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.
The flavor was great and I got a lot of compliments but I ended up not serving the entire pan because I couldn’t get the center to set up right. I added 10 extra minutes to the cook time but didn’t want to overcook it and I hoped it would set more as it cooled.
I think next time I may try cornstarch in the filling instead of the GF flour. Something was off for it to remain too liquidy.
Hi Stephanie, thank you for sharing with us! We’re so glad you enjoyed the flavor despite the issue with the filling. A few possible causes: oven running cold (underbaked despite the extra time), a mismeasurement of ingredients (too much liquid), not letting it fully cool (not fully set yet), or using a different blend of GF flour (they absorb liquid differently). Replacing some of the flour with cornstarch can thicken it, but we wouldn’t recommend entirely replacing the flour with cornstarch as that will greatly change the results and could produce gummy lemon bars. We hope your next bake goes much better!
These are absolutely amazing! Mine had the funniest twist though…all of the lemon topping somehow went below the baked crust…like somehow it floated to the top. This is the best recipe and will be enjoyed forever after!! Thank yoy
Hi Rebecca! We’re so pleased you loved the lemon bars despite the hiccup with the crust! That can happen if the crust is a little underbaked or hasn’t cooled enough before adding the filling. Thank you for such kind feedback!