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.
Can I substitute the butter with oil?
I’m just asking because I am planning on trying these out at home tomorrow, and then I want to make these for my vegan friend because I am invited her Halloween party.
And my parents aren’t so fond of vegan stuff, which is why I asked about the substitute.
Warm regards,
Andie
Hi Andie, it doesn’t make a good substitute in this instance. You could try coconut oil, but vegan butter is definitely going to be better. 🙂
I made these for my mom for a belated birthday dessert. My parents were both raving about how delicious they turned out! I did follow suggestions to add some lemon zest, but otherwise followed the recipe exactly.
Awesome! Thanks for the great review Kassidy!
Hello, I haven’t tried this recipe but would like to know if I can use grated lemon zest instead of lemon extract?
I think that would work!
Can you substitute something else for the coconut cream or milk? I have a coconut sensitivity, but I’d love to make these. Thanks!
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.
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!
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!
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!
So glad you enjoy them Tia! Thanks for posting!
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.
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.
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 🙂
Sounds awesome! Thanks for sharing Bente!
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.
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!
Fantastic! So pleased to hear that Alexandra, thanks a million!
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!
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing Dianna!
Does the butter need to be softened?
If it’s very hard then you can let it soften first, but I don’t usually find it necessary.
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!
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.
Can these be frozen atall 🙂
Yes they freeze very well! 🙂
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.
forgot to add that I also substituted the coconut cream for the thick white part of canned coconut milk
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!
So glad you enjoyed the recipe Melissa! 🙂