This might be the best recipe I’ve ever made. Seriously. These Paleo Lemon Bars are magical. They’re sweet, tart and oh, so satisfying. Oh, and they’re grain and gluten-free. Sign. Me. Up.
These were overall just such a win, and while there are some more technical steps compared to other recipes I’ve made, I promise you, it’s so worth it! You’ll definitely want to add this Paleo Lemon Bars recipe to your repetoire.
So let’s get to the good stuff, yeah?
How To Make It
If you’ve never made lemon bars before, this process may seem a little daunting, but I promise it’s easy!
First things first, you’ll want to preheat your oven, line an 8x8inch pan with parchment paper and get a pot of water boiling for your filling. If you’ve never done a double boiler, or bain-marie, add water about halfway up the pot and bring to a gentle boil.
In a bowl, you’ll combine all of the shortbread crust ingredients. Press it evenly into your pan, and a little of the sides (this will help hold in your filling). To be honest, last time I made this, I didn’t press it up the sides, I left it flat, and I didn’t have issues with it pouring over into the cracks. So this is really just an extra insurance that everything stays in place.
Next you’ll parbake your crust: it should puff up and look baked, but without any colour.
While your crust bakes, we’ll make the filling. Whisk together all the ingredients and then place the bowl onto the pot of gently boiling water. Make sure you use a bowl that’s heat safe (like a metal bowl; I use a glass one) and be sure that your water isn’t boiling too hard and hitting the bottom of the bowl: it could cause your filling to overheat and curdle.
Whisk continuously until the filling thickens, about 18 minutes, or until a thermometer reaches 170F. I’ve made this before without a thermometer, in case you don’t have one, and you can do it from eyesight. Set a timer for 18 minutes and you’ll notice in the last few minutes it should start to thicken up, like a pudding consistency. Make sure you’re scraping down the sides!
Strain the filling through a sieve (a fine mesh strainer) to get rid of any clumps and lemon zest. Pour the hot filling onto the hot crust. If your crust was finished way before you got to this step, pop it back in for a minute or two just to heat up the top. Keeping everything hot prevents it from seeping into the crust and giving you a floating crust.
Finish off in the oven, about 10 minutes, until the lemon filling is just set and still has a bit of a jiggle. Cool completely.
Key Ingredients
- Almond Flour
- Tapioca Flour
- Coconut Oil
- Lemons (6-8)
- Maple Syrup
- Eggs
- Turmeric (optional, it just deepens the yellow colour)
Substitutions
For the crust you can swap out coconut oil for butter if you like!
You could also try making this with different citrus: limes, blood oranges, etc. The sky is the limit!
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If you needed a go-to summer treat (okay, end of summer treat) this is it. Let me know if you give it a try—be sure to tag me on instagram @thenourishedmind ! I love to see your creations.
Oh, and if you haven’t already joined my newsletter, make sure you do: I share weekly recipes and blog posts, nutrition tips + discounts on my favourite products!
With love,
Paleo Lemon Bars
Ingredients
Shortbread Crust
- 1 1/2 cup almond flour
- 1/4 cup tapioca flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup coconut oil melted
- 1 ea egg
Lemon Filling
- 6 ea egg yolks
- 2 ea whole eggs
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 cup lemon zest (6-8 lemons)
- 2/3 cup lemon juice
- 1/4 cup coconut oil melted and cooled slightly
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F and line an 8x8 inch pan with parchment. Start a pot of gently boiling water (for your double boiler) on the stove.
- Mix together shortbread ingredients until thoroughly combined and press down into a baking pan, pressing it up against the sides (this will help keep the filling in place). Prick with a fork, and parbake for 20 minutes. Crust should be puffy but not golden.
- Whisk filling ingredients in a glass or metal bowl. Cook filling over the double boiler, continuously whisking until the filling thickens and reaches a temperature of 170F (about 18 minutes). Make sure the water isn't hitting the bottom of the bowl, as it could curdled your filling (if it is, reduce the heat or remove some of the water).
- Strain filling through a sieve to remove lemon zest.
- Pour hot filling into hot crust and bake until filling is just set, about 10 minutes. It should have a slight jiggle.
- Cool completely and slice into 9 pieces. Keep refrigerated for 2-3 days.
Notes
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