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.
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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
I just made these for the first time yesterday and they’re so delicious! I can’t wait to devour the entire plate 🙂
Hi Liz I am not into coconut milk or oil…what replacement can I use for the lemon bars?
These lemon bars are so good! I made them for a friend and she loved them! The recipe is very easy and the filling does not have a strong coconut taste at all. Very lemony, sweet and satisfying.
The filling for this recipe is so delicious! But I had to try the recipe twice because the first time I used coconut milk from a bottle and the filling was way too runny to use, even after adding additional cornstarch and letting it cool down. I think it would be helpful to mention in the recipe that it’s best to use canned coconut milk instead. Thank you!
Thank you! I thought I had made it quite clear by calling for full fat coconut milk, but I will add in “canned” to make it more clear. It would be too runny using the kind from a jar like soy milk. Thanks for the feedback!
Haven’t made these yet. Need to know if the coconut milk is unsweetened?
Yes, it just canned full fat coconut milk, nothing else added.
Perfect lemon bars, my boyfriend and I loved them and they tasted great. No coconut taste at all! I think I found my new favourite recipe with how easy it is to make. Usually I add more lemon juice than advised but this was the perfect amount for the right lemon/sugar balance. The lemon flavour stays with you after eating one lemon bar!
Two small comments, my oven heated up the crust a bit quicker so it was rather brown all over instead of slightly golden when they came out after 16 mins! However, no taste problems whatsoever (and I am picky when it comes to cookies that were in the oven for too long). The boiling of the filling took 15 mins rather than 10 minutes before it started to thicken but you could clearly see and feel the change.
Thank you for your comments and I’m so happy you enjoyed the lemon bars!
Hi this came out perfect. I tried with Oat flour as a gluten free option. I didn’t feel a difference at all. No coconut flavor but it tasted so good and loved that tangy lemon flavor. I run my own food business and I make these now. All my customers love it.
Could almond milk be used in place of coconut milk?
I haven’t tried it, but it may work. I’m not sure if the filling would get as firm though.
Just to clarify, this calls for canned coconut milk?
Correct.
Was just wondering before I make this, will it still turn out okay using arrowroot instead of cornstarch?
I haven’t tried it but it might work!
I made these bars and although the filling turned out wonderfully, the base was a thin batter from the beginning that never baked into a solid shortbread crust. I tried again without melting the butter to try to get a better consistency, but when baking it still remained a paste, even after baking 30 min. Do you have any recommendations?
I’m sorry the crust didn’t work out for you! It seems like you may have missed the part about precooking the crust for 16-18 minutes in step 2 of the instructions. Could that be the issue?
I made this and tastes delicious but it didn’t come out like yours. It’s not firm. I used half of the sugar 3/4 cups instead of 1 1/2 cups. Would that be the reason? If yes what can I do to? I still want to use 3/4 cups of sugar. Thank you!!
Cutting the sugar in half could affect the outcome, but I wouldn’t think it would that much. That said, I’ve never tried it with less sugar. Make sure you are following the rest of the instructions exactly, boil the lemon mixture long enough so it thickens, and let them chill long enough to firm up.
I followed the recipe this time as it is and it came out much better. Everyone loved it!! Thank you!!!
You’re welcome!
This looks amazing! I am planning to make it as a surprise for my husband. Can the sugar be replaced by monk fruit?
I’m not sure, but maybe! Hope you enjoy!
I am just curious if anyone has ever made this without coconut milk?
Someone said they used almond milk and it worked!
If you’re looking for a vegan lemon bar recipe, park it right here. The last time I made lemon bars was about three years ago and I wasn’t vegan. They were incredible, and I worried I would never be able to make them vegan. Though this recipe has coconut in it, you would never know. More than half the pan is gone, and I haven’t tasted even a hint of coconut. These are truly the perfect lemon bars. I add a tiny bit extra lemon juice for a tart filling, and they are just perfect. Thank you Nora! I love all of your recipes so much!
You’re so welcome!! Thanks for the wonderful comment!
The first time I made these they came out perfect. It took way longer than I expected for the filling to thicken, but it finally did. I’ve made this twice since and both times the filling has turned an ugly dark color and never thickened? I wish I knew what I was doing wrong, because they were the best lemon bars I’d ever tasted – way more tart and bad a better texture than the egg based ones I’ve made before. Is the Alabama humidity working against me?
If it turned an ugly dark color, I’m guessing you may have actually overcooked the filling in the pan. It can get burnt, and it will mess up the setting of the bars as well. Try not to overcook it, and you will probably have better luck! The humidity and heat could affect it as well, but I’m not totally sure. Hope that helps and they work out perfectly again!
I made these this week and although the taste was bang on, the texture and consistency of the filling was too hard and gelatinous. I wonder if I left the filling on the stove too long and let it thicken up too much perhaps. Any thoughts? I’d love to give it another try.
Hi there! Yes, it sounds like maybe you did cook the filling a bit too long on the stove. You want to just cook it until it thickens like in the photos, but not too long or it could get a bit weird. It will thicken up as it cools. I hope that helps!
Made these for my husbands bday and they were a huge hit! I was worried about the coconut b/c it’s all I could smell when they were baking, but you honestly couldn’t even taste it. Maybe just a light after taste, which was delightful. My dad had one and loved it, but he is diabetic…so I’m wondering..:could these be made with a sugar substitute? If so, what would the measurements be? I’d love to make him some for his bday!
I’m so glad you enjoyed them! As far as a sugar substitute, I’m not totally sure but it might work. I honestly haven’t baked much at all with sugar substitutes so I would follow whatever it says on the package. I know when using stevia you use a lot less than sugar. Hope that helps!
I made the gluten free version. I only had a 13×9 pan so I doubled the crust recipe so it would fill the pan. I kep the filling portion the same amount. Came out FANTASTIC! They were a big hit at my Mother In Law’s birthday party. Delicious vegan option!!
I’m so glad they worked out gluten free! I’m so happy everyone enjoyed them.
Made these yesterday and they are amazing. I haven’t had a lemon square for 10 years since going vegan, and these are perfect, and easy! Thank you!
I’m so glad, thank you!
Good Morning,
For the crust can I use coconut oil instead of butter, if so what would be the ratio? Thank you
Coconut oil should work, you would use the same amount as vegan butter.
Amazing. I can’t get enough of these.
I loooooove to bake and considered vegan baking/cooking blasphemy.
Nora, your recipes have completely changed me….you’re now the go-to cookbook for our family, thank you!
You’re so welcome!! Thanks for the comment!
I made these for a bake sale and they were a huge hit!! Do you think the lemon in the filling could be changed to lime or key lime without any issues? Thank you!!
Yes, I think that would work just fine. I’m so glad they were a hit, thank you!
I made them for my (very picky palate) father and he loved them!! Perfect for bringing to picnics and potlucks. Glad to add another recipe to my “to please the onmivores” file! 😛
I forgot to leave a rating; here it is!
That’s so great!!
So good!
Excellent. I am by no means vegan, but I think egg spoils the clean, clear taste of lemon.
I always felt that way actually, even before I was vegan. 🙂 Thank you!