge in a covered container for around a week.
- Freezing: 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.
- Prep time does not include time spent chilling in the fridge.
Amazing delicious tangy,everyone loved them, I added lemon zest as I didnt have lemon extract,another awesome recipe,Alison!
Wonderful! Thanks so much Hazel! 🙂
Made these two days ago. I used the new plant Elmlea double cream instead of the coconut cream and think this is the reason why the curd didn’t set properly. They were delicious however they looked like lemon curd spread over shortbread biscuit. I followed the recipe to the letter apart from the coconut cream… Any advice welcome!
Hi Melanie, the kind of cream you used shouldn’t have an impact, as it’s the cornstarch that thickens it. It should be really thick before you even take it off the heat. It may be that it just needed a little longer on the stovetop to thicken more. So glad they were still delicious and I hope you’ll try them again. 🙂
Forgot to mention, I used lemon zest instead of lemon extract. It was so tangy and lemony!
Alison, you have done it again… absolutely outstanding lemon bars!!!! Thank you for ALL your wonderful recipes.
So happy to hear that Barbara! Thanks a million! 🙂
I made the mistake of using arrowroot powder (didn’t have corn starch) and the filling did not set right. I ended up wasting a lot of the filling while I was taking the bars out of the parchment paper and cutting them, and even more when I packed them into a tupperware to bring into the office. If you use arrowroot powder I would consider doubling the called for amount of corn starch.
THAT SAID, these bars were absolutely delicious and still a big hit at my office. Absolutely unreal flavor and the crust turned out great using smart balance baking butter sticks. Thank you for sharing! I appreciate how few ingredients and steps this took for how delicate and special the treats are.
Thanks for sharing Haley! 🙂
Hi,
This recipe came out amazing! I have struggled with baking since I became vegan and nothing I bake seems to turn out right. Many vegan baking recipes are not tailored for high altitude, but other than having to add a little bit more vegan butter for the crust, this recipe turned out perfect! Thank you.
Awesome Carolyn! Thank you! 🙂
Hi,
I’m thinking of trying out this recipe and was wondering if the lemon extract can be replaced with lemon zest?
Sure! That would work great. 🙂
Hi Alison,
I really want to try this recipe, but I don’t like the taste of coconut. Does the amount of lemon juice over ride the taste of the coconut. I am asking because every recipe I have tried of yours I have fallen in love with.
Thank-you,
Suzie
Hi Suzie, I don’t think you taste the coconut at all in this recipe, the lemon taste is very strong! However, if you have an alternative non-dairy cream you would like to use, I think that would also work just fine. 🙂
Very tasty!
Will definitely be making these again.
Awesome! Thanks so much for the great review Sunneva. 🙂
What can you replace the white sugar with? Is Agave good to use?
Hi Fernella, there isn’t a good replacement for it in this recipe. The best thing would be to look around for a recipe that is made a whole different way. Like this recipe from Minimalist Baker.
Made them again today, this time i used 5 limes and one lemon. Really good recipe, as good/better as any lemon tart from the store. I used Flora buttery as my base, and both times i was worried the shortbread mix wasnt dry enough – turned out great though.
Wanted to ask if you had a recommendation for anything vegan that can stay out of the fridge – gummies/worms/candies/chocolates etc. Thanks very much, looking forward to trying the next one!
Awesome! Thanks for sharing! For things that don’t have to stay in the fridge, cakes, cupcakes, cookies, muffins, breads like banana bread, zucchini bread etc can all be kept at room temp. Candy things like fudge can also stay out of the fridge once they’re set. Peanut brittle and toffee can also store at room temp. Generally if something involves melting down chocolate then it will need to stay in the fridge otherwise will tend to melt. But hope you will find some options there that will work for you! 🙂
Absolutely amazing!! I left out the lemon extract as I don’t like really tangy lemon bars. It’s absolute perfection, I haven’t even chilled it yet and I can’t resist taking small pieces to eat from it 😀
So glad you enjoyed them! 🙂
Great recipe, everyone liked it. I didn’t put any powdered sugar on top.
Awesome! Saw the photo, looks delicious! Thanks for posting! 🙂
Colourful, tangy and lemony – a delightful after dinner treat!
Thanks Anna! 🙂
OMG these look beyond amazing!!! Is it possible to use full fat coconut milk instead of coconut cream? I’ve found that the creams I have here are pretty much the same consistency as full fat coconut milk unless you are chilling it for whipped cream.
I can’t wait to make these!
Thank you! Yes, I think it would be totally fine to use full fat coconut milk. Hope you love the recipe! 🙂
Hi! These look and sound so fantastic — but I can’t have corn or corn products (really bad reaction to them). Have you tried these with arrowroot or tapioca starch? I’ve found that it doesn’t always work and it usually requires a different amount of the substitute if it does. Would appreciate any advice. Thanks!
Hi Ines, I haven’t tried these with anything other than cornstarch. However, apparently it would be double the amount of tapioca flour if you were using that, but if you were using arrowroot it would be the same amount as the cornstarch. Please let us know if you do try either of those options and how it works out! 🙂