The most incredible Vegan Lemon Bars, made with just 8 ingredients and lots of tangy lemon flavor! The buttery shortbread crust is absolutely perfect.
Classic lemon bars without any eggs? Yup! Today I’m sharing what I think are the best vegan lemon bars, with the perfect balance of shortbread crust to tart lemon filling. And of course, a generous dusting of powdered sugar on top!
If you are a lemon dessert fan, you will love these little squares of sunshine. And while you’re at it, you might want to try my vegan lemon cake, lemon loaf or 1 bowl lemon cupcakes.
How to make Vegan Lemon Bars:
First, make the crust. In a medium bowl, mix together the melted vegan butter, sugar and salt. Add the flour and stir to combine. It will be thick. Press it into the prepared pan (lined with parchment paper) evenly and smoothly. Bake for 16-18 minutes at 350 degrees F until lightly golden on the edges.
While the crust bakes, make the lemon filling. In a medium saucepan, add the lemon juice, lemon zest if using, sugar, coconut milk and cornstarch (+tiny pinch of turmeric if desired for color). Whisk well to dissolve the cornstarch, and heat over medium heat until the sugar dissolves and the mixture thickens. It should look like the photos below, and can take 5-10 minutes.
Remove from heat, and spread lemon mixture over the crust, evenly, using a spatula if needed. Bake for 15 minutes. Let the bars cool for about 30 minutes at room temperature, then transfer to the refrigerator to cool another 1-2 hours, or overnight.
This post contains affiliate links. Read my full disclosure here.
Can I make these lemon bars gluten free?
I haven’t personally tried these gluten free, but I think it would work with a quality all purpose gluten free flour mix, such as Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Baking Flour.
How long will vegan lemon bars keep?
They will keep for about a week in a covered container in the refrigerator. They also freeze really well! The powdered sugar will melt into the bars though, so add some fresh when you want to eat or serve them.
Can you make these a day ahead?
Yes, these are the perfect dessert to make a day in advance, as they slice better when they have a lot of time to cool. That being said, they can also be ready in an hour or 2, but they may not be as firm as if you left them overnight.
I hope you LOVE these easy Vegan Lemon Bars! If you are looking for more delicious vegan dessert recipes with a Summer vibe, check these out:
- Vegan Lemon Loaf
- Vegan Lemon Cake
- 1 Bowl Vegan Lemon Cupcakes
- Vegan Strawberry Pie
- Vegan Smores Cookie Bars
Vegan Lemon Bars
Ingredients
Shortbread crust:
- 1/2 cup vegan butter, melted
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Lemon filling:
- 3/4 cup lemon juice from about 4 large lemons
- optional: 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 1/4 cups full fat coconut milk, using mostly the white part
- 6 tablespoons cornstarch
- tiny pinch of turmeric, optional for color (1/8th teaspoon)
For serving:
- powdered sugar, for dusting the tops
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line an 8 by 8 inch pan with parchment paper, leaving a little overhang for easy removal.
- Make the crust: In a medium bowl, add the mix together the melted vegan butter, sugar and salt. Add the flour and stir until combined. The dough will be thick. Press it into the pan with your hands, evenly and firmly. Bake for 16-18 minutes until the edges are very lightly browned. Set aside.
- Make the filling: In a medium saucepan, add the lemon juice, lemon zest if using for even more lemon flavor, sugar, coconut milk and cornstarch + tiny pinch of turmeric for color, if desired. Whisk well to dissolve the cornstarch. Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly until the sugar dissolves and the mixture thickens. (see photos in post above for reference)
- Spread the filling over the crust evenly, using a spatula if needed to smooth. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove from the oven and let cool at room temperature for 30 minutes. Transfer to the refrigerator for an additional 1-2 hours, or overnight, until set.
- Lift the bars out of the pan with the parchment paper, dust generously with powdered sugar and cut into 16 squares.
- Leftover bars will keep for up to 1 week in a covered container in the refrigerator. They freeze well, too. Enjoy!
