Erin’s Recipe Rundown
Texture: A creamy, zingy lemon curd on a shortbread base.
Taste: Bright, tart citrus balanced with sweet and buttery notes.
Ease: Simple ingredients + straightforward steps.
Recommended GF Flour: My top pick for this recipe is Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Baking Flour, but King Arthur Measure-For-Measure Flour will also work.
Would I make these again? Definitely! This is THE recipe for lemon lovers — it’s impossible to eat just one bar!
xoxo erin
Made with fresh lemon juice and zest, these gluten-free lemon bars rival any traditional recipe. They’re bright and creamy, with the perfect balance between tart and sweet!
Plus the shortbread crust adds a tender, buttery, and slightly crisp base that complements the lemon filling. Nobody can ever tell these lemon bars are gluten-free!
Featured Comment
From Arianna: “Just made these and WOWWW. They are delicious. The inside is so yummy and the crust came out perfect! Definitely saving this recipe for the future.“
Table of Contents
- Erin’s Recipe Rundown
- Ingredients You’ll Need
- How to Make Gluten-Free Lemon Bars
- Make-Ahead/Storage/Freezing Instructions
- Can these gluten-free lemon bars be made dairy-free? What about nut-free?
- Why do I need to avoid metal baking tools and equipment?
- What is the best way to cut clean squares?
- Gluten-Free Lemon Bar Recipe Tips
- More Gluten-Free Citrus Desserts
- Gluten-Free Lemon Bars (with Shortbread Crust!) Recipe
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here are a few notes on some of the key ingredients to make these gluten-free lemon bars. Jump to the recipe card below for the exact measurements.
- Gluten-free flour: This recipe turns out best with a high-quality gluten-free flour blend that contains xanthan gum. I prefer Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Baking Flour for this one, but King Arthur Measure-For-Measure Flour will work too.
- Sugar: Granulated sugar is essential for adding sweetness to both the creamy lemon filling and the gluten-free shortbread crust.
- Lemon zest: Fresh lemon zest takes the lemon flavor to the next level of intensity!
- Lemon juice: I like to use fresh Meyer lemons for a sweeter, more intense lemony flavor— but any kind of lemon will work (just don’t use lemon concentrate)!
You also might like these recipes for gluten-free s’mores bars, gluten-free coconut cake, gluten-free peach crisp, gluten-free blondies and gluten-free brownies.
How to Make Gluten-Free Lemon Bars
Here’s an overview of how to make these bars. You can jump to the recipe for the full instructions!
- Using a stand mixer: Add the gluten-free flour, sugar, and salt. Then with the mixer on low, add a few pieces of butter at a time (cut into 1/2″ chunks). Add the vanilla and continue to mix until the dough forms (2-3 minutes). You can also use a hand mixer!
- Bake the crust: Press the dough into an even layer in the prepared 8×8 glass baking pan. Bake the crust until lightly browned (25-30 minutes), then let it cool on a wire rack (30 minutes) before pouring in the filling.
- In a large glass bowl: Add the eggs, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and gluten-free flour.
- Using a non-metal whisk: Whisk together the ingredients until the filling is smooth.
- Once the crust is cool: Pour the lemon filling on top of the crust.
- Bake & chill: Bake the lemon bars until the filling is shiny and opaque, yet slightly jiggly in the center when shaken (20-25 minutes). Let the bars cool on a wire rack until they reach room temperature, then chill them in the fridge (at least 3 hours) before slicing. Dust with powdered sugar and enjoy!
For more springtime recipes, check out these gluten-free Easter desserts.
Make-Ahead/Storage/Freezing Instructions
To Make-Ahead: This dessert can be made 1-2 days in advance. Store them uncut in an airtight container in the fridge. Wait to dust with powdered sugar and slice until just before serving!
To Store: Store leftover cut bars in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
To Freeze: They can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months. You can also freeze individual pieces by letting them firm up in the freezer, then wrapping them in plastic wrap and storing them in a freezer bag or airtight container. Thaw in the fridge before serving. You may want to top them with fresh powdered sugar too!
Can these gluten-free lemon bars be made dairy-free? What about nut-free?
Yes, just swap out the butter with your favorite dairy-free butter and you’re all set!
These lemon bars are naturally nut-free.
Why do I need to avoid metal baking tools and equipment?
Lemon is highly acidic and reacts with metals, like aluminum. By using a glass mixing bowl, non-metal whisk, and a glass baking pan, you’ll avoid the unfortunate metallic taste that happens when the citrus reacts to metal. Ceramic is another good option!
What is the best way to cut clean squares?
I recommend chilling the bars first, then using a sharp knife to cut them. Dipping the knife in warm water and wiping it dry in between each slice helps! Also, make sure you cut straight down and avoid a sawing motion.
Gluten-Free Lemon Bar Recipe Tips
- Line your baking dish: If you’re baking these lemon bars for a crowd, make it easy on yourself by lining the dish with parchment paper before pressing in the crust. This will make it easy to remove and slice the bars once they’re baked and cooled.
- Use glass or ceramic dishes: Be sure to use a glass or ceramic dish to bake the lemon bars. Also, use a glass bowl and non-metal whisk when whisking the lemon filling. Using aluminum or other metal bakeware will cause the lemon to react and result in a metallic taste.
- Don’t over-bake: It’s easy to over-bake lemon bars, since they may not seem totally set when you take them out the the oven. Just remember that they’ll continue to set as they cool.
- Use fresh lemon juice: I don’t recommend using bottled, store-bought lemon juice for this recipe. Fresh is best!
More Gluten-Free Citrus Desserts
Gluten-Free Lemon Bars (with Shortbread Crust!)
