Description
A healthy, gluten-free, paleo-friendly lemon bar recipe featuring a coconut and tapioca flour crust sweetened with maple syrup and a tangy lemon filling. Perfectly balanced to offer a delicious dessert without refined sugars or grains, these lemon bars are baked to a tender set with a vibrant lemon flavor, ideal for a wholesome treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Crust
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/3 cup ghee, melted and cooled
- 1 large egg
- 2/3 cup Bob’s Red Mill Coconut Flour
- 1/4 cup Bob’s Red Mill Tapioca Flour
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest (zest of about 1/2 lemon)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Filling
- 1/2 cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed (about 4–5 lemons depending on size)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon zest (about zest of 2 lemons)
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 4 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons tapioca flour
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Set your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit to prepare for baking the crust.
- Mix Wet Ingredients for Crust: In a large mixing bowl, combine the maple syrup, cooled melted ghee, vanilla extract, and one large egg. Ensure the ghee is not hot to prevent scrambling the egg.
- Add Dry Ingredients for Crust: In a separate bowl, combine the coconut flour, tapioca flour, and lemon zest. Gradually add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients, stirring with a fork. The mix will seem wet initially, but continue mixing until it forms a dough-like consistency as the coconut flour absorbs liquid.
- Form the Crust: Press the dough evenly into an 8×8-inch baking pan lined with parchment or sprayed with cooking spray. Prick the top of the dough lightly with a fork a few times without piercing through.
- Bake the Crust: Bake the crust for 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees until just set and slightly golden at the edges. If the dough puffs up, gently deflate by pricking with a fork.
- Prepare the Filling: While the crust bakes, whisk together the eggs, lemon zest, maple syrup, fresh lemon juice, and tapioca flour in a bowl until the mixture is completely smooth.
- Add Filling to Crust: Remove the crust from the oven and immediately pour the lemon filling evenly over it without allowing the crust to cool.
- Reduce Oven Temperature and Bake Bars: Lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees Fahrenheit and bake the filled pan for 14-16 minutes. Watch closely so the bars just set; avoid overbaking to prevent cracking.
- Cool and Chill: Remove the lemon bars from the oven and let them cool completely at room temperature. Then refrigerate for at least 90 minutes to set fully before slicing.
- Serve: Cut into 9 squares and serve chilled, optionally topped with whipped topping or a dusting of powdered sugar for a classic finish.
Notes
- Substitutions are limited to preserve flavor and texture; this recipe is tested specifically with coconut and tapioca flours, ghee, and maple syrup.
- Use fresh lemon juice rather than jarred for best flavor; lime juice can be used as a substitute for a key lime version.
- Avoid substituting coconut oil for ghee as it alters flavor and texture negatively; butter is an acceptable substitute if not adhering to paleo guidelines.
- Cooking in metal pans may result in quicker baking times compared to glass pans and possible surface cracking without flavor impact.
- Eggs are essential for structure and cannot be substituted; for egg-free options, seek vegan lemon bar recipes.
- Maple syrup might be substituted with honey, but this is untested.
- Doubling the recipe is likely feasible in a 9×13 pan, though not tested.
- Coconut sugar is not recommended as it does not dissolve properly and affects taste adversely.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar (approx. 1/9th of recipe)
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 12g
- Sodium: 30mg
- Fat: 11g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 17g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 85mg