Notes
- For gluten free vegan lemon bars, use an all purpose gluten free flour, such as Bob's Red Mill 1:1 Baking Flour.
Nutrition
Super delicious lemon bars! Just the right amount of lemon without being too sour, and not icky sweet like store bought lemon bars. Excellent consistency. I used arrow root instead of cornstarch (grabbed the wrong canister by accident) but it worked perfectly, and I subbed ½ cup Splenda for sugar in the filling. It was so cool to see each step looking like the photos. That helped so much! Delicious!!!
I’m so glad you liked them!
I was very skeptical as this was being made. The color was no where near as bright yellow as the pictures on your website show (to the point where I was thinking “photoshop”) and yes, I did put in a pinch of turmeric. But the texture & flavor was spot on! Thank you!
You’re welcome!
Hi Nora-
Loved the flavor, but mine turned out a little…too gelatinous. Any ideas? Maybe I cooked the lemon mixture too long or on too high of heat?? I look forward to all your recipe updates…trying the lentil loaf tonight!
Thanks Suzanne! If it was a little too gelatinous I wonder if you should have used more of the creamy, thick white part of coconut milk. If you cooked it extra long, that could be an issue as well. I just cook it long enough for it to thicken, like in the picture. I hope that helps, and I hope you like the lentil loaf!
Hi Nora, it’s your biggest fan here! I made these a few days ago for my husband’s birthday because he loves citrusy desserts. We’ve had these and his birthday cake from whole foods in the freezer and these are disappearing faster. He’s really enjoying them. Thank you for everything you do!
Wow, that’s so wonderful! Thanks for the letting know.
Absolutely delicious!!!!
I’ve been trying to mock a lemon bar from a local vegan bakery and this is IT! so tart yet sweet.. the shortbread melts in your mouth. I will definitely be making these again.
On a side note, I only had 1 1/4 c. sugar, so had to replace the rest with 1/4 c. coconut sugar. Tasted amazing, but changed the color quite a bit lol. Next time I’ll plan better!
I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
My Husband loves lemon bars! His Mom called them “lemon snow bars” and made them every Christmas when he was young.
We have been vegetarian for a year and have just recently stopped eating eggs. Soooo happy I found this recipe! I made them tonight and surprised my husband. He was shocked that they where made without eggs! Thank you for this recipe, I can’t wait to make more of your recipes!
Thanks for the comment! I’m so glad he liked them!
I made these the other day and everyone (all non vegan too) loved them!! Even my boyfriend who likes lemon but dislikes lemon desserts said these were different and so good. Thanks so much for this recipe. So simple but so good! I’ll definitely be making these again. 🙂
You’re welcome! I’m glad they came out great!
Just made these. I substituted the coconut milk with oat milk. I did have to add 2 more tablespoons of cornstarch (ran out and just used flour) so it would thicken properly. I also doubled the recipe! It tastes so good! I love the tart flavor!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the lemon bars, thank you!
just made these and really loved them. my filling came out really firm – almost a little too firm 🙂 any tips on making the filling a little softer?
If you want them softer, you could use a little less cornstarch, and/or use light coconut milk. Glad you enjoyed them!
I made these and they were delicious! Very tart, the way I love them! Better the 2nd day because they were more completely set.
I love a tart lemon bar as well, not just sweet! Glad you enjoyed them, thank you.
Can I double the recipe and put in a 9X13 pan? Will this work?
Yes, that will work.
I’m going to substitute vegan butter for coconut oil tonight and see what happens!
Can’t wait to try as these look so good yet simple
Great! Let me know how you like the bars!
The coconut oil crust turned out fine! Though I don’t notice coconut smell or flavor, my husband and helper did so it’s a matter of preference. Great recipe for a first timer like me! Thanks!
Do you think it would work to use arrowroot instead of the cornstarch?
I think it would yes, though I haven’t tested it. They might not get quite as firm.