Ingredients
Shortbread Crust
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons (169g) gluten-free measure-for-measure flour
- ⅓ cup (66g) granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup (113g) butter at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Lemon Filling
- 3 large eggs
- 1½ cups (300g) granulated sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons grated lemon zest zest of 3-4 lemons
- ½ cup (120ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice juice of 3-4 lemons
- ⅓ cup (50g) gluten-free measure-for-measure flour
- powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F degrees. Spray a glass 8×8-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
To make the crust:
- Cut the butter into ½-inch pieces. Add the gluten-free flour, sugar and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer or a hand mixer.
- With the mixer running on low, add a few pieces of butter at a time. Add the vanilla. Mix for 2-3 minutes until a shortbread dough forms.
- Press the dough into an even layer in the prepared pan.
- Bake the crust for 25-30 minutes, until lightly browned. Let the crust cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes before pouring the topping over the crust.
To make the filling:
- In a large glass bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice and gluten-free flour with a non-metal whisk. Pour the filling over the cooled crust and bake for 20-25 minutes. The filling should be shiny and opaque, with a slightly jiggly center when shaken.
- Let the lemon bars cool on a wire rack to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 3 hours before slicing.
- Dust generously with powdered sugar before serving.
OMG- just made these w/ slight modification (only half the filling- as I like the proportion better like that with crust vs. filling). They are absolutely AMAZING! Will be making this again soon. Thank you for sharing. 🙂
My mother in law is gluten free and LOVED these! They were so simple to make!
I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
Do these lemon bars freeze well?
Thanks for your question! We typically recommend storing the lemon bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days. We’re not sure how they’d hold up being frozen, but if you decide to give it a try, we’d love to hear how it goes!
I love these with the shortbread crust!! The lemon flavor just bursts in your mouth! They are so soft & yummy!
Perfect GF lemon bars and very easy to make!
Thank you for this positive review! We’re so glad you loved them, Tania!
This is my second time making these bars. The first batch was delicious although I only had a non-stick pan so they were not baked the best. However they were delicious. I just made them again today for a second time and I did something wrong. The center seems soupy when I jiggled the glass dish. Wondering if I over beat the mix?
I’m sure they will taste good just not sure what they’ll look like once they cool. Any suggestions or thoughts on what I may have done?
Hi Pat! Usually, the center being jiggly just means that you need to bake your bars longer. If your bars seem to brown at the edges, you can cover them with aluminum foil and turn down the heat. The bars should be set at the edges and jiggly without being runny in the middle. They will set fully as they cool.
Erin
Thanks so much for replying to me about what I may have done wrong when I made this second batch of lemon bars. (They were delicious even though the center did not get firm).
I do have a question about how you measure the flour. Would you tell me the best way to measure for this recipe?
Thanks!
I don’t have a stand mixer, will a hand mixer work?
Thank you!
Hi there, you can use a hand mixer or a spoon and elbow grease. Stand mixers just make the job a little less taxing. Depending on the motor of your hand mixer, some hand mixers can’t handle thicker doughs. If it seems like the dough is too much for it, mixing with a spoon will be the best option. Thanks for your question!
A tip for mixing the filling with a wooden/silicon spoon:
Put the flour, sugar, and zest into a bowl, stir to combine.
(This also helps to break up any lumps and add air.)
Mix in one agg at a time, then finally add lemon juice.
It’ll seem a bit pale/foamy, but that’s a good thing!
The foam will float to the top as it bakes, forming a thin crust. This helps the powdered sugar stay dry for longer on the bars.
Thanks for the helpful tips!
Great lemon squares. I used to always make regular lemon squares for family members. This tastes pretty good, I don’t think I will miss my old recipe.
Thanks.
I’m so glad this recipe is a good stand-in for your old one. Thanks for the comment 🙂
Erin, i give this recipe 5 stars because they are delicious. However, need your help! I made these bars again and I followed the recipe exactly. But again the center of the bars never fully baked. You suggested once before that I needed to bake them longer. I did but not long and I did not place alum foil around the edges to keep them from over baking.
I am so perplexed as to what I’m not doing correctly. Could I bake them in a 7×11 glass dish and see if that helps?
Could I be over beating the filling?
I also wonder if I am not measuring the flour correctly. I do not want to give up on making these correctly. Thank you for your time and advice.
You’re exactly right I have eaten almost the whole plate! My friend made these to have with our coffee and Bible study yesterday and I can’t stop eating them! I love the sweet and tart flavors! This recipe will be a winner with my children and grandchildren!
I’m so happy you all enjoyed them! So nice of you to make them for your loved ones 🙂 Thanks for the comment!
So delicious! I made these last night but with lime juice and my family ate half even before they were totally cooled.
Lime juice sounds delicious! I’m so glad your family enjoyed them 🙂
I doubled the recipe in 9×13 pan. Dies it take longer to cook?
You might need to add 5 minutes to the cook time, but it should be about the same since the thickness of the bars is about the same. I hope you enjoy them!
My only glass baking pan is a 9×13. Could I double the recipe? How would using the larger pan affect bake time?
These lemon bars are excellent! I brought them to a party and they were a hit.
I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
Must these be refrigerated or can they sit out countertop for a few days? Also, can they be frozen! They. Look. Amazing.
These definitely need to be refrigerated. This allows the custard to set and makes them easier to slice 🙂
These gluten-free lemon bars were super delicious! I’m glad I followed the recipe exactly as written because it was a huge success!
These were so easy to make, and so delicious! I didn’t have a stand mixer, but a friend loaned me his spare one so I could make the crust. I liked how easy it was.
I’m so glad they turned out for you! Thanks for the comment 🙂
I’m so glad I found this recipe. It is delicious! I have missed lemon bars since being diagnosed. These were easy to make, and my family loved them, too. This recipe is a keeper. 🙂
I cant wait to try these, my grandson needs gluten free food and this recipe looks amazing. Thanks