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!

lemon squares stacks and garnished with powdered sugar

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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.
stacked lemon squares with powdered sugar
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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.

bite out of gluten free lemon bars

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

Recipe Card

Gluten Free Lemon Bars Recipe

4.45 from 237 votes
Prep: 30 minutes
Cook: 50 minutes
Cool Time: 2 hours
Total: 3 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 12 bars
Author: Becky Hardin
These GLUTEN FREE LEMON BARS are the easiest and best lemon bar recipe, and they just so happen to be gluten free! SO DELICIOUS! Thick and creamy lemon squares for the win.
These Gluten Free Lemon Bars are so easy, anyone can feel like a pastry chef.
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Ingredients 

For the Crust

  • 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

  • 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. 
Storage: Store gluten free lemon bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Serving: 1barCalories: 281kcalCarbohydrates: 47gProtein: 4gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 82mgSodium: 85mgPotassium: 38mgFiber: 2gSugar: 34gVitamin A: 327IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 26mgIron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Did you make this? Leave a comment!

More Gluten Free Dessert Recipes We Love

 

How much is the juice of one lemon?

On average, each lemon has 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of lemon zest. Great info to know!

How long is a lemon good for?

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.

Do lemon bars need to be refrigerated?

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.

How long can you keep lemon squares?

I recommend no more than 2-3 days in an airtight container.

Can you freeze lemon bars?

Yes! Lemon bars freeze beautifully for up to 3 months!

Meet Becky Hardin

Becky Hardin is a wife and mother living in Saint Louis Missouri. She founded The Cookie Rookie in 2012 as a creative way to share recipes. Now, she is a trusted resource for easy cooking around the world, being featured in Taste of Home, The Kitchn, ABC’s Home and Family, and more. Here at The Cookie Rookie she is the editor in chief of all recipes and continues to enjoy sharing her passion for cooking for busy families. She has since founded two additional food blogs, Easy Chicken Recipes and Easy Dessert Recipes.

4.45 from 237 votes (199 ratings without comment)
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myrna
myrna
March 1, 2019 2:54 pm

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!

Pam Kilstrom
Pam Kilstrom
February 11, 2019 6:57 am

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!!

Nancy
Nancy
January 13, 2019 11:30 pm

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!4 stars

Court
Court
January 11, 2019 7:36 pm

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 .3 stars

VegasDude
VegasDude
July 31, 2018 5:31 am

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 !

Brittany Storti
Brittany Storti
June 17, 2018 1:54 pm

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! Lol5 stars

Stephanie
Stephanie
June 4, 2018 8:02 am

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.

Jodelle
Jodelle
May 6, 2018 6:24 pm

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.5 stars

driving directions
driving directions
May 2, 2018 3:46 am

Very helpful advice in this particular post! It’s the little changes that make the largest changes. Thanks for sharing!5 stars

Shannon
Shannon
April 17, 2018 7:08 pm

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.5 stars