These are absolutely FANTASTIC!! Best lemon bars I’ve ever had. I am a new fan of your recipes! Thank you!
I doubled the recipe which may have been where I went wrong, but I’m not able to get my curd to firm up at all :’(. Also didn’t have time to cool the can and separate the coconut cream so there could just be too much liquid. I’ve already added extra cornstarch. I hope it’s not a complete waste!
Hmm I wonder what happened! Did you write this before you let it cool for hours? When you cooked the lemon filling on the stove, did it thicken up like mine? That’s the first step in thickening, then it bakes, then it still won’t be firm until you chill it for at least a couple of hours. If you doubled it, it will take longer to thicken in the fridge so be patient. Hope it works out and you get to enjoy the bars! I don’t think the coconut cream/milk would be a problem.
I have a coconut allergy, but would like to make these for some guest, is there an alternative I could use to sub the coconut milk?
I think it’s possible that cashew milk (unsweetened, unflavored) would work okay here, but I haven’t tried it. If you try it, I’d love to know if it works out. Thanks!
Does one can of coconut milk provide the 1 1/4 cup needed for the recipe? Or will I need two cans? And did you refrigerate it first to bring more of the solid portion to the top, or did you just use it straight from the cabinet? Thanks in advance! I’m really looking forward to trying this recipe!
One can of coconut milk does provide enough, there is more like 1 1/2 cups in a can I think. I did not refrigerate it first, just used it straight from the cabinet. Don’t stress too much about using only the creamy white portion, it’s okay if it’s a mix! I hope you love the lemon bars!
I was too paranoid and my coconut milk was too liquid-y. The first can only contained about 1 cup of the cream, and the rest was watery. Thanks, summer heat and humidity! So, I opened a second can and scooped the other 1/4 cup of cream from there. The filling is amazing… so delicious! These just came out of the oven, though, and are bubbling and still in a partial gel-state. 🙁 I left it in the oven for the full time (even two minutes longer than called for in the recipe). Is this normal until they cool? Or did I not cook the filling long enough? It looked like your pictures before I transferred it to the pan to bake. :'( I’ve never made ANY kind of baked lemon bar before and was really excited.
That sounds totally normal! The filling will firm up as it cools in the fridge. Just let it cool in the fridge for a few hours and you will see them firm up. Then sprinkle with powdered sugar, slice and eat! 🙂
Phew! Fingers crossed! I’ll report back tomorrow!
Love reading your recipes! I’ve made many of them and they’re all a hit.
I’m not sure if I got the right full-fat coconut milk. Do you have a picture of what you use? I have a couple different kinds and want to make sure I use what’s best!
I don’t have a picture, but if it’s a can (not a carton, like almond milk comes in) and it says coconut milk, you should be just fine! I use Trader Joe’s brand a lot, but also others as well with no problem. Hope you love the lemon bars, and I’m so happy you’ve liked other recipes too!
These were incredible. Everyone absolutely loved them!!!
These were amazing! I am looking forward to trying your other recipes.
I’m so happy you liked the lemon bars! Thank you so much.
Follow-up: I made these this afternoon. It is now 7:50 p.m., and my husband said “This is the best thing you’ve ever made,” and he proceeded to eat 4. Ya, these are amazing. Thank you!
Yay!! I’m so happy to hear they went over so well. Seriously, this comment makes my day!
This sounds wonderful for my lemon-loving egg-allergic friend! One question – she dislikes coconut flavored anything. Does any coconut flavor come through from the coconut milk?
Thank you! Gosh, I feel like you can’t taste any coconut because of all the wonderful lemon flavor, but if someone really hates coconut, they might be able to detect it. You could probably substitute cashew milk and get similar results. Thanks, I hope she loves them!
Nora, you slay me with your recipes. We are over the moon for so many of them, and this is now going to become a regular! Thank you.
You are SO kind! Thank you!
I had to make theses as soon as I saw them and OH. MY. WORD! These are fantastic. Thank you!
Can’t wait to try!
The pic with the bite is adorable.