These Lemon Bars are the easiest lemon bar recipe, and they just so happen to be gluten free! I developed this recipe to be thick, creamy, tart, and utterly delicious. Trust me on this one, these are the Best Lemon Bars I’ve ever had!
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What’s in this Gluten-Free Lemon Bars Recipe?
I love my recipe for classic lemon bars so much, I just had to make a gluten-free version! These lemon bars have quickly become one of my favorite gluten-free dessert recipes on the site. They are so creamy, dreamy, and easy! My kids absolutely devour these and rarely leave any for the rest of us.
- Gluten-Free Flour: Part of what makes these Gluten Free Lemon Bars oh-so-easy and perfect is Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour. You heard that right, one-to-one! No more adding in special ingredients to make gluten-free flours work with your favorite recipes. You can literally add this flour into any of your best bets just as you would all-purpose flour and bake away.
- Granulated Sugar: Sweetens the crust and the filling.
- Salted Butter: Adds fat and flavor to the crust. If using unsalted butter, add a pinch of salt to balance the flavor.
- Water: Helps bring these bars together and makes them dairy-free!
- Lemon: You’ll need 4 lemons for this recipe. You’ll use the juice of 4 and the zest of 2. I do not recommend using bottled lemon juice, as it just won’t taste right.
- Eggs: Help make the filling rich and creamy like lemon curd!
Pro Tip: You can also make these lemon bars with regular all-purpose flour if you’re not gluten-free!
Variations
These dreamy gluten free lemon bars are so easily adaptable!
- For Blueberry Lemon Bars, I stir a cup of fresh blueberries into the filling, or add a thin layer of blueberry jam between the crust and the curd.
- For Raspberry Lemon Bars, I stir a cup of fresh raspberries into the filling, or add a thin layer of raspberry jam between the crust and the curd.
- For Cranberry Lemon Bars, I stir a cup of fresh cranberries into the filling, or cook down some cranberries and sugar into a cranberry jam!
- For Meyer Lemon Bars, I use Meyer lemon juice and zest. (Love this special flavor!)
- For Gluten Free Lemon Bars with Graham Cracker Crust, I pulse a few sheets of gluten-free graham crackers in a food processor and use them in place of the flour.
How to Store
Store leftovers in an airtight container or Ziplock bag at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Lemon bars are best enjoyed slightly cool or at room temperature.
How to Freeze
Freeze bars whole or cut into individual bars tightly wrapped in 2 layers of plastic wrap and 1 layer of aluminum foil for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before enjoying.
Serving Suggestions
These lemon bars are delicious all on their own or paired with a heaping dollop of whipped cream, meringue, or a dusting powdered sugar.
Top the bars with toasted sweetened, shredded coconut flakes to make them festive for Easter. If making for Easter, be sure to also make a pitcher of my famous Lavender Lemonade.
5-Star Reviews
“This recipe turned out perfectly! I love it when I knock gf baking out of the park and this recipe did just that.” – Emily
“These are better than any other lemon bars that I’ve ever had– even the kind with gluten and dairy. My husband prefers these over all other recipes (and he’s not gluten and dairy free), and my mom made a huge batch for my brother’s wedding. Definitely a keeper of a recipe!” – Selena
“These are fabulous. The crust is crispy and buttery and the texture and flavor is exactly what I was hoping for.” – Susan
Gluten Free Lemon Bars Recipe
Equipment
- Kitchen Scale (optional)
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 1½ cups Bob's Red Mill 1:1 Gluten Free Flour 222 grams
- ½ cup granulated sugar 100 grams
- ½ cup salted butter 113 grams, cold and cut into pieces (1 stick)
- 2 tablespoons water 28 grams
For the Filling
- 1½ cups granulated sugar 300 grams
- ½ cup lemon juice 114 grams (from 4 lemons)
- 2 tablespoons grated lemon zest 12 grams (from 2 lemons)
- 4 large eggs 200 grams, lightly beaten
- ¼ cup Bob's Red Mill 1:1 Gluten Free Flour 37 grams
For Serving
- Powdered sugar optional (see note)
Instructions
For the Crust
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×9-inch baking pan with nonstick spray and set aside. (I also like to line with foil and then spray…makes pulling them out of the pan much easier)
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour and sugar. Use a fork or knives to stir in the butter until a crumbly mixture results. Add the water a bit at a time. Take mixture and press evenly into the bottom of the pan.1½ cups Bob's Red Mill 1:1 Gluten Free Flour, ½ cup granulated sugar, ½ cup salted butter, 2 tablespoons water
- Bake for approximately 25 minutes until slightly golden and set.
