My Paleo Lemon Bars are the perfect sweet treat for anyone following a Paleo diet. The shortbread crust is flavored with honey, vanilla and lemon, then baked in the oven until crisp. The crust is topped with a honey and zesty lemon filling, which is the perfect balance of sweet and tart flavors, making these healthy lemon bars so moreish.
Paleo Lemon Bars
This delicious recipe for Paleo Lemon Bars includes no nuts and no coconut – both common ingredients in many other paleo lemon bars (but also common allergies).
The shortbread base is made with cassava flour which makes these lemon bars nut free and grain free. My gluten free lemon bars are ideal for celiacs or anyone following a gluten free diet.
There is no refined sugar in either the crust or filling. Instead these healthy lemon bars are sweetened with honey which pairs beautifully with the fresh lemon juice and zest.
How to make Paleo Lemon Bars:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Place a large enough piece of parchment paper in an 8×8-inch baking dish to create handles up the sides of the dish.
- To make crust, place ghee, honey, vanilla and egg in the bowl of an electric mixer. Mix on medium setting until combined.
- Add in cassava flour, salt and lemon zest.
- Mix once more until just incorporated.
- Press crust mixture evenly into the prepared baking dish.
- Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes.
- While crust is baking, add filling ingredients to the bowl of an electric mixer and mix until combined.
- Pour filling ingredients over the baked crust and place it back in the oven for 25 minutes or until baked through.
- Place lemon bars on a cooling rack until completely cooled, then transfer to the refrigerator to chill overnight.
Paleo Lemon Bars Recipe Ingredients:
- GHEE: I use ghee rather than butter or margarine in the crust base.
- HONEY: Honey is my preferred sweetener, for both the crust and filling. You could also use maple syrup or agave syrup which are other great unrefined sugar options.
- VANILLA: I use vanilla extract to flavor the crust, vanilla essence would work in a pinch but doesn’t have the same depth of flavor.
- EGGS: I use eggs both in the crust and in the lemon filling.
- FLOUR: as these are paleo bars I use cassava flour in both the crust and the filling. Cassava flour is a vegetable based flour, rather than a grain or nut based flour.
- LEMON: I use a combination of fresh lemon zest and juice for both the crust and the filling.
- SALT: I season the crust with just a pinch of Himalayan sea salt.
Flavor variations & substitutions:
- I’ve used lemon zest and juice to flavor these paleo bars. However, you could also use any other citrus flavors. Lime, orange or grapefruit would also make great tasting citrus paleo bars.
- I was keen to use unrefined sugars to make these bars. Honey is my favorite to pair with lemon, but you could also use maple syrup or agave syrup too.
- If you want to bake dairy free paleo lemon bars, swap the ghee for coconut oil.
Recipe hints & tips:
- I always use fresh lemons when making these bars as fresh lemon tastes far better than bottled lemon juice.
- Line any baking pan with parchment paper. Not only does this stop the bars from sticking to the sides of the pan, it will also make it easier to remove the bars from the pan when you need to cut them up.
- Once baked, allow time for the lemon filling to properly set in the refrigerator before cutting them up into portions. Set filling is a lot easier to portion into individual bars.
FAQs
Cassava flour is made with the root vegetable cassava.
A vegetable based flour, cassava flour is gluten free, so ideal when making gluten free based goods. As it is not a nut based flour it can also be used in recipes for those suffering with nut allergies.
Once baked and cooled, store these paleo lemon bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. I like to add a sheet to parchment paper between each layer to stop the bars from sticking together.
Yes, once baked and cooled, cut the bars up and place in an airtight container, with a sheet of parchment paper between each layer to stop the bars from stick. Then store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Don’t miss these other delicious Lemon Recipes here at When Is Dinner:
- Easy Lemon Bars
- Keto Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake
- Lemon Sugar Cookie Pie
- Lemon Chicken Zoodle Bowls
- Lemon Basil Orzo
- Lemon Turmeric Popsicles
- Lemon Poppyseed Muffins
Paleo Lemon Bars
Ingredients
- Crust:
- ⅓ cup ghee
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 egg room temperature
- 1 cup cassava flour
- ⅛ teaspoon himalayan sea salt
- Grated zest of 1 lemon
- Filling:
- 1 ½ tablespoons cassava flour
- ½ cup fresh lemon juice
- Zest of 2 lemons
- ⅓ cup honey
- 3 large eggs + 1 egg white
Instructions
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 175Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 76mgSodium: 49mgCarbohydrates: 26gFiber: 1gSugar: 15gProtein: 3g
These are a few items I find helpful in my own kitchen when preparing theses Paleo Lemon Bars:
Reynolds Kitchens Non-Stick Parchment Paper – 60 Square Feet
Wilton Perfect Results Premium Non-Stick 8-Inch Square Cake Pans, Set of 2Himalayan Pink Salt Grass-Fed Ghee Butter by 4th & Heart, 9 Ounce, Pasture Raised, Non-GMO, Lactose Free, Certified Paleo, Keto-FriendlyHamilton Beach Classic Hand and Stand Mixer, 4 Quarts, 6 Speeds with QuickBurst, 290 Watts, Bowl Rest, Black and Stainless (64650),Anthony’s Cassava Flour, 2lbs, Batch Tested Gluten Free, Non GMO, VeganOXO 1169600 Good Grips 3-Piece Mixing Set, White Bowls with Blue/Green/Brown Handles, YellowOxo Good Grips 3-piece Silicone Spatula SetClean Eating with a Dirty Mind: Over 150 Paleo-Inspired Recipes for Every CravingPaleo Desserts: 125 Delicious Everyday Favorites, Gluten- and Grain-Free