For the Filling
- In a large bowl, stir together all of the filling ingredients until smooth.1½ cups granulated sugar, ½ cup lemon juice, 2 tablespoons grated lemon zest, 4 large eggs, ¼ cup Bob's Red Mill 1:1 Gluten Free Flour
- Pour mixture over the still-hot crust.
- Bake 22-26 minutes, or until set in the middle. Let cool on the counter for a minimum of 2 hours. Cut into squares and sprinkle with powdered sugar.Powdered sugar
Video
Becky’s Tips
- Powdered Sugar: Powdered sugar is gluten free as long as it uses cornstarch or tapioca starch as its base. so just be sure to double-check the ingredient list.
- If you want to make this dessert with regular flour (instead of gluten free) that’s no problem at all! Just use all-purpose flour in place of the gluten free flours.
- Nutritional information does not include optional ingredients.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
More Gluten Free Dessert Recipes We Love
- Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Gluten Free Spritz Cookies
- Gluten Free Carrot Cake Bars
- Gluten Free Brownies
- Gluten Free Churros
On average, each lemon has 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of lemon zest. Great info to know!
A lemon can stay good and fresh for up to 1 week at room temperature and 2-3 weeks in the fridge. Cut lemons can stay good for 2-3 days in the fridge.
I recommend keeping them cool. You can keep them in the fridge or on the counter in an airtight container for 2-3 days, but the refrigeration will only enhance the flavor of the bars and keep them extra creamy.
I recommend no more than 2-3 days in an airtight container.
Yes! Lemon bars freeze beautifully for up to 3 months!
I have Meyer Lemons and haven’t used them before for lemon bars or othe baking. Would you Meyer lemons work in this recipe? Thank you!
Definitely!
I loved the crust for your lemon bars! Thank you so much for that recipe! And the lemon bars filling is flavored to die for, but the lemon bar recipe is mis-worded, I believe. The ingredients should be “mixed well” (using a mixer?) as opposed to just “stirring” them together as that just didn’t do the trick. It left unmixed egg whites on the top (quite ugly) and the mixture was not that smooth or creamy. Despite that, I gotta report my household ate the quickly and with satisfaction! I will making them again!!
Thanks so much for writing in. I’ll test it! So glad you loved it though :)
These turned out delicious! I left all else the same but used 2/3 the amount of sugar just because I like things a little less sweet. 4/5 stars only because they were just a little tart for me even though I love lemons! (Maybe cutting the sugar, I should’ve cut the lemon a tiny bit.) So happy to have these all week!
I’m so happy you loved them!
I made these tonight and I baked them for even slightly longer than required because they didn’t seem done yet. And while cutting into them the middle seemed to be pretty good. I’m not sure what I did wrong here. They taste amazing but way softer than expecting then to be .
Printed.. Making these TODAY !! Only a 1/2 batch.. It’s just me…
That’s hilarious you couldn’t cook at 30.. I cook 95% of my meals..
In Jr/Sr high a few of us guys took cooking classes as our electives..
Just for the FREE FOOD… aka Hungry teenage boys !
Thats so awesome that you learned so early!!
Made this for Father’s Day! They came out AMAZING! Thank you so much for the recipe!!!
The only problem is I found out I can’t just have one! Lol
I’m SO happy to hear that! HFD to all the dads in your life :)
These tasted Amazing! Quick question though, my crust was very dry while putting it in the pan… is it supposed to be like that or did I do something wrong? I couldn’t poke the crust before baking it.
Hmm…ours wasn’t super dry like that. Did it taste okay once baked? Seems like something might have gone wrong, I’m sorry!
I made these today and they came out perfect! I made them both gluten free and dairy free. Hands down the best lemon bar I’ve made! It was like eating lemon ???? meringue pie but in bar form! So delicious and easy to make. I will definitely be making these again.
Very helpful advice in this particular post! It’s the little changes that make the largest changes. Thanks for sharing!
This is my first ever review, but I had to tell you how delicious these bars were!! I made them this past Easter, my daughter wanted a lemon bar and since I have celiac thought I would try a new Gluten Free recipe. It was so easy and so yummy. The whole family loved these bars!! Will absolutely make again.
This totally made my day to hear! THank you so much for letting me know :)